College Football 2010: Pac 10

Yes, we're doing a College Football Preview again. Yes, you know I love Phil Steele's work. Order from his plethora of preview options here. I'm also armed with The Sporting News College Football 2010, and I picked up the Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook this year, too. I've also done research through local newspapers and school websites to try to get the most up-to-date information on the teams.

Pac 10 Conference
1. Oregon
2. USC
3. California
4. Oregon State
5. Washington
6. Arizona
7. Stanford
8. UCLA
9. Arizona State
10. Washington State

Stories to Watch in the Pac 10

No Carroll, no bowl. Pete Carroll slithered out of Los Angeles for the NFL, unaware (yeah, right) that USC was about to get the hammer dropped on them by the NCAA. When the Trojans take the field this year, they will have former Carroll aide and NFL coach Lane Kiffin leading the way, and they will have nothing to play for but a conference title and pride. The Trojans will make no postseason appearance this year, and they are ineligible for the national championship. Kiffin has the typical loaded roster at USC, but did lose around one-third of last year's lettermen, along with 12 starters. He will try to build around the usual strong offensive line and sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley, who had some ups and downs as a freshman. Barkley looked strong at times, and he also had games where he totally looked like, well, a freshman. The Trojans lose their leading rusher and receiver, along with three starters on the offensive line, so it could be a struggle at times for USC to even match their 26.5 point average from a year ago, which was down significantly from what they had been posting in previous seasons. The defense was a bit of a sieve against the run, but Kiffin's father, Monte, is an accomplished defensive coach who will whip the unit into shape. The linebackers will be a strength, with senior Malcolm Smith and junior Chris Galippo both back.

Oregon a quarterback away. The Ducks were strong a year ago, and they looked like a potential national championship contender until quarterback Jeremiah Masoli got in trouble again and was kicked off the team. He's at Mississippi now, and Oregon has the kind of team a new quarterback must dream of. The Ducks have experience all over the place, with key players like running back LaMichael James, receiver Jeff Maehl, receiver D.J. Davis, left tackle Bo Thran, safety John Boyett, cornerback Talmadge Jackson, and linebacker Spencer Paysinger all returning from very good 2009 seasons. New starting quarterback Darron Thomas indeed has a lot to work with. Thomas didn't play much as a true freshman, but he did get his feet wet in the offense and won the job officially in fall practice. The Ducks were exposed a bit defensively in the Rose Bowl, as Ohio State and Terrelle Pryor moved virtually at will while the vaunted Oregon offense was shut down. The Ducks have five league road games, along with a non-conference date at Tennessee, but the league schedule is still manageable. Oregon travels to Washington State, Arizona State, and Oregon State, all very winnable games. If Thomas can play well and continue the Ducks' dual-threat ways in the backfield, Oregon will go a long way, even with a pretty tough schedule.

Washington prepares to climb up the ladder. After an 0-12 2008 season, Steve Sarkisian coaxed five wins out of a marginally-talented Huskies team last year. He got great contributions from quarterback Jake Locker and running back Chris Polk to help get them there. Now, all the stars of that improved offense are back, with Locker looking at being a high pick in the 2011 NFL Draft if he can have another strong season. Polk ran for over 1,100 yards as a freshman, while receivers Jermaine Kearse, Devin Aguilar, and James Johnson combined for over 130 receptions and 16 touchdowns. The defense took huge steps last year, and they bring back eight starters, including cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Quinton Richardson. For Sarkisian to get Washington to the postseason for the first time since 2002, he needs the team to play more consistent football away from home. The Huskies travel to BYU, USC, Arizona, Oregon, and California before the season finale at still-hapless Washington State. If the bowl season is to call for UW, they have to snap their 12-game road losing streak by pulling an upset. They'll be underdogs in all these games, but need to find a way to "steal" one or two of them.

The battle against expectations. It seems expectations always seem to get the best of California. With a high preseason ranking last year, the Golden Bears fizzled, getting embarrassed at Oregon and at home against USC -- combined 72-6 in back-to-back weeks -- on their way to a so-so 8-5 record. Star running back Jahvid Best battled injury all year, though, so junior Shane Vereen got a lot of playing time, including in the Bears' bowl loss to Utah. Now Best is gone, but there is plenty of confidence that Vereen will do just fine out of Cal's backfield. Quarterback Kevin Riley was as up-and-down as the team was, and in the end, he has a lot of work to do as a senior. Riley isn't nearly accurate enough for what we expect out of head coach Jeff Tedford's offense. He has to get up from 59 to closer to 65 percent completions this year. Look for him to use big receiver Marvin Jones and rangy tight end Anthony Miller a lot. This Cal team has a lot of experience, but they're looked at as a bit of a darkhorse in the conference. I like how their team looks, and they should make noticeable improvements both on offense and defense. The schedule includes five home games in league play, and the last three games Cal plays are all at home. There's no reason the Golden Bears can't make some noise and potentially threaten to claim a major bowl bid if Oregon and/or USC falter.

Best of the rest
Junior quarterback Nick Foles will see a lot of familiar faces on the field with him at Arizona this year. The Wildcats return their top four rushers and eight of their top nine receivers from a year ago. Expect big things out of junior receiver Juron Criner. ... It's not surprising that Oregon State looks strong. They are among the most consistent programs in the country. Again this year, Mike Riley doesn't look to have a serious league contender, but he does have a team that will pull an upset or two and make a fifth straight bowl appearance. The brothers Rodgers -- running back Jacquizz and wide receiver James -- are back to lead the charge ... Stanford loses all-everything running back Toby Gerhart, but they return future NFL starter Andrew Luck at quarterback, and senior receiver Ryan Whalen is one of the best at his position in the Pac 10. ... After some interesting back-and-forth with Carroll, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel wisely quieted down last year. The bluster was not backed up on the field, where the Bruins went 7-6 and needed Army to lose to Navy in order to make a bowl game. Expect some positive steps this year, but the guys Neuheisel needs to make noise are probably still too young to do that. ... If Michigan transfer Steven Threet can become an effective quarterback in the desert, Arizona State might be able to spring a surprise or two. In the end, their league schedule (five road games, home date with Oregon) and a non-conference roadie to Wisconsin make it a bit far-fetched to think the Sun Devils will go bowling. ... It's starting to look up at Washington State, and not just because they have no other direction to look. The Cougars have 40 players with starting experience back, and they will lean on sophomore quarterback Jeff Tuel to continue growing in his role. This will be a year where the Cougars close the gap, but not necessarily one where they escape the basement.

Preseason Pac 10 Superlatives
Best QB: Jake Locker, Washington
Best RB: Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
Best WR: Jermaine Kearse, Washington
Best offense: Oregon
Best defense: USC
Best coach: Mike Riley, Oregon State
Coach in the most trouble: Dennis Erickson, Arizona State
Best non-conference game: Iowa at Arizona, Sept. 18
Worst non-conference game: Portland State at Oregon, Sept. 18

Done Pissing Off SEC Coaches, Lane Kiffin Pisses Off NFL Coach

In this writer's oft-humble opinion, Lane Kiffin's missteps in his year at Tennessee were seriously overblown, for the most part. Stoking the fires of a dying rivalry -- dying because Tennessee was no longer capable of being competitive -- with Florida wasn't exactly the worst thing anyone has ever done. Neither was calling out Urban Meyer as a smarmy weasel. He's a big-time college football coach. Of course he's a smarmy weasel.

Kiffin moved on to USC when Pete Carroll left and no one else wanted the job.

(Seriously. Rumor has it USC even offered the gig to O.J. Simpson first. Heh.)

Anyway, Kiffin's new program has found itself in some hot water. USC is on probation -- nothing Kiffin did, ironically -- and now there's talk that Reggie Bush may have to give back his Heisman Trophy from 2005. The school is sending back their replica of it. Oh, and Mike Garrett is out in favor of former player-turned-Notre Dame homer Pat Haden.

Most recently, Kiffin found himself in need of a new assistant coach. With the position of offensive coordinator open on the USC staff, he reached out to the NFL, poaching Tennessee Titans running backs coach Kennedy Pola, just days before the start of training camp.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher -- who apparently never received a courtesy call asking for permission to speak with his contracted assistant coach -- is not pleased with Kiffin.

"I'm very disappointed in Lane Kiffin's approach to this. Typically speaking, when coaches are interested in hiring or discussing potential employment from coaches on respective staffs there is a courtesy call made from the head coach or athletic director indicating there is an interest in talking to the assistant. So I am very disappointed in the lack of professionalism on behalf of Lane."

Naturally, Kiffin is saying he didn't contact Pola about the gig until Friday, and he tried to get a hold of Fisher about it. Of course.

Here's the problem: He knows when NFL training camps start. He knows the difficult position this type of move puts the Titans and Fisher in.

Moreover, he knows Fisher is a Trojan. He went to USC. His name came up when Carroll left. He's one of the most respected coaches in the NFL.

Does Kiffin think he can win any kind of PR war against Fisher? This is like bringing boxing gloves and a box cutter to a gun fight. Good luck, Lane.

Perhaps Kiffin feels the best way to success in coaching is to get every other coach on Earth to hate your guts. If that's the case, he's doing a great job.

Reports of Big 12's Demise Were Apparently Exaggerated

I wrote Friday about the impending demise of the once-great Big 12 Conference.

Spoke too soon.

Instead, the Big 12 is alive and very well Monday night, thanks to a decision by Texas to stay put, pushing aside the advances of the Pac-10 conference.

It wasn't long after that we found out lapdogs Texas A&M and Oklahoma will also stay in the Big 12.

(OU fans are probably cursing me. With all due respect to Texas, I never thought I'd see the day that A&M and Oklahoma just bowed their heads and went the way of the Longhorns. Rivalries be damned, it just looks stupid to me.)

In the end, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has found a way to at least keep a ten-team league together. That's big, because most people who have fake Twitter accounts created in their name aren't having it done for the good of the world.

(The latest, by the way, from the "Fake Dan Beebe" account? "OK, I'm actually a little worried now. UT, A&M and OU all have announced they are staying. KSU, BU and ISU are oddly silent."

Good times.)

This is good for a number of reasons. The Big Ten can stay at 12 teams, with the addition late last week of Nebraska. They fit the Big Ten, and they'll benefit from losing 14-13 to Iowa and Wisconsin all the time, as opposed to losing at home to Iowa State or having Kansas beat them by like six touchdowns.

(How stupid is Nebraska going to feel after that first 7-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten season? And you know it's coming. Nebraska stopped being this elite, unbeatable, legendary football power like a decade ago. It's just that no one bothered to tell Nebraska. The Big 12 North can cast quite a spell. Hell, look how competent Kansas looked for a few years.)

How close did we come to the end of the Big 12? Dr. Saturday sets the timeline.

Thus concludes the dramatic, week-long Big 12 Missile Crisis, just hours before the apparent dismemberment of the league: By all accounts, the Texas Board of Regents was fully prepared to vote the Longhorns into the Pac-10 on Tuesday, followed by Texas Tech and then Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Wednesday. Don't let the stunning reversal over the last 24 hours paint that narrative as mere smoke: Larry Scott was in Lubbock, Oklahoma City, College Station and Austin over the weekend with invitations in hand. Texas A&M's commitment was in flux, but as for the Longhorns, Sooners, Cowboys and Red Raiders, the wagon train West was packed and ready to roll.

That's close. And it didn't happen.

Congrats to Beebe, because he figured out a way to make it work.

The math nerds in college sports are probably having a field day with this. The Big 12 has ten teams. The Big Ten has 12. The Pac-10 has 11. The Atlantic 10 has 14 teams in many sports and 15 actual members.

Of course, conference names are nothing but a form of branding. The Big Eight changing to the Big 12 was the last major league to go through a name change.

(Stop it, Conference USA fans. You're not that big, yet.)

We might not be done with change.

The Big Ten should stay put. So should the Big East, ACC, SEC, and WAC. But the Mountain West may lose Utah (to the Pac-10) after gaining Boise State. The ripple effect of that could send TCU packing back to Conference USA, where they have a better TV deal and the Horned Frogs could reunite with Houston, SMU, and UTEP.

Would there be more movement among the BCS leagues? It's possible, but not likely.

As for Texas, don't salute their nod to tradition or their smarts for not wanting to schedule regular trips to Corvallis, Pullman, Eugene, and Berkeley. They are getting a lot of money from the Big 12, thanks to their stupid unequal revenue arrangement that acts as if their league would exist in its current form without the likes of Missouri, Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas State.

(Does Northwestern pull in less coin than Ohio State? Nope. Nor should they. Leagues are a partnership, and giving the big dog special treatment only makes it more difficult for others to emerge as a contender.)

Texas is doing this for money. They'll get more money from the Big 12, and they'll have the right to start their own television network, with a chance to make even more money. Had they joined the Pac-10, they would have been forced to turn their video inventory over to the league for the Pac-10/16/whatever Network, which was to launch in 2012 and probably still will.

Beebe pulled this together, but he had to get on his knees for the Longhorns to make it happen. Give him credit for that, because it had to be a pride-killing move.

Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and the rest of them are just pawns.

Texas is the king, and don't you ever forget it.

College Football Weekend Preview: Oregon Travels to Smurf Turf for Intriguing Opener

A team from a highly-regarded conference can afford to lose a non-conference game and still contend for the national championship.

Actually, the right team (Hi, Florida!) can lose a conference game without dropping out of contention.

Boise State is not one of these teams.

The Broncos need to finish the regular season unbeaten to have a shot at any BCS bowl. They have virtually no shot at the National Championship Game, no matter what they accomplish on the field.

With quarterback Kellen Moore and a strong defense, Boise is going to be a handful in the WAC. If they meet their match, it will be Thursday night, when they host Oregon for a non-conference doozy.

The Ducks debut new coach Chip Kelly, and whether they want to admit it or not, there is a revenge factor in this game. Boise jumped to a huge lead, then held on to win last year's game in Eugene. Along the way, quarterback Jeremiah Masoli suffered a concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Masoli is a wonderful player, and a great fit for the Ducks' spread offense. He isn't the best thrower in the Pac 10, but he's a super athlete, and his speed and skill will cause tons of problems for Boise State's defense.

Not only do the Ducks have memories of last year to motivate them, but there is also history that they can try to beat. The Broncos are an incredible 64-2 over the last ten years at Bronco Stadium, which is the only stadium in college football blanketed by blue turf.

The "Smurf Turf" has become the stuff of legend in the sport, and the 30,000 or so fans who will show up to yell full-throat for the home team only add to the home-field advantage.

But don't mistake the prestige of the schools' conferences as having anything to do with where the pressure lies in this game. The heat is solely on Boise State.

There are a myriad of reasons to believe Oregon can lose this game and still make a major, big-money bowl. It's happened many times in the past with teams from BCS conferences, and this year will be no different. The stakes for Boise and the rest of the WAC, who would share in the revenue from a member school making a BCS game, are much, much higher. A loss, and Boise State (along with the rest of the WAC) can kiss its BCS hopes goodbye.

No pressure, though.

Oregon has athletes at the skill positions. They have a confident, experienced quarterback. After Thursday, they'll have a signature win for their new coach.

The pick: Oregon

Minnesota at Syracuse: Doug Marrone makes his Syracuse debut. There are signs -- despite the naming of Greg Paulus as starting quarterback -- that things are going to improve. Marrone has an appreciation for Syracuse's tradition. He won't allow things to spiral out of control, and he will make sure the players understand the importance of the program. In this game, a defense that has struggled will face a high-tempo run attack led by Adam Weber and Duane Bennett. The Orange might fare better if this game were in November, but this is a very tough draw for a season opener.
The pick: Minnesota

Navy at Ohio State: Normally, this would have "upset" written all over it. The tough, disciplined Navy team goes on the road against a team expecting a cupcake for a season-opening opponent. This is Ohio State, though. A loaded Buckeye team will win this game going away with their superior athletes, especially quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who would be unstoppable, by the way, in Navy's offense. Oh, and a tip of the cap to the normally boorish Ohio State fans, as they have come up with a great idea to pay tribute to their service academy opponent.
The pick: Ohio State

Nevada at Notre Dame: As much as everyone wants to see this upset, it's hard to make the pick. Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua will make some plays against the Irish defense, but it will be insanely tough for Nevada to slow Jimmy Clausen down.
The pick: Notre Dame

Georgia at Oklahoma State: The Bulldogs have to replace top offensive stars Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, both high picks in the NFL Draft. The Cowboys return quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter, and receiver Dez Bryant. Oh, and they're playing at home.
The pick: Oklahoma State

Missouri vs Illinois at St. Louis: The Illini were torched in last year's meeting. Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn will handle the burning this time around.
The pick: Illinois

BYU vs Oklahoma at Dallas: This Cougars team could be a BCS contender were it not for their near-impossible schedule. The Sooners are too big, too strong, too tough, and should have a significant crowd advantage, no matter how many Texas fans wear blue to this game.
The pick: Oklahoma

Alabama vs Virginia Tech at Atlanta: The Tide are ready after last year's disappointing finish (two straight losses). Coach Nick Saban has the personnel to rack up enough points to win this game, while slowing down Virginia Tech's athletic quarterback, Tyrod Taylor.
The pick: Alabama

Other games (Home team in CAPS)

Thursday
NORTH CAROLINA STATE over South Carolina

Saturday
WAKE FOREST over Baylor
MICHIGAN over Western Michigan
WISCONSIN over Northern Illinois
CALIFORNIA over Maryland

Monday
RUTGERS over Cincinnati
FLORIDA STATE over Miami

College Football 2009: Pac 10

This year's College Football Preview uses information gathered from many sources. As usual, my full endorsement goes to Phil Steele and his College Football Preview, which is the most comprehensive publication of its kind available. I also used The Sporting News College Football Preview, along with school websites and local newspapers, in my research for these preview posts. Please contact me ASAP if you have updated information that can be used to make this work more accurate.

1. USC
2. California
3. Oregon
4. Oregon State
5. UCLA
6. Stanford
7. Arizona
8. Washington
9. Arizona State
10. Washington State

Fab Four: Top Storylines in the Pac-10

Futility in the Pacific Northwest. It's simply amazing how far Washington and Washington State have fallen. As recently as 2002, both were in prominent bowl games, as Washington played in the Sun Bowl and Washington State earned a Rose Bowl berth. Last season, they combined for just two wins (both by Washington State), and may have been the two worst teams in all of Division I-A (er, FBS). Washington was outscored by an average of 38.6-13.3, while Washington State was even more hopelessly inept, losing by an average of 43.8-12.7. Paul Wulff is in the second year of his Wazzu rebuilding effort, and you can expect them to be more competitive, even if they only win two or three games. Meanwhile, Washington hired former USC assistant Steve Sarkisian to pick up the pieces from the Tyrone Willingham disaster. If Sarkisian gets a full season out of junior quarterback Jake Locker, and his team can survive the LSU/USC/Stanford/Notre Dame gauntlet (latter two on the road) over the first five weeks of the season, the Huskies could surprise.

USC's dominance continues. They've done it all before. Whether you ask the Trojans to replace top defensive players who have moved on to the NFL, top offensive players, or top coaches, they do it almost seamlessly. Would you have ever known Matt Leinart left, or Carson Palmer before that? Did the defense skip a beat after Shaun Cody, Mike Patterson, or Troy Polamalu moved on? It's all old hat for Pete Carroll, who simply restocks at key positions with the top recruits in the country. Out goes Mark Sanchez, and in comes either Aaron Corp or Matt Barkley. Lost Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews, and Brian Cushing, that's fine. They'll just plug in Malcolm Smith, Marquis Simmons, Chris Galippo, and Michael Morgan. Senior safety Taylor Mays returns after an All-America season, and there's no question he will be the leader of the defense. Whether Corp or Barkley start the opener against San Jose State, Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable, and Joe McKnight will play a huge role in the offense. When they leave, Carroll will just move down the line and put the next great Trojan in the starting lineup.

Cal returns to contention. If a 6-3 conference record equates the end of a down spell, most teams would love the down spell. For California, a return to conference title contention is likely to happen this year. The Bears need to pick a quarterback -- bet on Kevin Riley holding the job this time. Of course, a big part of Riley's job will be to simply turn around and give the rock to Jahvid Best. The 1,580-yard rusher returns for his junior season as a top Heisman contender. He shouldn't have to carry the offense, as senior receivers Nyan Boateng and Verran Tucker both return. Look out for freshman tight end Spencer Ladner, who has the potential to be a really good player. The defense was a rock last year, allowing only 315 yards per game. They could actually improve, thanks to a group of eight returning starters that includes top cornerbacks Syd'Quan Thompson and Darian Hagan, along with pass-rushing tackle Tyson Alualu. A schedule that includes visits from USC and Oregon State is favorable for a conference title run, but it's doubtful the Bears will actually topple the USC machine.

Is Stanford ready? Many -- mainly Michigan fans -- have ripped coach Jim Harbaugh for his rather brash nature when speaking in public. What the detractors can't deny is that he's worked hard to point the Stanford program in the right direction. After inheriting a team that was outscored by an average of three touchdowns per game in 2006, Harbaugh has taken on the slow build to respectability. The Cardinal were virtually even with their opponents in points last year, and the offense has improved by 120 yards per game over two seasons. The next step is to take the next step, and get this program into a bowl game for the first time since the 2001 Seattle Bowl. Redshirt freshman Andrew Luck is the new starting quarterback, with two-year starter Tavita Pritchard now a backup. Luck has to get comfortable in a hurry, as the Cardinal play their first two on the road. Seven home games out of the last ten will follow that, and the ability to navigate through some tough games (seven opponents won bowl games last year) will determine Stanford's bowl viability.

Best of the rest

UCLA thinks they can make a run at USC this year. Redshirt freshman Kevin Prince is expected to stabilize a quarterback position that was responsible for just eight touchdown passes and 21 interceptions last year. All the other pieces are in place on offense for serious improvement. ... It's nice to see multiple preseason rags saluting Oregon State coach Mike Riley. His teams are never picked to finish high in the Pac-10, but they're always competitive. Jacquizz Rodgers tries to build off a magical freshman season in 2009. He ran for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. ... Arizona lost star quarterback Willie Tuitama off their eight-win squad, but junior running back Nic Grigsby returns. The defense, stellar in the second half of their bowl win against BYU, has seven starters back. ... Mike Bellotti is now the athletic director at Oregon, leaving the head coaching duties to former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Kelly inherits some great talent, especially on offense, but it's a daunting schedule that starts with a Thursday night opener at Boise State. ... A subpar 5-7 season included a stunning home loss to UNLV and a blowout loss at Arizona. For Arizona State, it could be a bit of a long road back. They have a strong front seven on defense, and only a trip to Georgia is terribly daunting among the Sun Devils' first six games. A 5-1 or 4-2 start may lead to a better season than expected.

Preseason Pac 10 Honors and Notables
Offensive Player of the Year: Jahvid Best, RB, California
Defensive Player of the Year: Taylor Mays, S, USC
Coach of the Year: Rick Neuheisel, UCLA
Coach on the Hot Seat: Paul Wulff, Washington State
Best non-conference game: USC at Ohio State, September 12
Worst non-conference game: Idaho State at Arizona State, September 5

COLLEGE FOOTBALL '08: PAC 10

Welcome to The Ciskie Blog's 2008 College Football Preview. As usual, you can expect a rundown of every Division I-A (or "Football Bowl Subdivision", if you prefer) conference, as well as a brief look at the independents. Some of the information used to compile these previews came from various football preview publications that I took the time to review this summer. I give a full endorsement to Phil Steele's College Football Preview (the national edition, as well as his various regional magazines). I also have looked at Sporting News, Athlon Sports, and Blue Ribbon (via ESPN Insider). Information was also gathered from local newspapers and school websites. Please use the comments section or e-mail for feedback, questions, and any corrections you feel need to be noted.

1. USC
2. Oregon
3. California
4. Arizona State
5. Arizona
6. UCLA
7. Oregon State
8. Washington
9. Stanford
10. Washington State

TOP FIVE STORYLINES IN THE PAC-10
Serious losses at Cal, Oregon. The job of chasing down USC atop the league certainly became more difficult for the two next-best teams in the league. There's no question that Jeff Tedford still has a talented team in Berkeley, but the Bears are going to have to make due without leading rusher Justin Forsett (1,546 yards, 15 TD), along with the top five pass receivers. That list includes DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins, who combined for 127 catches a year ago. They doubled as Cal's top punt and kickoff returners, respectively. Nate Longshore is back under center, and everyone is high on sophomore RB Jahvid Best (pictured), who averaged 7.6 yards per carry in spot duty last year. Meanwhile, Mike Bellotti doesn't have it much easier. QB Dennis Dixon and RB Jonathan Stewart, who combined for almost 4,500 yards from scrimmage and 40 touchdowns last year, have both moved on. There is talent abound at both positions (including impressive-looking sophomore QB Nathan Costa (among seven candidates in the spring) and senior RB Jeremiah Johnson, but the Ducks have to find a way to integrate the new starters quickly, as Washington, Purdue (away), and Boise State are among their first four games.

No one schedules better. More schedule whining here. When I wrote up this idea, I was astounded to see how much better the Pac-10 was at non-conference scheduling when compared to everyone else in the country. Even the league's worst programs in recent years (Arizona, Washington, and Stanford) have done a pretty good job. Arizona plays solid mid-major Toledo and travels to New Mexico. Washington gets BYU, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame (!) at home. Stanford hits the road for TCU and Notre Dame. That's not bad. The only Pac-10 team to play a I-AA (er, FCS) opponent is Arizona State (Northern Arizona), and they make up for that by hosting possible preseason #1 Georgia September 20. Other marquee matchups include Ohio State-USC, California-Maryland, Oregon-Purdue, Oregon State-Penn State, and Tennessee-UCLA. Other leagues should be ashamed of their scheduling, especially considering they have an extra non-conference game (the Pac-10 plays a nine-game league schedule, meaning teams only have three NC games to schedule).

The hot seat returns for Ty Willingham. He never seemed to get off it at Notre Dame, and now he has to deal with it at Washington. Willingham (pictured) took over a mess of a program when Keith Gilbertson got fired, and while he's made some progress in three years, a step back in 2007 leaves his future in doubt. A promising 2-0 start was quickly shot to hell by six straight losses, including four at home. Willingham is 11-25 at UW, and he probably needs a bowl appearance to feel good about things. That will be a problem, thanks to that aforementioned non-conference gauntlet, along with five road games in league play. While the seat is hot for Arizona's Mike Stoops, he is probably in better shape. The hiring of Sonny Dykes to coordinate the offense worked out last year, and ten starters return. Among them is senior QB Willie Tuitama, who's been through quite a bit in his first three years. Leading rusher Nicholas Grigsby and 1,000-yard receiver Mike Thomas are both back, along with four offensive line starters. If Stoops can make something of a depleted defense that was abused in Pac-10 play last year, the Wildcats should go bowling for the first time since 1998.

Rick Neuheisel returns to coaching. I'm sure Washington fans will welcome him back to Seattle with open arms on November 15. Well, open arms and middle fingers, that is. Neuheisel, who caused a few problems at Washington in his last college head-coaching gig, is now at UCLA, where success might not be immediate, but it's probably imminent. If nothing else, Neuheisel has two of the top coordinators in the game. He got Norm Chow back to college football to run his offense, and DeWayne Walker sticks around to handle the defense after coaching the Bruins in their bowl game. Last year's team was jam-packed with experience, so there is some building to do, but it won't take long to get this program going strong. USC now has competition in Los Angeles, though Neuheisel has some work to do before people start confusing him for Pete Carroll.

USC reloads on offense. The league champs (again) and Rose Bowl champs (again) have never had any serious problems replacing star players. Matt Leinart stepped in for Carson Palmer. John David Booty followed their act. Chauncey Washington got some serious help over the last two years filling in for Reggie Bush and LenDale White. This year, they're going to do it again. Booty is gone, giving way to Mark Sanchez, who will be shadowed by Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain. Washington leaves, but Stafon Johnson and Joe McKnight (pictured) lead the charge to be the Trojans' feature back. While leading receiver Fred Davis, a tight end, is gone, the top wideouts all return for Sanchez. Where Carroll's recruiting magic better have worked is along the offensive line, where only LG Jeff Byers returns from last year. Of course, the Trojans return enough great players to field the league's best defense, and if that happens, Sanchez can go ahead and play with a blindfold on and it probably won't keep USC from winning nine or ten games again.

BEST OF THE REST
If Arizona State gets it done against Georgia, look out. The Sun Devils are deep and talented at the skill positions. While they're still a bit smallish up front on defense, they could be a darkhorse threat to win the league. Five returnees in the Oregon State secondary have combined for 98 career starts. The bad news? That's pretty much it for experience on defense. Re-energizing a passing attack that flat-out stunk last year has to be a priority for the Beavers' offensive coaches. While Jim Harbaugh led Stanford to a world-shocking win over USC last year, the Cardinal did still manage to finish 4-8, and they lost to one of the worst Notre Dame teams any of us will ever see. Don't be shocked if Michigan transfer Jason Forcier gets a shot at unseating incumbent starter Tavita Pritchard if the latter struggles early. Welcome to big-time college football, Paul Wulff. The former Eastern Washington coach takes over at Washington State this year. His program lost eight scholarships because of another bad APR. Legal problems have taken a few other guys away. Only 36 letterwinners return from a 2007 team that underachieved and ended up 5-7. Wulff will need time to fix up his alma mater.

PRESEASON AWARDS AND NOTABLES
Offensive Player of the Year: Rudy Carpenter, QB, Arizona State
Defensive Player of the Year: Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Coach of the Year: Mike Bellotti, Oregon
Coach on the Hot Seat: Mike Stoops, Arizona, and Tyrone Willingham, Washington
Best Non-Conference Game: Ohio State at USC, September 13
Worst Non-Conference Game: Northern Arizona at Arizona State, August 30

COLLEGE FOOTBALL '07: PAC TEN

1. USC
2. Oregon
3. California
4. UCLA
5. Arizona State
6. Oregon State
7. Arizona
8. Washington
9. Washington State
10. Stanford

-->TOP FIVE STORYLINES IN THE PAC TEN

5. Is Jim Harbaugh crazy? I mean, congrats to the guy on his first Division I-A coaching job, but he does realize that this is Stanford, right? Is he really so comfortable with his team that was 1-11 last year and hasn't had a winning season since 2001 that he can go to the media and pop off about Michigan? And annoy Pete Carroll? If there's any good for Harbaugh, one of two new head coaches in the league (Dennis Erickson of Arizona State, who should be much more successful in Year One, is the other), it's that Stanford gets their first four at home. Of course, that's balanced out by the bad news that UCLA, Oregon, and Arizona State make up three of those games. With TCU, Notre Dame, and California also adorning the home schedule, Harbaugh might be cursed with the toughest imaginable schedule for a team with eight home games out of 12. Good luck, Jim. My advice? Leave Pete Carroll and the University of Michigan alone, because you have quite a mess to deal with without causing more trouble.

4. How hot is Mike Stoops' seat? I don't buy that it's scorching yet, but Stoops has some work to do this year. Repeated attempts to start up an offense in Tucson have failed. In Stoops' three years, Arizona has scored just 18.1 points per game. That won't get it done in the offense-happy Pac Ten. The defenses have improved, and last year's unit was very good, but Stoops has had no luck getting anything going on offense in three years. A Texas Tech disciple, Sonny Dykes, takes over the offense this year, and results are expected for QB Willie Tuitama. He hit just 56 percent of his passes and threw only seven touchdowns last year, but returns talented running back Chris Jennings and the entire starting offensive line. Some have suggested that Stoops is on the hottest of hot seats at Arizona, but I think the Wildcats will do well enough this year to keep him around.

3. Can California win the league? With so many losses on defense, it's going to be tough. But don't bank on the Bears squandering their opening game like they did last year, and it's fair to expect an even better year from 3,000-yard passer Nate Longshore. DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins, and Robert Jordan combined for 151 catches last year, hitting the end zone 18 times, and all three return. Justin Forsett, who hit for over 600 yards and over five yards per carry as a backup to Marshawn Lynch last year, assumes the starting job. Expect big things on offense, where the Bears should easily top 30 points per game for a sixth straight year, all under coach Jeff Tedford. It's defense where Cal will probably struggle. Desmond Bishop is now hitting people for the Green Bay Packers, Daymeion Hughes is a Colt, and LB Mickey Pimentel also departs. The three take over 250 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and 12 picks with them. With two freshmen possibly pegged to start, it might be a tough go.

2. Is Oregon or UCLA a better bet to dethrone USC atop the Pac Ten? UCLA actually beat the Trojans last year, but all it did was clinch the Bruins a winning season. Karl Dorrell's team was embarrassingly bad away from the Rose Bowl last year, winning only at Arizona State and finishing 1-5 when you count the bowl loss to Florida State. That home loss to Washington State (by 22??!!??) didn't look good, either. 20 starters back this year does, adn it really looks good when you consider that Ben Olson is back and healthy under center. Oregon has Dennis Dixon at quarterback, and the athletic (and horribly-attired) Ducks have high expectations for Mike Bellotti. Dixon has Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson back to run the ball, and the underrated Jaison Williams returns at wide receiver. On defense, the key will be replacing top performers Blair Phillips and J.D. Nelson.

1. Can Pete Carroll be stopped? This program is so good right now that a running back who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated is transferring because he won't play enough in USC's rotation. Carroll's recruiting is ridiculous, and so is the player development (all the #1 classes in the world won't do any good if you don't have the coaches to make the players better). QB John David Booty returns, as does top rusher Chauncey Washington. The depth chart at running back is silly: 23 Chauncey Washington (6-1, 220, Sr.*) OR 2 C.J. Gable (6-1, 195, So.) OR 13 Stafon Johnson (6-0, 210, So.) OR 21 Allen Bradford (6-0, 225, So.) OR 29 Broderick Green (6-1, 230, Fr.) 22 Desmond Reed (5-9, 185, Sr.*) OR 4 Joe McKnight (6-0, 180, Fr.). Good luck with that, Idaho. Oh, and good luck with this, Pac Ten. Finding a weakness on this USC team will be as difficult as it would be to pick out a Hollywood celebrity at a Washington State home game.

CISKIE BLOG PRESEASON PAC TEN AWARDS AND NOTABLES
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: John David Booty, QB, USC
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Preseason Coach of the Year: Mike Bellotti, Oregon
Coach on the Hot Seat: Karl Dorrell, UCLA
Bowl Bound: USC, Oregon, California, UCLA
Bowl Bubble: Arizona State, Oregon State, Arizona, Washington, Washington State
Best Non-Conference Game: USC at Nebraska, September 15
Worst Non-Conference Game: Idaho State at Oregon State, September 15