Pac-10 Football Haves and Have Nots, Pt. 1

USC ho-hummed their way to yet another Pac-10 title in 2009, even with another stumble in Corvallis.

Oregon opened eyes the second half of their season as JuCo transfer QB Jeremiah Masoli took Duck fans' minds off the wings on their jerseys and had them reminiscing over the days of Dennis Dixon.

California and Oregon State featured two underclassmen running backs who took the Pac-10 and local headlines by storm.  JaQuizz Rodgers for OSU and Jahvid Best for Cal look to battle for the league rushing title in 2009.

Arizona was again, "juuuust a bit outside" yet handled a supposedly decent BYU team to end the season.

After that, there's a reason Arizona State, Stanford, Washington, UCLA, and Washington State weren't heard from. They really didn't do anything.

Aside from the week one shocker that saw UCLA beat what would turn out to be a less than stellar Tennessee squad, the bottom half of the Pac-10 made about as much noise as calls for a playoff system in college football.

To many, the 5-0 bowl record wasn't against worthy competition. BYU really wasn't as good as people thought. 

Pittsburgh QB Bill Stull gave the game away to OSU.  USC is just too good in their own backyard, I mean it's not fair! And Miami is a few years away from being legit again. 

Oregon is really the only win considered to be "quality" for the Pac-10 in the 2008 bowl season, but had Dez Bryant not gotten hurt...you catch my drift.

2008 aside, here's some haves, have nots, and my outlandish predictions for the first half of the conference. (Done in alphabetical order)

Arizona Has:  Arizona has been thiiiis close to something special for the past decade. Ever since the days of Dick Tomey and the "Desert Swarm" defense, Arizona has underachieved with the talent they pull in. 

Arizona has made it a routine to flounder in the first half of the season and beat up on a ranked opponent in late November, finding themselves just out of the bowl picture. Is last year the exception or the beginning of a trend?

Arizona Has Not: Arizona has never made a BCS Bowl or even finished the season ranked since the BCS came into existence in 1998.

Arizona has not won or shared a conference title since 1993. (Joined the Pac-10 from the WAC in 1978)

Arizona's fans have not given up on the Wildcats.  They average around 51,000 fans per game, just 4,000 short of capacity.

Cat Got My Tongue?: Arizona will drown in the Pac-10 in 2009 finishing sixth in conference and missing the post season yet again.  With the Cats traveling to Oregon State, Iowa, California, Arizona State, and USC, it's possible that they could only see four wins this season (Washington State, Central Michigan, Northern Arizona, UCLA...all at home)

Arizona State Has: Arizona State has said goodbye to Rudy Carpenter, the best thing to hit Tempe since Jake Plummer.

The Sun Devils have made bowl games in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Arizona State has done well recruiting highly touted JuCo players over the past couple years.

Arizona State has one of the best stadiums in the Pac-10 if not the entire West.

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