1. USC
After USC was supposed to be the best team ever last season (just ask Jim Harbaugh), they did the unthinkable and lost two games. Oh well—they still won the Pac-10 and thrashed Big Ten co-runner-up Illinois in the Rose Bowl. This season, while the Trojans should win an unprecedented seventh consecutive conference title, that’s about all that can be expected.
Quarterback Mark Sanchez played unreliably in a relief role for the injured John David Booty last season. Tailback U, however, will churn out several talents this year, including sophomore Joe McKnight. That’s a good thing, because USC’s receivers aren’t as scary as in previous years. There’s plenty of talent on defense, particularly among the linebackers and the secondary.
The Trojans are as solid a BCS lock as any team in the country. Win their September 13 battle with Ohio State, and they’ll be in the drivers’ seat to South Beach, where they won a national title four years ago.
2. Arizona State
Believe it or not, Arizona State won the Pac-10 in 2007. You probably didn’t hear about it because they had to share it with a certain team from Los Angeles. In 2008, with a veteran quarterback, a generally friendly (conference) schedule, and the one and only Dennis Erickson at head coach, the Sun Devils look to emulate the successes of last season.
Rudy Carpenter is probably the best overall returning quarterback in the league, and he’ll have help from an equally gifted receiving corps in Michael Jones, Kerry Taylor, and Chris McGaha, among others. Running backs Keegan Herring and Dimitri Nance should also provide a powerful one-two punch.
The Sun Devils have seldom been known for their defense, and the back seven needs to be rebuilt and replaced in order to keep up with the high-powered offenses in the Pac-10. A home win against Oregon would assure them second place and a return trip to the Holiday Bowl—or better.
3. Oregon
The Ducks started the season like a runaway freight train—toying with Michigan, winning a thriller against the Trojans, outlasting Arizona State—and ended with a spectacular wreck. Quarterback Dennis Dixon went down against Arizona, and the Ducks lost their last three regular season games before pulling together in the Sun Bowl.
Naturally, the number one issue in Eugene is at quarterback. It could be Sun Bowl winner Justin Roper, or maybe Nate Costa, who is coming off a knee injury. Where the Ducks are strong is at tailback, thanks to Jeremiah Johnson and junior college transfer LaGarrette Blount.
Traditionally, the Ducks’ biggest liability has been defense, which hasn’t been able to stop anybody since about 2002. This year’s problems will be the linebackers, who suffered last year due to injury. The secondary, led by Patrick Chung, looks solid.
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