Who Will Win the Pac-10 Title This Year?

With college football teams beginning to start tossing around the pigskin on the fresh green turf, the 2008 season is quickly approaching.  The Pac 10 conference will get underway on Aug. 28 when the Oregon State Beavers travel to Palo Alto to test the Stanford Cardinal. 

So as we all anxiously await another great season in the Conference of Champions, here is my Pacific 10 Preview:

1. USC Trojans

What can I say? You either love or hate the Men of Troy, but either way they continue to lead the nation in raw athletic talent.  This year's star is likely to be RB Joe McKnight, who is a force to be reckoned with behind an offensive line that lost four starters from last season.

For most teams, this would be a major concern, but USC has been able to bring in NFL quality talent when it comes to lineman, no worries here.  The only concern is the QB position this year for the Trojans: Mustain or Sanchez? 

In recent news, it has been reported that Sanchez has dislocated his left knee cap in practice and could miss the opener at Virginia, leaving more questions at QB.

Both do not have much experience yet and I believe a seasoned QB is the key to success in the Pac 10. 

The defense is what I see carrying this team to the title, led by bonecrushing linebackers like Rey Maualuga.  In the end, will the lack of QB experience cost USC the Pac 10 crown? Or will the superior talent carry them?

Key Position: QB

Predicted Record: 11-1

2. Arizona State Sun Devils

The Devils look to continue to burn the competition in the second year of the Erickson campaign.  Arizona State had a good off season and cracked the top 25 along the recruiting trail. 

They continue to beat the teams they should, but have yet to take the next step in beating the elite squads in college football.  The offensive line has been the big story and can only be improved from last year, quick fixed with new offensive package.

Rudy Carpenter is the top QB in the Pac 10 and brings toughness to the team; he is on track to break the passing yards record for the Devils. ASU is stacked at the skilled position, look for WR Chris Magaha to break out this season.

Kicker Thomas Weber was the best kicker in the nation last year winning the Lou Groza Award and could play a huge role in close games. The defense is going to make or break the Sun Devils particularly the CB play.

Key Position: Defensive Secondary

Predicted Record: 10-2

3. Oregon State Beavers

Beaver Nation will break through the middle of the Pac 10 this season with leader Sammie Stroughter and the emergence of Sean Canfield.  This team was in just about every game a year ago but lacked that killer instinct. 

The offense is talented but needs to see consistency in the QB position, which will happen this season.   The defense is young but very fast and athletic, teams may fall asleep on this squad and this will be costly.

After a tough game in Death Valley against the Nittany Lions, the Beavs have a favorable schedule.

Key Positions: QB/RB

Predicted Record: 9-3

4. Oregon Ducks:  The "experts" see Oregon somehow pulling off a second-place finish in the Pac 10, but I am just not convinced.  The offense is going to be drastically different from a year ago and not for the better.

Losing Dennis Dixon is a killer for the Ducks, and as I mentioned, the QB position will carry you in this conference.  The offensive play was downright ugly last year after Dixon was injured and there is a lot to be proven. 

Costa is coming off knee surgery but might be the best fit for the offense.  The upside is RB Jeremiah Johnson, who is just as dangerous as Stewart was a year ago.

The defense, which is touted as one of the best secondaries in the nation must carry the Ducks if they are to have success.  I just don’t see it all coming together this year for Oregon, I have been wrong.

Key Position: QB

Predicted Record: 8-4

T5. California Golden Bears:  The "tree people" are still hanging around just in time for the Bears to try and get back on track on the football field.  Let's face it, Cal's implosion last year leaves a bad taste in the mouths of Berkley fans, and things might get worse.

This year, the Bears come in with an inconsistent QB Nate Longshore, as well as losing their top five pass catchers from a year ago. The RB depth took a major hit in the off-season when James Montgomery, who was to replace Justin Forsett, transferred to Washington State. This leaves a lot of restoring to be done on the offensive side.

The defense looks solid with a strong core of linebackers lead by Zack Follett.  The secondary had some issues late in the season last year, but I am optimistic that they can get the job done with a young group.

Their schedule is manageable, starting with Michigan State at home, later in the season they will visit USC.  

Key Position: RB

Predicted Record: 7-5

T5.  UCLA Bruins:  The Bruins have a lot of talent on the football field but have just not been able to put it all together the past few years.  The coaching staff was upgraded during the off-season bringing in Rick Neuheisel and former Trojan coach Norm Chow. 

Look for Chow to get Ben Olson back on track this season, while he has solid receiving corps to catch many TD's.  Although UCLA has the right personnel in place, it will take a while to get things together, they are currently rebuilding the secondary which could bring defensive issues. 

The brutal schedule for the Bruins could bring them surprising success or lots of disappointment.  UCLA will get a shot at USC at home for its finale, and even though I can't see them pulling off the rivalry upset this year, I think they are heading in the right direction.

Key Position:  Defensive Line

Predicted Record: 6-6

T7. Arizona Wildcats:  The Cats are a team that you just don't know what you are going to get each week.  One game they look sharp and the next they look lackadaisical, but this year must yield success or coach Mike Stoops will probably get the boot. 

The offense is led by senior QB Willie Tuitama, who is considered to be the class of Pac 10 quarterbacks by some analysts.  Although Tuitama may light up the stat sheet, he has yet to have success in the W-L columns, which is what matters most.

The offense should put up a lot of points with talents like WR Mike Thomas, but this side of the ball has to carry the team.  The Arizona defense is anything but threatening to opponents because of the lack of talent. 

Look for Pac 10 opponents to pound the Wildcats with the running game, which will have coach Stoops screaming all season long. 

Key Position: Linebacker

Predicted record:5-7

T7: Washington State Cougars:  The Coug's look to find teams underestimating them on the football field this season and take advantage.  The big question for the offense is who will be able to fill the shoes of Washington State all-time leading passer Alex Brink.

If things can sort out at the QB position then the ball can be given to RB Dwight Tardy who looks to break loose all year up in Pullman.  The speedy target of WR Brandon Gibson should put up big numbers if they can get him the pigskin.

The defense will probably struggle this year because of a secondary that is one of the worst in the Pac 10. If the defense can develop at all three levels, look for the Cougars to pull off an upset or two along with taking the Apple Cup.   

Key Position: QB

Predicted Record: 5-7

9. Washington Huskies: The Jake Locker era in Seattle is underway but the Huskies QB has too much weight on his shoulders to carry this team.  The "Tim Tebow of the west" will need to stay in the pocket more this season to avoid being injured. 

There is just not much talent at the skill positions for U-dub to have a successful season.  The rebuilding defense has lost many starters along with coming in at 107th in the nation in pass defense; this is not good in a pass happy league. 

Combine the above factors with a killer schedule (at Oregon, Oklahoma, BYU its first three games) and you have a recipe for disaster.

Key Position: Defensive Secondary

Predicted Record: 4-8

10. Stanford Cardinal:  The Pac 10 bottom dwellers are most likely going to stay put for another season.  The offensive attack is sub-par at best at this point and the Cardinal are another Pac 10 team with no solid answer at QB. 

The upside is Stanford does have an experienced defense which was top ten in the nation in tackles for a loss.  The work of coach Harbaugh just wont be enough this season, but if they can take down USC two years in a row, that may be good enough.

Key Position: QB

Predicted Record: 3-9

The 2008 Pac 10 season looks to be a competitive and exciting one, good luck to all the teams of the Conference of Champions.