Pac-10 Preview: Can Anyone Challenge USC in 2008?

The Pac-10 season is almost upon us.  How will the conference standings shake down?  The Pac-10 will be stronger at the top but weaker in the middle this year, with teams like UCLA and OSU taking steps back from last year. 

USC looks loaded with the talent necessary to take its seventh straight Pac-10 crown this year, but there is no shortage of quality teams at the top of the conference to challenge them for supremacy.

The Pac-10 will sport a much different look this year, as many of its top teams face quarterback issues and will rely on defense instead of offense to drive their squads.

Without further ado, here are the 2008 Pac-10 standings and analysis for each team. 

1) USC

The Trojans will once again be the class of the Pac-10 and are loaded with talent.  The Trojans are perhaps the best team in the nation on the defensive side of the ball, with a fast, athletic defense highlighted by All-American candidate linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga.

Offensively the Trojans should have no problem replacing quarterback John David Booty, as talented junior Mark Sanchez, who was 3-1 leading USC last year while Booty was out, takes the reins.  The biggest questions for USC lie on the offensive line, which only returns a single starter from last year.

If the offense can move the ball consistently, the Trojans will be on the short list of National Title contenders.

2) Oregon

How will the Ducks’ offense, among the nation’s best last year, fare without departed quarterback Dennis Dixon?  The burden will fall on the shoulders of one of two sophomore quarterbacks, Nate Costa and Justin Roper.

Whoever takes the reins at quarterback will be surrounded by plenty of talent.  The offensive line looks to be one of the best in the conference, returning All-Pac-10 performers Max Unger and Fenuki Tupou.  They will block for a talented duo of running backs, with Jeremiah Johnson returning from injury and talented junior college transfer LeGarrette Blount joining the team.

Defensively, the Ducks return a talented secondary and a formidable pass rush led by Nick Reed, but they will face questions up the middle with the defensive tackles and linebackers.  If the Ducks can get consistent play from the quarterback position, this could be a big year in Eugene.

3) Cal

The Bears look to rebound this year after their second half collapse in 2007 and will do so with a new starter at quarterback, as sophomore Kevin Riley unseated senior and incumbent starter Nate Longshore this fall.  This transition will be eased by the presence of a stellar offensive line, led by All-American center Alex Mack, and talented running back Jahvid Best.

While the defensive backfield is a source of some concern, Cal boasts one of the best defenses in the Pac-10, featuring a solid linebacking unit led by Zack Follet, one of the top linebackers in the Pac-10.

This will be a different team than most Jeff Tedford-led Cal teams we’ve seen, as the defense looks to carry the offense to success.

4) Arizona State

Many people are picking the Sun Devils as the favorites to challenge USC for the Pac-10 crown, but I don’t buy it.  Last year’s team may have won 10 games, but it showed its true colors in uncompetitive losses to USC, Texas, and Oregon.  To achieve the same level of success this year, they will need to greatly improve their offensive and defensive lines.

Last year the offensive line gave up a horrendous 55 sacks, good for worst in the Pac-10.  The defensive line wasn’t much better, finishing ninth in the Pac-10 in sacks.

Despite great talent at the offensive skill positions, especially quarterback Rudy Carpenter, the Sun Devils cannot compete for the Pac-10 title again without strong units in the trenches.

5) Arizona

Will this be the year the Wildcats finally break through?  Coach Mike Stoops hopes so, as his seat is decidedly warm coming into this season.  He has 10 returning starters from last year's high-powered Air Zona offense, including senior quarterback Willie Tuitama, one of the best in the Pac-10.

The defense will be almost completely rebuilt from last season, but Wildcat fans should expect a solid unit, as defense has always been a strength under Stoops.  If the defense is solid, this Wildcat team could be the best in recent memory.

6) UCLA

UCLA figured to make some noise this year, but their plans changed when Patrick Cowan and Ben Olsen, the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart, were lost for the season.

Despite having a very strong defense this year, the offense is too much of a mess for the Bruins to make much noise.  With a junior college transfer at quarterback and eight of the top 10 offensive lineman never having played a down at the college level, Norm Chow will have his work cut out for him.

While the defense and special teams will put them in contention for a bowl bid, UCLA won’t be able to make too much noise in the conference without the ability to score points. 

7) Stanford

In just his first year as head coach at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh did the unthinkable, snapping USC's home winning streak and beating archrival Cal for the first time since 2001.  This year Harbaugh looks to build on his success and take the Cardinal to the next level and compete for a bowl game.

Stanford returns 16 starters, the most in the Pac-10, and will boast a much better defense led by a fearsome pass rush and a solid linebacking corps.  The question is if they can improve on last year's dismal 322.5 yards allowed per game.

Stanford should have a decent offensive line behind returning All-Pac-10 performer Alex Fletcher, who should bulldoze the way to an improved running game.  If the quarterbacks can provide decent production, Stanford could find itself in the postseason.

8) OSU

It could be a rough rebuilding year for the Beavers.  The Beavers have question marks all over the offense, with last year’s inconsistent unit losing stalwart running back Yvenson Bernard.  Despite the return of Sammie Stroughter, the Beavers will need a completely healthy Jeremy Perry and a big step up from quarterback Lyle Moevao to score points consistently.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Beavers lose their entire front seven from last year.  While several of the new starters saw significant action last year and will step in nicely, this defense has huge depth issues and will be average at best.

The Beavers are also faced with a tough schedule, as most of the other teams in the middle of the pack face the Beavers away from Reser Stadium.  

9) Washington

The Huskies have talented quarterback Jake Locker and—well, not much else.  The Huskies return only one receiver who made a catch last year.  True freshman Chris Polk is talented, but leaving your offense in the hands of a sophomore quarterback and true freshman wide receiver is rarely a recipe for success.

The defense, which bordered on catastrophic last year, will need to make major improvements to keep the Huskies out of the bottom third of the conference.  If I was Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham, I’d start updating my resume.

10) Washington State

While Washington State’s new head coach Paul Wulff will begin to turn the program around this year, it won’t be enough to get them out of the cellar.  The Cougars have talent on offense, especially in wide receiver Brandon Gibson, but they lack both a quarterback with the mobility to run Wulff's spread offense and a defense that can stop anybody.

If not for an easy non-conference slate featuring Baylor, Portland State, and Hawaii, the Cougars could be facing the prospect of a winless season.    

Conference Awards

Offensive player of the year: Willie Tuitama, QB, Arizona

Defensive Player of the Year: Rey Maualuga, LB, USC

Newcomer of the Year: LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon

Coach of the Year: Jeff Tedford, Cal

Standings*

1) USC            12-0 (9-0)  National Championship Game

2) Oregon        10-2 (7-2)  Rose Bowl

3) Cal              9-3 (6-3)  Holiday Bowl

4) ASU             8-4 (5-4)  Sun Bowl

5) Arizona        8-4 (5-4)  Las Vegas Bowl

6) UCLA           5-7 (4-5)

7) Stanford       6-6 (3-6)  Emerald Bowl

8) OSU             3-9 (2-7)

9) Washington   4-8 (2-7)

10) WSU          5-8 (2-7)         

* In ties I listed the team most likely to be better than my prediction first.