Pac-10 Haves and Have Nots (Part Two)

Responses were positive from the first half of the Pac-10's Haves and Have Nots; here are the remaining teams for your light hearted, yet informative reading enjoyment.

Stanford Has: Stanford has one of if not the best up-and-coming coach in the nation in Jim Harbaugh.

Stanford has had four different coaches since 2000 (Willingham, Teevins, Harris, Harbaugh).

Stanford has no sure wins on their schedule.  San Jose and Washington State are the best match-ups on paper, however, they are both on the road and in weeks one and two.

Stanford Has Not: Stanford has not won a bowl game since 1996 (Shut out Michigan State 38-0 in the Sun Bowl)

Stanford has not recruited as poorly as some may think.  Their 2009 class ranked 14th by Scout.com. 

Stanford has not earned any respect in the Pac-10 and will not until they are able to reach post season play and win.

Should I Send A Card-N-All?: While I respect coach Harbaugh and what he's doing at Stanford, it's back to the deep end with the Cardinal in 2009. 

Defenses will line up to stop Toby Gerhart and the run, and Stanford's non-existent passing game will struggle.  Stanford finishes eighth in the conference and throws over 20 INTs.

UCLA Has: UCLA has got to be kicking themselves for losing D Coordinator Dewayne Walker to New Mexico State.  If there were any bright points for the Bruins, it was their intensity on the defensive side of the ball.

UCLA has got to figure out how to get some production out of the run game.  The Bruins ran for only 993 yards last year. Six running-backs rushed for more yards individually in the Pac-10 in 2008.

UCLA Has Not: UCLA has not had a coach depart with a losing record since William F. Barnes left in 1964 with a record of 31-34-3. Rick Neuheisel is currently at 4-8.

UCLA has not picked the right guy at the QB position. Kevin Craft threw for 2,341 yards and seven touchdowns which might seem decent, but those numbers were overshadowed by a 55 percent completion percentage and a ridiculous 20 interceptions.

Not to B-Ruin Your Mood...But: UCLA will continue to be inept on offense, but questions circling Dewayne Walker's replacement will be squashed when the Bruins lead the league in rush defense. 

Neuheisel sniffs a bowl, but misses out again. UCLA has the No. 5-ranked recruiting class for 2009.  Maybe Neuheisel could get outta L.A. with a winning record after all.

USC Has: USC has the best resume over the past seven years of any team in the nation. 13-3 vs. Top 10 competition. Seven straight Pac-10 Championships (shared in 2002, 2006, 2007). Seven straight BCS appearances. And seven consecutive seasons of 11 or more wins.

USC has got to get out of the Rose Bowl.  The Trojans' 11-mile annual trip to Pasadena has got to be sickening for players and coaches.  Pete, take this up with whomever becomes the new Pac-10 Commissioner.

USC has more talent on their bench than many teams have in their starting line up.

USC Has Not: The Trojans have not done so well in the state of Oregon. Oregon State has won three out of the last four meetings in Corvallis and Oregon has beaten USC two out of the last three in Eugene.

USC has not had an off-season in which they signed less than four five-star recruits since 2002. In 2002, they signed a measly three (2007 had nine five-star athletes signed to the roster).

USC has not lost a bowl to a Big 10 opponent since they lost 16-17 to Michigan State in the Sun Bowl in 1990. Since then, six Big 10 teams have come calling and lost by an average of 17.3 points per game.

Can Traveler Carry The Ball?: USC might as well put their mascot Traveler in the backfield.  The Trojans have had a stable of talent at the running-back position for many years. 

Sadly, the offense will not be the focus of the Trojans in 2009.  USC graduates some of its best defensive lineman to ever come through the program. Troy will give up over 100 yards rushing in six games this season...the main reason they will be de-throned as Pac-10 champs.

Washington Has: Washington has got to be smiling from ear to ear with the new hire of former USC Coordinators Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt. The future looks bright for the Husky Faithful, especially in that money market.

Washington has to upgrade their stadium. While nice in the 80's, the outdated and way too far from the field grand stands detract from getting this program where it needs to be. A 10th row, 50 yard-line seat usually doesn't require binoculars where I'm from.

Washington has one of the best weapons in the nation in dual threat QB Jake Locker. From a sprained neck suffered at OSU in 2007, to a pulled hamstring in August 2008, to a broken thumb on his right throwing hand that required surgery, Locker needs to stay healthy and return to the form that accounted for 3,146 yards of offense and 27 touchdowns in 2007.

Washington Has Not: Washington has not won a football game since Nov. 17, 2007. That's 490 days.

Washington has not recruited as poorly as their record indicates in recent years. Three and four star athletes are commonplace come LOI day in Seattle.

Washington had better figure out how to utilize it's athleticism, the Huskies are young and have the potential to win some games in 2009 with Locker leading the way.

I "Wash" My Hands Of It: Beating the "Washington sucks" horse is getting tired.  The team that nearly beat BYU had it not have been for a celebration penalty and blocked PAT is the team that we will see in 2009. 

Coach Sark, as many call him, will grab the reins and pound these kids in the off-season.  Washington finishes the season with a 30+ drumming of the Cougars and posts five wins on the season.

Washington State Has: Washington State has the toughest road ahead of them and doesn't seem to have the right man for the job. In his eight years at Eastern Washington, Paul Wulff maintained only 53 wins to 40 losses.

Washington State has the worst stadium and location in the Pac-10.  It's no wonder they are at the bottom of in the conference in recruiting year in and year out.  Martin Stadium seats only 35,117 and Pullman, Wash., only has 27,150 that call it home.

Washington State Has Not: The Cougars have not lost all hope. Their two wins in 2008 put them ahead of Washington in the Pac-10 and could provide just enough motivation for the Cougs in 2009.

Washington State has not been kind to coaches.  No coach has posted better than a .550 winning percentage since Forest Evashevski in 1950-1951. (11-6-2   .632)

The Cougars haven't won two games in a row since they beat San Diego State and Idaho at home in September 2007.

NOT A Wulff In Sheep's Clothing: The Cougars managed a miraculous win to end the 2008 season in the Apple Cup vs. Washington.  Unfortunately that's where the good times end.  2009 will see improvements in many teams in the Pac-10 and Washington State will not win a game in conference. Circle September 19th Cougar fans, Southern Methodist looks like your only win of the season.