Pac-12 Football Preview: 10 September Must-See Games

The first football game for the brand new Pacific 12 Conference is mere days away. Utah, in its first game as a Pac-12 member, will play Montana State on Thursday, September 1st kicking off the Pac-12 season. 

September is going to be a huge month for Pac-12 football. With national title contender Oregon playing potentially the game of the year in Texas against the powerful LSU Tigers on September 3rd, the first Saturday of the College Football season, the Pac-12 can make a statement as a power conference early on. 

Oregon and Stanford are the preseason favorites for the Pac-12's BCS bid, but Arizona State is looking to break through and they will be the favorite in the new Pac-12 South Division. Especially because USC's punishment bars them from the Pac-12 Championship Game, Arizona State will duel with rival Arizona, newcomer Utah and the inconsistent Colorado and UCLA squads that must improve quickly. 

The Pac-12 faces immediate pressure from other national title contenders, as shown in the picture where Stanford QB Andrew Luck fights off a Virginia Tech defender in last year's Orange Bowl victory. Luck, who is the Heisman favorite, will lead his Stanford Cardinal against a hungry Arizona Wildcat team on September 24th, the first true test for new Cardinal coach David Shaw. 

There are numerous battles that will define each Pac-12 team's season early on. The 2011 season is shaping up to be an exciting year with some new flares.

Before the calendar turns to September before we know it, let's take a look at the Pac-12's 10 biggest games in the ninth month of the year. 

1. Oregon at LSU, September 3rd

In what could be an instant classic that is remembered for years to come, the Ducks of Oregon will bravely enter the south for an opening week matchup against the LSU Tigers in Arlington, Texas.

Fresh off their BCS Title Game appearance, coach Chip Kelly, QB Darron Thomas and RB LaMichael James will try to make an immediate statement that Eugene is the capital of college football success. A win over LSU will catapult the Ducks to the ranks where they will be the BCS favorite, as long as they win out the rest of the season.

This game will have fireworks between the two explosive offenses, and will have incredible athleticism on both sides of the ball. LSU is dealing with a troubling issue of a bar fight that included many key players, including starting QB Jordan Jefferson.

The result of the NCAA and LSU investigation could squelch any chances for the Tigers to tear through the Ducks' defense if the Tigers must turn to second string players in the opener for both squads. That could give the Ducks a large advantage and lead the way for some major attention for the new Pac-12.

No matter the result, give credit to the Ducks for putting a challenging non-conference game on their schedule away from their home and putting in on their road to the National Championship. Early season losses are better than late season losses, history has shown us, but a loss would deflate much of the early season buzz for Oregon.  

Darron Thomas will be the key player in this one. If he can rise to the challenge to defeat one of the best defenses in the country with his arm and his legs, he will automatically put himself in Heisman contention even with teammate LaMichael James a supposed favorite. 

You are not going to want to miss this one, no matter what happens with the LSU investigations. 

Time and TV: 5:00 pm, ABC

2. Arizona at Oklahoma State, September 8th

After an easy opener against Northern Arizona, the Arizona Wildcats will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma for a huge test against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. This Thursday night clash is a repeat of the 2010 Alamo Bowl, where Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns to defeat Arizona 36-10.

The Cowboys come in ranked at least No. 9, assuming they can defeat a Louisiana-Lafayette team they will severely overmatch. The Wildcats come in unranked, but close in both the major polls. This game will kick off a three-week stretch that will test the Wildcats to their core, as they face the Cowboys and then the Oregon Ducks and Stanford Cardinal, both fortunately at home. 

QB Nick Foles and WR Juron Criner will do their damage for the Wildcats, but it will be the defense that must give the Wildcats a chance. Oklahoma State has wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who will look to build on his phenomenal freshman year. However, the Cowboys need to find a running back to replace Kendall Hunter, so the Wildcats might be able to focus on the pass game if no back can step up.

The major battle in this game: Cowboys WR Justin Blackmon vs. Arizona Secondary

Even though the Wildcat defense is solid, led by linebacker Paul Vassallo, no cornerback or safety or combination of the two will be able to shut down Blackmon. That will make the ultimate difference. 

Don't expect the Wildcats to go down without a fight. Even if they come up short against the Cowboys, this game might give them the confidence to knock off either the Ducks or the Cardinal in the coming weeks. 

Time and TV: 5:00 pm (PST), ESPN

3. Missouri at Arizona State September 9th

Time to prove if the Sun Devils are for real. After a warm-up game against UC Davis on September 1st, the preseason ranked No. 23 Arizona State Devils will invite the Missouri Tigers into Tempe. The Tigers, who were 10-3 last year and come into this season with a preseason ranking of No. 21, are led by duel-threat QB James Franklin.

The Sun Devils, who struggled mightily against good offensive units last season, look to make a big improvement against a Missouri team that returns just about everyone except for their new quarterback in Franklin. The Tigers wide-open spread offense could be trouble for the Sun Devils defense and defensive coordinator Bill Miller.  

The Sun Devils have Vontaze Burfict, perhaps the best defensive individual player in the game and an absolute beast. Otherwise, however, the Devils are weak and could be in for some trouble against a good offense. The Devils scoring should keep them in this game, and is the aspect that has many media and coaches thinking the Devils will win the Southern Division of the Pac-12 this season. 

Under QB Brock Osweiler, the Devils will have physicality and toughness, but raw talent going up against a good Missouri defense. If the Sun Devils can defeat the Tigers, they could make a run at an 11-1 season and a BCS bowl bid.

For the Tigers, a win could set them off on their way to dominating the old, now smaller "Big 12" and competing with Oklahoma and Texas A&M for the BCS slot.

It should be a great desert showdown, early in the season but with huge implications.   

Time and TV: 7:30 pm (PST), ESPN

4. Utah at USC, September 10th

As 2011 Pac-12 Conference play opens for both of these teams in Los Angeles at the Coliseum, the Utes play their first ever Pacific 12 Conference game in what could be one of the best matchups of the year. The Utes come in with high hopes under coach Kyle Whittingham, but will face a USC squad that many believe will be extremely successful. 

Utah Quarterback Jordan Wynn, pictured here, will be faced with a much larger task than just defeating the Trojans in front of almost 100,000 rabid, pent-up Trojan fans. He will be asked to navigate a schedule that forces the Utes to face other Pac-12 foes Arizona State and Oregon State along with non-conference battles against BYU and Pittsburgh. 

With new offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who once led USC to prominence, Utah will be gunning to make a splash early on. With Wynn looking to talented receiver DeVonte Christopher, a 6'1" 200-pound junior, the Utes will push the USC secondary to its limits. 

The battle within the big battle: Utah's Passing vs. USC's Pass Coverage. 

Utah has a strong passing game, balanced by a solid ground attack. Utah's Christopher is a great target and he might be the Pac-12's best wideout. Paired with Christopher is tight end Kendrick Moeai  and freshman running back Harvey Langi, Langi better get off to a good start to build up some confidence against the big USC front line.  

On the flip side, USC's defense is still taking shape, with sophomore Demetrius Wright and junior Jawanza Starling battling for starting safety along with returner T.J. McDonald. Torin Harris looks to be the other starting cornerback along with Nickell Robey, but has not been tested at all at the college level.

Time and TV: 4:30 pm (PST), Versus Network

5. Oregon State at Wisconsin, September 10th

At first look, this game might be an automatic blowout win for Wisconsin. The Badgers, ranked 11th coming into the season, are loaded and looking to make a run at a "Big Ten" title. The Badgers went 11-2 last season, narrowly losing to TCU in the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena. 

Look a little deeper though, and realize that the Beavers have a long history of surprising teams. The Beavers are not supposed to be very good this season, replacing their star running back JacQuizz Rodgers who scampered off to the NFL, and seven defensive starters this season. 

Ryan Katz is a very reliable quarterback that will be successful this season, but the pieces surrounding him are largely unproven. Katz hopes to have talented wide receivers Jordan Bishop and James Rodgers, but both are fighting to get healthy and ready for the season.

As much as this game will be about winning for Oregon State, it will be a game to learn about where the team truly stands before Pac-12 play opens. Will the Beavers be a contender in the Pac-12 North, or will they struggle to keep up with Stanford, Oregon and an improved California squad?

Wisconsin has a new quarterback in Russell Wilson, potentially the transfer of the year. Although they lose their top running back, they return talented running back James White. White rushed for over 1,000 yards in his freshman year, and is a horse in the scrum. He breaks through tackles, which will give the Beaver defense a lot of issues. Wilson is also very mobile, and will be very good working off of the traditional Wisconsin run-heavy style of play. 

Still, Oregon State has a knack for keeping it close. They only lost by 8 to No. 3 TCU last season and knocked off USC at the end of 2010.

The Badgers will be a horse of a different color and the best test the Beavers will get until their November 5th date against Stanford. Winning is a long shot for the Beavers, straight and clear. Still possible, but highly improbable. If the Beavers keep it close but don't win, they might be able to build off of it going forward in the season too.  

Time and TV: 9 am (PST), ESPN Family of Networks

6. Washington at Nebraska, September 17th

This game, in the heart of Week 3 of the college football slate, pits two teams that know quite a bit about each other and about realigning conferences. Washington played Nebraska in the 2010 Holiday Bowl, only eight months ago. Then the Pac-10 became the Pac-12 and Nebraska jumped to the Big Ten.

This will be the chance of the year for the Pacific Northwest to make a splash on a national level. Other than Washington's almost laughable invitation and victory over Nebraska in the 2010 Holiday Bowl, where the 6-6 Washington Huskies beat the 10-3 Nebraska Cornhuskers by divine intervention, the state of Washington has fared very poorly this century. Since 2003, the Washington State Cougars have not had a winning season and the 2010 Holiday Bowl was the Huskies first bowl in eight years.

The Huskies are on the upswing under coach Steve Sarkisian, who had a tremendous talent in Jake Locker until his departure this year. Keith Price takes the reins from Locker, and Nick Montana sits in waiting as second string.

The Huskies have a talented corps of receivers, and will need each and every one of them to throw off Nebraska's very solid secondary. Nebraska's defense will be much improved, as will Cornhusker QB Taylor Martinez, perhaps in the running for Heisman this year.  

Although this game will be fantastic, with the possibility for Washington to really put on a national show, the Huskies' game the week before might have more significance for the postseason. On September 10th, the Huskies play Hawai'i in what might determine bowl eligibility.

If the Huskies win against Nebraska, it is a huge upset, but if the Huskies want to be bowling in 2011 they will need to beat the Warriors from the Islands. Going 2-1 (after an easy victory against Eastern Washington in Week 1) into Pac-12 play against Cal on September 24th will be the goal for Steve Sarkisian. 

Time and TV: 12:30 pm (PST), ABC

7. Texas at UCLA September 17th

Last season, UCLA sputtered and ended the season with a splat, finishing a disappointing 4-8. UCLA fans were nauseated all year by the sour taste of a 1-6 finish to the season, winning only two Pac-10 games in the final year before the expansion. 

Now in the Pac-12 South Division, they come in to the season with the knowledge that improvements need to happen fast. The quarterback debacle has gone on long enough, now in the third straight season where coach Rick Neuheisel has had to deal with major, lasting injuries to the announced starting QB. 

Highly-touted freshman QB Brett Hundley, who had a legitimate chance to start this fall, tore his meniscus and is out indefinitely. Kevin Prince, the announced starter, has been banged up numerous times in his career and Richard Brehaut failed to make the adjustments necessary to be successful when he had his chance last fall. 

With a new offensive coordinator now that Neuheisel relieved Norm Chow (now at Utah) of his duties and replaced him with Mike Johnson, the awful offense must improve if the Bruins want to take down the Longhorns again. 

Jonathan Franklin, with his back to us in the picture, will be the difference in this game just like last season's upset in Austin. Franklin ran wild on the Longhorns last September, and if he can come through with another big performance, he will not only put his name out there as one of the best running backs in the Pac-12 but might save coach Rick Neuheisel's job. 

Texas is coming off its worst season in years, a 5-7 embarrassment that landed Mack Brown on the hot seat. With Garrett Gilbert battling for his job at QB, Texas needs to get hot to gain some confidence. This should be a great game, with both teams giving one million percent for the fate of their respective programs. 

Time and TV: 12:30 pm (PST), ABC

8. Stanford at Arizona, September 17th

This is the second test for Arizona in their ridiculous three-game stretch this September. However, they better get prepared early for the talented Stanford squad that will roll into Tucson on Saturday night, the 17th of September.

Andrew Luck, Heisman favorite and the leader of his No. 7 ranked team, will be truly tested for the first time against the Wildcats in front of a national audience. Stanford begins the season with an easy San Jose State team and then a trip to Durham, North Carolina to face Duke. The Cardinal's matchup against the Blue Devils will be a great academic squabble and Duke is much improved, but they will prove no match for Luck and his vast array of options. 

Even though Luck lost his friend and go to receiver Ryan Whalen, the Cardinal still have running back Stepfan Taylor, who gained over 1,000 yards last year and numerous athletic wideouts. On defense, the Cardinal have standouts such as ILB Shayne Skov, OLB Chase Thomas and SS Delano Howell. 

Losing three of the starting offensive line surely hurts Luck's trust and timing, but after two games I am sure the Cardinal offense will be clicking pretty soundly. The only issue is whether the Arizona defense can stop them, or if the Wildcat offense will have to go through another shootout to try to overcome the big trees. 

Stanford blew Arizona out of the water last year, running them out of Palo Alto to the tune of a 42-17 shellacking. Mike Stoops and his Wildcats squad will be hungry to redeem themselves and get a victory before facing Oregon the next week. 

The big battle will be: Andrew Luck vs. Arizona Defense. 

Only a week after facing Justin Blackmon, perhaps the best wide receiver in college, the Wildcats get the pleasure of facing potentially the best overall college player, the best college QB and a safe bet to be the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Overall, the defensive line is very inexperienced and that could lead to another big Stanford win. 

If Nick Foles can provide some punch, the Wildcats won't go down quickly or quietly though. 

Time and TV: 7:45 pm (PST), ESPN

9. Oregon at Arizona September 24th

Last season, both Arizona coach Mike Stoops and Oregon coach Chip Kelly (shown here) met on the field before their team's big late-season matchup. In a game that was a close battle between two ranked teams, the No. 1 Ducks and the No. 21 Wildcats, the Ducks pulled away and handled the 'Cats 48-29. 

This season, the two square off in an early season duel where the Ducks will be heavily favored again. However, the pressure will be on Stoops and his Wildcats to make a strong showing, or else he might find himself without a job watching the Ducks play in the National Title game again. That is not to say that the Wildcats must go undefeated and run the table to the Title Game, but after a deflating 7-6 2010 record, Stoops must have a strong start. 

Chip Kelly and his Ducks will have already gone through LSU in Texas by the time this game rolls around, but even if they come in 1-1 (post Nevada-stomping), Darron Thomas and LaMichael James will be roaring to begin Pac-12 play. The Ducks are strong offensively, as are the Wildcats who averaged over 24 points a game last season. 

The difference in this game will be how each team's defense responds to adversity. Arizona will be most of the way through their hellacious September, facing Oklahoma State, Stanford and now Oregon. Their thin defense will either have stepped up and earned their keep, or fallen down like a straw house. 

Oregon's defense is largely new but very highly touted. Oregon's defense was good, not great, last season and lost some talent. They replace most of their front line, but return their core of secondary players and coverage team. Their pass coverage will improve and they will have to stop Arizona running back Keola Antolin, who takes over the starting duties from the departed Nic Grigsby.

Time and TV: 7:15 pm, ESPN  

10. USC at Arizona State, September 24th

When USC ventures into Tempe on Saturday night, September 24th, the Trojans will be facing their stiffest division competition. With Arizona State the favorite for the Pac-12 South title, the Trojans will just be playing to continue their season even by that point. 

Many are already hyping this game up as a "de-facto Pac-12 South Championship Game," and it will pit the Trojans in their biggest challenge of the season until an October 22nd matchup in South Bend against the Fighting Irish.

If Brock Osweiler and the Sun Devil offense can find a way to gel together and put some big plays up against the Trojan defense, they might just be able to run Lane Kiffin out of the desert.

Last season, the Trojans won 34-33 in Los Angeles on a late field goal and a strong defensive stand. Now, with Dennis Erickson on the hot seat and 70,000 raucous Sun Devil fans rocking the stadium, the Devils might be able to turn the tide and knock off the Trojans.

The battle within the game: Matt Barkley and the USC passing game vs. The ASU Secondary

Barkley will be looking to go nuts against an unproven secondary that will have already had to deal with Missouri and a battle against Illinois (where Fightin' Illini coach Ron Zook looks to improve upon his 7-5 2010 season). The Devils secondary could be decimated or just suffer from a loss of talent or confidence. 

Already dealing with the fact they might be missing star cornerback Omar Bolden, the Sun Devil secondary starters like cornerback Irabor Osahon and converted safety Aiden Darby must perform beautifully against the Trojans standout wide receivers like Robert Woods.  

If the Sun Devils can stop the aerial attack, look for them to knock off the Trojans.

Time and TV: 7:15, ESPN Family of Networks