Filed under: Arizona State, Pac 10

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Filed under: Oregon, Oregon State, USC, Washington State, Pac 10

As is the norm, there are big names who have moved on down the road in the Pac 10. From bowl-winning QB's to standout running backs, the list is a long one. But clearly one of the most exciting things about an upcoming season of college football is always the element of the unknown. What young players are waiting in the wings? What hotshot recruit with all the whispers that he is going to be special will finally be unleashed for public consumption? But as is usually the case, the young replacements come in to take the spots of some pretty established players who leave a large body of work behind them. With that, we look at the five biggest Pac 10 shoes that must be filled and the candidates to replace them.

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Filed under: Stanford, Washington, Washington State, Pac 10

So we come to the bottom of the barrel, so to speak. The less-than-mediocre,
the outhouse, bottom-feeders, however you want to word it is fine. It is what it is.
And in the Pac 10, the climb out of Dregs-ville can be a long, slow, steady incline
vs. the hope of quickly sprinting up the ladder. Of course there is always hope for
the Dregs, but reality usually hits once things get going as the season rolls on.
With that, we present the Dregs of the Pac 10.

WASHINGTON HUSKIES

It is hard not to like the future of Jake Locker. Big, strong, and exceptionally gifted, Locker has a set of tools rarely seen at the quarterback position. But Locker isn't all the way there, at least not yet. While he was fantastic as a running QB last year, nearly turning in a 1,000-yard season (986), throwing the ball was another matter. Locker completed a conference-low 47% of his pass attempts last year, and his QB rating of 105 placed him only ahead of Tavita Pritchard among Pac 10 passers. The worry for UW is the talent around Locker. While there is promise among a group of youngsters in Anthony Boyles, Devin Aguilar, Curtis Shaw and others, seven of the top eight receivers from last year have graduated. Factor in the loss of Louis Rankin, the first UW running back to top the 1,000-yard mark since 1997, and you can see there could be some serious growing pains early. Defensively, UW was a mess last year. 446 yards allowed per game in '07, only the worst in school history. But UW didn't sit still, firing defensive coordinator Kent Baer and bringing in former NFL coordinator Ed Donatell. But while the buzz so far has been positive on the new defensive look, there are still some big holes. The defensive line is young and inexperienced, and now we have word that leading tackler EJ Savannah is out for the time being with academic issues. Factor into everything the schedule, which includes an opener at Oregon, plus out-of-conference matchups against BYU, Oklahoma and Notre Dame? And five Pac 10 road games to boot? It looks like another year down the ladder for UW.

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Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, USC, Pac 10

1. Rey Maualuga, LB, USC

While the stats might not scream superstar, those who watch the Trojans on a regular basis are quick to say that Maualuga is the best player on the best team in the conference. Maualuga isn't your typical stat hound, with 79 tackles, six sacks, and 4.5 tackles for loss last year. But nobody hits harder or is more intimidating in the middle than Maualuga. His ferocious play has made him a YouTube legend, with some of the biggest blow-ups of opposing quarterbacks you will find in the country. A two-time first team All Pac 10 selection, Maualuga has great size at 6-3, 255, but is also regarded as having excellent football speed. In other words, he might not totally dazzle you with track shoes on in the spring, as evidenced by his 4.7 40-times. But sideline to sideline, Maualuga gets to the play as well as anyone in the conference. A certain top ten NFL draft pick next spring, Maualuga is the best player in the Pac 10 for 2008.

2. Nick Reed, DE, Oregon

Oregon's defense is looking strong for 2008. While there are all-conference nominees throughout the secondary, everything starts up front with Nick Reed, the returning Pac 10 leader in sacks (12) and tackles for loss (22 1/2) last season. At 6-2, 255, Reed doesn't have the prototype size at defensive end. There are linebackers in the PAC-10 who are as big, if not bigger than Reed (Rey Maualuga anyone?). But you can't measure heart, and Reed has as much as any player you will see this year. Reed leaves it all on the field at the end of the day, a relentless presence on the edge who must be accounted for on every snap. He will compete for defensive player of the year honors in the conference.

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Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac 10

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Filed under: Oregon, Pac 10

WHY THEY'LL WIN

Not the way you would normally expect when you think Oregon. While the offense will be OK, the Ducks will get it done with defense this year. And it could potentially be one of the best defenses in recent Oregon history once all is said and done. Everything starts up front with Nick Reed, the returning Pac 10 leader in sacks (12) and tackles for loss (22 1/2) last year. At 6-2, 255, Reed doesn't have the prototype size at defensive end. There are linebackers in the conference who are as big, if not bigger than Reed. But you can't measure heart, and Reed has as much as any player you will see this year. Reed leaves it all on the field at the end of the day, a relentless presence on the edge who must be accounted for on every snap. But as great as Reed has been, well, the defensive backs are right there for star-power. Three all-conference candidates patrol the secondary, led by strong safety/rover Patrick Chung. Chung does pretty much everything, racking up 117 tackles (7.5 for loss), tops among all returners in the conference. After flirting with leaving early for the NFL in January, Chung withdrew from draft consideration and is set to have a huge senior year. But the corners are stacked, with Jairus Byrd at one spot and Walter Thurmond III manning the other. Byrd had a conference-high seven interceptions in 2007, while Thurmond was perhaps the best all-around corner in the conference, logging an impressive 103 tackles, five INT's and a team-high 18 pass-breakups. Simply put, Oregon's secondary is right with USC as the best in the conference, and possibly one of the best units in the nation.

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Filed under: Washington, Pac 10, Injuries

It is still early August, and optimism usually runs high early in training camp. But UW fans have reason to fret over breaking news this afternoon, as super-soph QB Jake Locker has suffered a hamstring injury. Details are still sketchy, as Tyrone Willingham has initially termed the injury as a strain of the left hamstring. The injury occurred during practice Thursday afternoon. An MRI was taken on Locker's hammy Friday morning, but the results are not yet known.

As usual, Willingham was less-than-direct in regards to the injury, offering vague answers to the severity of the injury or a timetable on Locker's return. But to be fair, it is hard to know what to say right now, other than the kid is injured and we will know more once the MRI results are back. But the good news for Husky fans is that while Willingham was a bit reserved in his answers, he did let on that he wasn't all that worried about the injury. Per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times:

"I'm not that concerned about the results [of the MRI]," he said. "I saw the injury when it happened. Obviously everybody responds differently, so his body's response will be a little bit different from another's. But one thing I think and believe is he's a pretty quick healer."

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Filed under: Washington, Pac 10

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Filed under: Washington, Pac 10, Recruiting

It has been a slow off-season in the Husky recruiting circles. How slow? Up until yesterday, Washington was the only PAC-10 school to not have a single verbal commitment for the class of 2009. But today is a new day, and right on the eve of PAC-10 media day, the Huskies have joined the crowd. Keith Price, a 6-2, 180 lb. dual-threat quarterback prospect, gave his pledge to Tyrone Willingham and company last night.

Price is a decent get for UW, a three-star prospect out of Bellflower, CA, and has been compared somewhat to former Oregon star Dennis Dixon. Maybe that's a stretch, as Price only started at quarterback last year and didn't exactly dominate, throwing for 955 yards and running for over 300 yards. Price chose UW over offers from Utah and Nevada, so it's not as if he's left the likes of Pete Carroll out in the cold. But according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Price is also viewed as a bit of a late-bloomer, and impressed UW coaches considerably at their summer camp. He wanted to stay close to his western roots, and with UW, he got what he was after:

"I wanted to stay on the West Coast and I wanted to stay in the PAC-10," he said. "I got some looks from Louisville and they really liked me, but I didn't really want to go back East. I wanted to stay on the West Coast - Washington, I'm already used to the offense. It's the same kind of offense my high school is running, so I thought it would be a perfect fit."

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Filed under: UCLA, Pac 10, Injuries

Technically, Bell has not been medically cleared to practice, but he told me recently he expects that to happen in early August, when he is examined by the UCLA doctors.

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Filed under: Oregon, Pac 10

"I understand that people did everything that they could -- the paramedics, the ambulance, the doctors and the players who were there. It's obviously a very helpless feeling for me not to be there," added Bellotti, who was previously scheduled to return to Eugene Monday after concluding his vacation in California. "Hopefully everybody comes away with a greater appreciation for the gifts they're blessed with and come away with the lessons that we can never be too cautious."

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Filed under: Washington, Pac 10, Injuries

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Filed under: UCLA Football, Pac 10

"It's a huge relief," Olson said. "Any time you get hurt, you never know how long it will take. You question if you will ever be back. It's nice to feel that it's progressing and we're moving forward."

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Filed under: Pac 10, Oregon State Football

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Filed under: Pac 10, Arizona State Football

"During August and pretty much through October we practice at night due to the extreme heat," Rogers said. "That makes it really difficult for players to get up and lift (weight train) at 6 a.m., go to class all day and then to study table and practice. It makes their day extremely long.

"It also makes it difficult for them to recover. What the air structure does is allow us to start with a normal schedule beginning in August and continue on until the team is able to go outside for day practices."

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Filed under: Washington Football, Pac 10

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Filed under: Washington Football, Pac 10, Washington

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Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10

That traffic in southern California can be absolutely brutal. It's not just that you have to be careful, but you have to always be wary of the other unpredictable drivers that roam the highways and byways. You never know when someone will cut you off. Just ask Pete Carroll.

According to Scott Wolf in the LA Daily News, the rock-star coach was simply minding his own business, cruising through Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway Tuesday evening, when suddenly:

"I was in the fast lane and the cop came from the slow lane and pulled right in front of me to make a U-turn," Carroll said. "(My car) got hammered."

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Filed under: UCLA Football, Pac 10

The UCLA offense is a little thin these days, what with starting quarterback Patrick Cowan and backup Ben Olson already nursing various injuries. Cowan is actually lost for the entire 2008 season after tearing his ACL, and Olson suffered a broken right foot late in spring ball and should miss most of the off-season training sessions. But now the offensive line has joined in, as projected starting right tackle Sean Sheller could be on the shelf for some time.

According to the LA Times, Sheller was injured over the weekend while riding an ATV. He suffered an open wound on his left ankle as well as an undisclosed injury to his left knee. An MRI is pending on the knee to determine how much damage was actually done in the accident.

An interesting angle is that the LA Times also reports in the same story that UCLA gained a JC tackle in Donovan Edwards. Edwards is a late signee who could be eligible to play immediately this fall, pending summer school results.

The troubling thing for UCLA is what this does to an already-thin offensive line. It's bad enough when you are without a couple of QB's and it's only June. But the Bruins were already down to two returning starters up front with the "Micah" duo of Micah Reed at center and Micah Kia at left tackle. Overall eight of the top 10 listed on the offensive line depth chart didn't even play a single snap last year, so potentially losing Sheller isn't exactly good news.

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Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10, Washington State

The Seattle Times put the Washington State University football program in the cross-hairs on Sunday, reporting on an array of mistakes by players over the last 18 months. 25 arrests in 18 months is a troubling sign, no matter the coach or the program.

Some of it was your run-of-the-mill incidents that occur at campuses across the country. You know, underage drinking, marijuana possession, assault. Not to excuse the behavior, but pretty standard stuff for 18-22 year-olds. But some of it was, well, a little odd. For example, standout defensive end/linebacker Andy Mattingly attacked a five-foot-ten soccer player. With a frying pan. And the soccer player? He had a butter knife to try and fend off the 6-4, 245-pounder who notched 91 tackles and eight sacks as a true sophomore last season. Predictably, the soccer player took the worst of it, suffering a two-inch gash and was "bleeding profusely" according to the police report. As the old saying goes, never bring a butter knife to a frying pan fight.

All that said, the vast majority of these assorted misdeeds happened under the previous coaching regime of Bill Doba. Doba was relieved of his duties in December after a modest 30-29 record. But the real issues surrounding Doba and his coaching staff appears to be what was, or wasn't, happening off the field.

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