PAC-12
Washington Huskies
2010-11 Record: 7-6, (5-4)
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian enters his third season as Head Coach with his program at a crossroads. After an average 2009-10 season, the Huskies improved to a winning record both overall and in conference behind the leadership of enigmatic QB Jake Locker (2,265 yards, 17 TD's, 9 INT's). Heading into 2011, the Dawgs are hoping this is the year the team manages to escape from the dregs of the PAC-12 and trends toward contending.
Quarterback will be the position to watch in Seattle this year as sophomore Keith Price looks to lock down the starting job after playing sparingly behind Locker, including a 127 yard effort vs defending champions Oregon in garbage time. All eyes, however, will be on sophomore Nick Montana, son of legendary 49er's QB Joe Montana, whom Sarkisian redshirted last year. The offensive line should steadily improve with senior Senio Kelemete and junior center Drew Schaefer leading the way for a unit entering 2011 with sixty-five combined starts. The highlight of the offense will be junior RB, Chris Polk, who looks to build upon a fantastic sophomore season (260 yards, 1,415 yards, 9 TD's). Granted his stats were a little inflated thanks to a 284 yard effort against Washington St, but he will still be a force. Wide receiver will be the most talented position as seniors Jermaine Kearse (63 catches, 1,005 yards, 12 TD's), Devin Aguilar (28 catches, 352 yards, 2 TD's), and junior James Johnson, who was limited in 2010 due to injury, all return.
On defense, All-PAC-12 talent DT Alameda Ta'amu returns and should have another excellent season provided he gets contributions from his compatriots. Linebacker, Cort Dennison, returns as the heart of the defense (92 tackles, 2 sacks). CB's Quentin Richardson and Desmond Trufant look to build on solid 2010 campaigns, while Sean Parker could be a star in the making at safety. The schedule does the Dawgs no favors, and a slight regression in record, not improvement, should be expected.
2011-12 Prediction: 5-7, (4-4)
Arizona State Sun Devils
2010-11 Record: 6-6, (4-5)
Head Coach: Dennis Erickson
Expectation. That one word sufficiently describes the state of ASU's upcoming season. After three bowl game-less seasons, Head Coach Dennis Erickson may be entering his final season in the desert. Eight returning starters on both offense and defense give the Devils hope that 2011 may be the year that momentum, talent, and expectation all blend together.
Junior QB Brock Osweiler leads the offense after various emergency call ups in 2010. Over his last two starts, the former basketball recruit racked up over six hundred yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. With an incoming eighty-four starts between the offensive linemen (all five starters return), it should be assumed that the unit will be able to cut down on the 31 sacks they surrendered last year. The Devils have arguably the best running back tandem in the conference, with returning junior, Cameron Marshall, (150 carries, 787 yards, 9 TD's) and sophomore Deantre Lewis (92 carries, 539 yards, 4 TD's) looking to ground out close wins that eluded the squad in previous years. State's returning receivers, Kerry Taylor, T.J. Simpson (who is currently injured) and Mike Willie must improve their forty-one percent target rate, which was third lowest in the country among WR trios.
The defense lost a key contributor in Omar Bolden after he tore his ACL this spring, and will rely more than ever on junior All-American LB, Vontaze Burfict, (89 tackles, 2 forced fumbles). Burfict's talent has never been questioned; his maturity is the main issue after leading the PAC-10 in personal foul penalties last year. Although the unit held six opponents to 20 points or fewer last year, the secondary is the biggest question mark. After the loss of Bolden, CB Osahon Irabor (33 tackles) will be forced into the playmaker role. If CB Deveron Carr and FS Keelan Johnson can recover from injury, the back four will be bolstered considerably.
2011-12 Prediction: 9-3, (6-3)
California Golden Bears
2010-11 Record: 5-7, (3-6)
Head Coach: Jeff Tedford
Janus, the two headed Roman god, probably studied the ways of the 2010 Bears. Cal was extremely tough at home, limiting eventual conference champion, Oregon, to 15 points, and horrendous on the road, losing by 28 to Oregon State. In the twenty-eight years before Coach Tedford took the reigns, Cal had nine winning seasons; in the last nine years, the Bears had eight winning seasons. Will that continue, or will last year's disaster put Tedford squarely on the hot-seat?
Transfer, QB Zach Maynard, will be given the keys to the offense after a stellar season in Turner Gill's final year in Buffalo (2,894 yards, 18 TD's, 15 INT's). Junior RB Isi Sofele will be charged with replacing departed Shane Vereen's (231 carries, 1,167 yards, 13 TD's) numbers. The offensive line will be led by left tackle, Mitchell Schwartz, whose 38 career starts account for nearly half of the eighty-five combined starts, and should have no difficulty opening holes for Sofele & Co. Senior wideout Marvin Jones (50 catches, 765 yards, 4 TD's) and sophomore Keenan Allen (46 catches, 490 yards, 5 TD's) must improve if Cal is to climb higher than 94th in passing offense.
Despite its 18th overall ranking, Cal's defense was feast or famine in 2010, alternating between excruciatingly stingy at home, and sieve-like on the road. An extremely aggressive 3-4 scheme should enable senior Trevor Guyton (29 tackles, 4.5 sacks, in four starts) to replicate the success of NFL first round pick, Cameron Jordan. Should his linemates hold up their end of the attack, the front four should be one of the stoutest in the PAC-12. The Bears lost two extremely talented linebackers, but also return two All-PAC-10's in Mychal Kendricks (66 tackles, 8.5 sacks) and D.J Holt (85 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles). The secondary played above expectations last year, yielding 15 passing TD's (5 to USC's Matt Barkley), and return two of four starters. Senior safety Sean Cattouse is the unpolished, yet phenomenally talented backstop of the unit. CB Marc Anthony (48 tackles, 2 INT's) returns as well and the junior should step up after his first full year of work.
2011-12 Prediction: 7-5, (5-5)
Arizona Wildcats
2010-11 Record: 7-6, (4-5)
Head Coach: Mike Stoops
Seven years after Coach Stoops started calling the shots in Tuscon, the Cats are in a much better position than they have ever been, but still have not broken the overall .500 plateau. Three straight bowl games have given the faithful reason for optimism, but in true Arizona fashion, the wins somehow seem to highlight the inadequacies of the squad rather than the progress, including a five-game losing streak to end 2010.
What the Cats have in skill position prowess, they more than lose in offensive line stability, with injury replacement center Kyle Quinn's one start the high water mark for the unit, leaving it at 120th in college football. The gelling of the freshman tackles, along with the departure of positional coach Bill Bedenbaugh to West Virginia, will go a long way in determining whether QB Nick Foles (3,191 yards, 20 TD's, 10 INT's) can replicate a stellar 2010, or will spend extra time looking up at the floodlights. Standout WR Juron Criner returns after a banner junior year (82 catches, 1,233, 11 TD's) and will be joined by workman-like senior David Douglas, who can play the 'X', 'Y' or 'Z' positions. Senior Keola Antolin (143 carries, 668 yards, 7 TD's) will be the feature back, but the depth behind him is troubling after junior Greg Nwoko tore his ACL in spring training.
The uncertainty of the line pales in comparison to the state of the defense, which lost five key starters to graduation. Youth will be the name of the game, and the youngsters will have to master a steep learning curve. The defensive line lost All-PAC 10's Brooks Reed and Ricky Elmore to the NFL and, much like the O-line, has only one returning starter with more than four starts. Linebacker is equally thin as Jake Fischer, who was expected to anchor the corps, tore his ACL, and the Cats will rely on their JUCO transfers from last year to take their game to the next level. The secondary is a work in progress. New strong safety Marquis Flowers is an All-PAC 12 in the making, but senior CB Trevin Wade must return to his 2009 form if the unit has any hope of improving from a disappointing 2010.
2011-12 Prediction: 5-7, (4-5)
Oregon State Beavers
2010-11 Record: 5-7, (4-5)
Head Coach: Mike Riley
The Beavers suffered their first losing season since 2005 last year, despite the presence of all world talents James and Jaquizz Rodgers. With James going through two offseason surgeries, two new offensive coaches, and myriad injuries at seemingly every position, only time will tell if Coach Riley can prevent a lost season in Corvallis.
On offense, the line must have a better season in 2011. With 91 combined starts between the starters, center Alex Linnenkohl will be responsible for spearheading the improvement, given that Jacquizz will not be there to bail them out. Junior QB Ryan Katz (2,401 yards, 17 TD's, 11 INT's) is recovering from a broken scaphoid bone in his throwing wrist but should be okay come September. The running back position is wide open, with Ryan McCants, Jordan Jenkins, and Jovan Stevenson all competing for the number one spot, although a scheme by committee could be in the cards. Junior Markus Wheaton (55 catches, 675 yards, 4 TD's) must step up if the Beavs want to have any semblance of an aerial attack. The biggest rebuilding project is the defense. Riley must try and replace 2010 PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Stephen Paea, and rebuild two-thirds of his linebacking group. Despite the loss of outstanding CB James Dockery, the secondary should be the strength of the unit, with safety Lance Mitchell (74 tackles, 2 INT's) leading the way. Few PAC-12 receivers will have the speed to beat CB Jordan Poyer, but with the massive overhaul expected in the front seven, this unit will face a lot of pressure and could have trouble replicating the effort, especially with a slate of particularly brutal road games, starting off week 1 at Madison, against the Badgers.
2011-12 Prediction: 4-7, (4-5)
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