|
Oregon's Joey Harrington is 16-2 as the Ducks' starter.
Otto Gruele Jr./Allsport
|
|
 |
|---|
| 1 |
UCLA
|
| 2 |
Oregon
|
| 3 |
Oregon State
|
| 4 |
Washington
|
| 5 |
Stanford
|
| 6 |
USC
|
| 7 |
Arizona State
|
| 8 |
California
|
| 9 |
Washington State
|
| 10 |
Arizona
|
|
 |
|---|
| 7 |
|
Number of different teams the Pac-10 has sent to the Rose Bowl the past seven years.
|
|
|
 |
|---|
"It's still arbitrary as hell. They always fix these things after the fact. It could be just as unfair to another team this year. It won't be perfect until they put in a playoff system."
--
-- Washington head coach Rick Neuheisel on the changes to the BCS system.
|
|
|
By Ted Miller, Special to CNNSI.com
The Pac-10: It's heaven or it's hell.
In 1999, the conference was a national joke. In 2000, it put three teams into the nation's final top 10 for the first time since 1984 and two in the top five for the first time in, well, forever.
It also saw three head coaches walk the plank, while four others shared a single-malt scotch with their SEC and Big Ten peers as new members of the seven-figure tax bracket.
Considering 11 first-team All-Pac-10 performers return this fall and the league averages 15 returning starters per team, 2001 doesn't figure to see a return to the lean years -- witness four teams (Oregon, UCLA, Oregon State and Washington) earning consensus preseason national rankings.
Meanwhile, California's Tom Holmoe and Washington State's Mike Price, the dean of Pac-10 coaches entering his 13th year in Pullman, figure to find the temperatures toasty in their offices this fall. With 17 and 18 starters returning, respectively, another finish in or near the conference basement might seal their fates much like Paul Hackett (USC), Bruce Snyder (Arizona State) and Dick Tomey (Arizona) were vanquished in favor of Pete Carroll, Dirk Koetter and John Mackovic, respectively.
If anything can be absolutely expected, it's things will be nutty. Last year, home teams were just 19-21 in conference play, while 22 of 40 league games were decided by seven points or less, including a record seven in overtime.
"The parity in this league is unbelievable," Oregon State head coach Dennis Erickson said.
But the conference also hasn't owned a consensus national champion since USC in 1972.
Whether 100 years of West Coast participation in the Rose Bowl comes to an end this year -- it's the Bowl Championship Series national title game this season -- likely depends on a conference team emerging unbeaten in regular-season play for the first time since Arizona State in 1996.
The first barometer of predicting success is experience at quarterback. Eight teams welcome back starters behind center, though Arizona State's Jeff Krohn figures to be an intense battle to hold onto his job during preseason preparation.
Washington sophomore Cody Pickett holds a solid lead over Taylor Barton in the race to succeed Marques Tuiasosopo, while at Arizona, junior Jason Johnson owns a slight advantage in the six-man race to replace Ortege Jenkins.
Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington -- he of the massive mural in New York City -- will lead eight returning players on the Ducks' offense, which figures to be the Pac-10's best. Harrington and Oregon State's Ken Simonton, who is attempting to become the first conference running back and just the fifth in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards four consecutive seasons, are the league's top Heisman Trophy candidates.
The key for Oregon, which will begin its defense of a 20-game home-winning streak with three consecutive home games starting with Wisconsin on Sept. 1, will be finding capable replacements for seven defensive starters, including its top two tacklers and best two defensive linemen.
UCLA, meanwhile, is laden with talent, as usual, with experienced players returning in every area. Yet the Bruins must break in two new coordinators and avoid the ridiculous string of injuries that have ruined consecutive seasons. If quarterback Cory Paus and tailback DeShaun Foster can stay healthy, and the defense can dramatically improve, particularly at attacking the quarterback, then the Bruins could run the table.
"The team I have coming back is probably the most experienced I've had," said Bruins head coach Bob Toledo, who went 10-2 in 1997 and 1998 but won just 10 games the past two years combined.
Oregon State and Washington, which doesn't play rival Oregon for the first time since World War II, are the other two frontrunners. Yet both have many holes to fill. While the Beavers figure to waltz through a soft non-conference schedule before playing host to UCLA on Sept. 29, the Huskies, who must replace four offensive linemen, will be tested early against Michigan and at national title-contender Miami.
"We're going to be a great team -- eventually," Huskies head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "It's my job to make sure that eventually gets here in a hurry."
If there's a darkhorse, it's Stanford, which returns 18 starters, including quarterback Randy Fasani. Last year, the Cardinal scored more than 22 points more per game with Fasani healthy than when he was out of action.
Pac-10 race results figure to be substantially inconclusive until Nov. 10, when Oregon visits UCLA and Washington heads to Oregon State. If the Oregon schools prevail, then buckle up for the biggest Civil War in history Dec. 1.
 |
|---|
|
The Arizona State media guide listed freshman Terrell Suggs as an "athlete" last year. Oh, my, yes he is.
Many schools were wary of the Parade and USA Today prep All-American out of Chandler, Ariz., thinking he wouldn't qualify academically. The technical term for that is "miscalculation."
Suggs, who rushed for a state-high 2,274 yards as a senior, qualified and went on to win Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors. Playing an entirely new position -- defensive end -- the 6-foot-3, 232-pound Suggs led the Sun Devils with 10 sacks and 16 tackles for a loss.
Suggs dominated with speed and strength during spring practices. That doesn't bode well for Pac-10 quarterbacks.
|
|
|
|
 |
|---|
|
HOT: The Northwest
Washington, Oregon and Oregon State could dominate the conference just like last season.
NOT: Oregon State's schedule
The Beavers should have little trouble with Fresno State, New Mexico State and I-AA Montana State. Too bad imposing North Texas opted to buyout its scheduled game with the Beavers.
HOT: All-America candidates
Oregon State's Simonton, Oregon's Harrington, Washington TE Jerramy Stevens and Huskies DT Larry Tripplett lead the way.
NOT: Oregon's defense
Lost seven starters, including its top two tacklers and best pass rusher.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|---|
|
Bret Stray, a linebacker/fullback from the Seattle area, thought he was part of new Arizona coach Mackovic's first recruiting class. Until ...
"The UA just screwed him," Stray's mother, Gayle Stray-Neal, told the Arizona Daily Star.
Stray, who now will walk on at Oregon, fully met NCAA academic standards. Yet it took until July for Mackovic and company to inform Stray that he didn't meet (wink, wink) UA standards.
Right, and UA is the Harvard of the Southwest.
|
|
|
|
 |
|---|
|
Washington QB Cody Pickett
Outstanding in spring practice as he takes over for Tuiasosopo
Oregon's schedule
Ducks don't play Washington and only tough road game is Nov. 10 at UCLA
Oregon State RB Ken Simonton
Heisman candidate could become the first Pac-10 back and fifth in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|---|
|
The Pac-10 schedule features another glittering array of non-conference games -- Miami, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Alabama and Kansas State -- but the league race ignites Sept. 29 when UCLA visits Oregon State.
Nov. 10 should decide if fans will have to wait until Dec. 1 to celebrate a champion. On the 10th, Oregon is at UCLA and Washington is at Oregon State. If the Ducks and Beavers emerge victorious, then the Civil War, pushed back to Dec. 1 for television, might exceed the hype from last year's monumental showdown.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|---|
|
Tennessee transfer Onterrio Smith will team with Maurice Morris to give Oregon a potent one-two punch at running back akin to Simonton and Patrick McCall at Oregon State. ... Twenty-six first- or second-team All-Pac-10 performers return from last year. ... Seven teams welcome back 15 or more starters. ... The Pac-10 was 26-10 in non-conference games last year and was 8-5 against Top 25 competition. ... Twenty-four of 40 conference games were decided by eight points or less last year, including seven overtime games, two double-overtime and two triple-overtime games.
|
|
|
