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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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College Football 2008: Pac-10 Preview By Ron Jumper The Pac-10 has gradually won people over and earned itself some credibility. Just a few years ago, no one gave the Pac-10 any credit. They didn’t think there was anyway they could compete with the SEC or other big conferences. Now, USC is penciled in as national championship contender every single season and the conference as a whole is much tougher from top to bottom. As for exactly how things will shake up from top to bottom, here are some big questions concerning the Pac-10 going into 2008: -Is it time for Pete Carroll to win another championship at USC? -Who will emerge as the second best team in the conference? -Can Mike Stoops survive another season in Arizona? -Will Washington finally just give up on the Ty Willingham experiment? -What can we expect from UCLA? 1. Is it time for Pete Carroll to win another championship at USC? I don’t think so, but many people seem to think it is. Look at that offense, there are question marks all over the place. Will they be productive at QB? Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain are not proven, although they do appear capable. Who is going to be the main running back? Can Joe McKnight live up to the hype? The wide receivers were very disappointing last season, though they all return. The offensive line lost 4 starters. As good as the defense is, you have to be able to score points in the Pac-10. The schedule is also daunting early, with Ohio State, Oregon, and Arizona State all in the first 5. If they survive that early stretch, the rest of the schedule is a cakewalk. However, that will be much easier said than done with the questions on offense early. If they faced Oregon and Arizona State in November, I think they would have a much better chance. 2. Who will emerge as the second best team in the conference? The obvious choices are Oregon and Arizona State. I just have questions about both teams. Starting with Oregon, I wonder how much it will hurt losing Dennis Dixon and Jonathon Stewart. Can they still put up big time numbers on offense without those weapons? The experts are yapping about how solid the defense is going to be with 7 starters back and safety Patrick Chung. However, they really weren’t all that great on defense last season, ranking 60th in total defense. Without question, the strength of their team was the offense. As for Arizona State, this just really isn’t their year. They have some nice talent back and everything, but check out this stretch of the schedule: Georgia, @Cal, @USC, Oregon, @Oregon State. I find it hard to believe they can make it through that stretch without 2 or 3 losses. So that leads me to… 3. Can Mike Stoops survive another season in Arizona? Without question. In fact, he won’t just survive but flourish. Look at their schedule early: Idaho, Toledo, @New Mexico, @UCLA, Washington, @Stanford. They should be at least 5-1 and more likely 6-0 through the first half of the season. The other great part of the schedule is that they get 5 conference home games and just 4 conference road games. They also get their rival Arizona State at home. I’m thinking a rock solid 9-3 season from the Wildcats. You heard me. Look at this offense, they have 10 starters back and the most underrated QB-WR tandem in the country: QB Willie Tuitama and WR Mike Thomas. Tuitama passed for 3683 yards and 28 TDs, while Thomas had 1038 yards receiving and 11 TDs. The running game struggled last season, but that was largely due to so much youth. Their leading rusher, Nic Grisby, was only a freshman and still was decent with 704 yards at 4.4 yards a carry. Also, the offensive line is going to be very deep and talented. Not only do they return 4 starters on the o-line, including Eben Britten, but they brought in 3 JUCO linemen who will be able to contribute right away. I know, I know. What about the defense? Well, it doesn’t look great on paper (unless you go back and look at the last 2 or 3 recruiting classes). However, the defense had several guys that didn’t get along and did a lot of finger pointing. Now, I think they are better off without those problems. Think addition by subtraction. Also, it is the same as offensive line, in that they added help from the JUCO ranks. Arizona brought in 7 JUCO transfers total, with 4 on the o-line, 2 at linebacker, and 1 at safety to upgrade the talent level. They weren’t bums either, as 6 of the 7 were at least 3-star recruits or better. I know, you think I’m crazy. Just wait, you’ll see. 4. Will Washington finally just give up on the Ty Willingham experiment? Most likely. Jake Locker can only do so much. They still don’t have the same weapons everyone else does or the same depth. They are way behind virtually everyone but Stanford, Washington State, and possibly UCLA in the conference. Expect them to be in the 4 or 5 win range again, leading to Willingham’s dismissal. Sorry, Ty. 5. What can we expect from UCLA? Not much. I know there is excitement for the future, but right now is not going to be great. They lack big playmakers on offense, most importantly at quarterback. They don’t have many starters back. They have a brutal non-conference schedule (Tennessee, BYU, Fresno State) and they play at Oregon and at Arizona State. I’ll be honest, I’m probably going to be fading the Bruins all season long. August 25, 2008 |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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| NCAA Basketball | |
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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