2008 Pac-10 Football Preview

Another 10-win season for USC is a given. Eleven wins seems highly likely. And the only thing that stands between the mighty Trojans and a perfect 12-0 regular season is that early September date with Ohio State. Quarterback Mark Sanchez, who suffered a dislocated kneecap in preseason camp, should be back by then, and USC is certainly going to need him. Ohio State's defense will likely be the nation's best, and coach Jim Tressel will almost assuredly be ready to test the Trojan offense with a variety of different blitz packages. How Sanchez reacts will determine not only the winner of this game, but very likely who plays for the national title, as well.

Prediction: 11-1

Dennis Erickson is at once one of the most successful and one of the most underrated coaches in all of college football. The guy has won pretty much everywhere he's been, and that's held true at Arizona State, too, where he's turned the Sun Devils into the conference's second-best team. Quarterback Rudy Carpenter is a proven playmaker, but the offensive line—which allowed 55 sacks in 2007—will have to improve if the Sun Devils are going to challenge USC for league supremacy. There's also the little matter of that early-season game against the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs. A win there is not out of the question for the Sun Devils. If they can pull off the upset, they'll catapult themselves toward a dream season.

Prediction: 9-3

The always dangerous Oregon Ducks lost some of their best talent from last season—including tailback Jonathan Stewart and quarterback Dennis Dixon—but coach Mike Bellotti's steady recruiting means that his cupboard is far from bare. Potential star Jeremiah Johnson figures to carry the load at tailback, while Nate Costa will more than adequately take over for Dixon. The secondary, meanwhile, is probably the league's best, with Jarius Boyd, Walter Thurmond and Patrick Chung all returning. If Arizona State can't challenge USC, Oregon just might.

Prediction: 9-3

What a fall from grace for Cal and their one-time star quarterback, Nate Longshore. Early in 2007, the Bears were considered national title contenders and Longshore was a Heisman candidate. Then the team lost six of eight to finish the season, finished 7-6, and Longshore seemed to lose his job to upstart Kevin Riley. Fast forward to August of 2008 and Cal isn't expected to do much of anything, while Longshore still hasn't reclaimed his job from Riley. At least not yet. This team was a disappointment in 2007, and with the uncertainty at quarterback and the loss of the spectacular DeSean Jackson, it's hard to see much improvement in 2008. The non-con schedule is no cakewalk, either: Michigan State, Maryland, Colorado State.

Prediction: 8-4

Oregon State figures to take a step back after posting a 9-4 record in 2007. Coach Mike Riley faces the prospect of not only replacing his entire defensive front seven, but also has a major question mark at quarterback, where Lyle Moevao might prove to be serviceable at best. It's not all gloom and doom in Corvallis, however. Playmaking wideout/return man Sammie Stroughter returns to the team after missing all of 2007 with personal issues, and figures to give this team a much-needed lift. Stroughter is one of the nation's best return men, and if the Beavers are going to have any shot of competing in the Pac-10—or hanging with Penn State at Happy Valley on Sept. 13—Stroughter is going to have to be in top form.

Prediction: 7-5

Arizona coach Mike Stoops—just 17-29 in four seasons leading the Wildcats—must know his job is on the line, and conventional wisdom says he'll have to win six games, possibly seven, to stick around. If that's going to happen, quarterback Willie Tuitama will have to be at his best and the defense—with just three starters coming back—will have to greatly exceed expectations. The non-conference schedule is manageable, as the Wildcats will take on Idaho, Toledo and New Mexico, but it's hard to see this team getting over the hump in what very likely might be Stoops' last stand.

Prediction: 6-6

The last thing Washington coach Tyrone Willingham needed this year was a brutal non-conference schedule. But that's exactly what Willingham got. And unless he can win at least one of those three games — against BYU, Oklahoma or Notre Dame -- Willingham may well find himself out of a job come December. The Huskies appear in many ways to be a one-man team, with quarterback Jake Locker the only star on a team desperately lacking in playmakers. If there's hope for this team, it could be on defense, where seven starters return, including linebacker E.J. Savannah. Then again, the 2007 unit was hardly suffocating. In other words, it looks like Wilingham's tenure in Seattle is coming to a close.

Prediction: 6-6

The Bruins were in for a tough year even before they lost their top two quarterbacks to injury. Now, with starter Ben Olson out until October with a broken foot and backup Patrick Cowan out for the year, the challenge for new coach Rick Neuheisel—and his offensive coordinator, former USC assistant Norm Chow—seems enormous. Quarterback is problem enough, but an even greater challenge may be fielding a decent offensive line, where there will be four new starters. Neuheisel has already expressed concern about his team's inability to run the ball. Can't run. Can't throw. That doesn't bode well for the Bruins' season-opener, in which they'll take on a very good Tennessee team.

Prediction: 6-6

If Washington State is going to improve in 2008, the defense will have to lead the way. Or at least show up. The unit couldn't be counted on to do even that in 2007, when during one four-game stretch (losses to USC, Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon), the Cougars defense gave up a whopping 171 points. Oh, they also gave up 52 to Oregon State. Eight starters return from that group, but whether or not they'll improve is anyone's guess. On offense, new coach Paul Wulf says he'd like to establish the running game a bit more. But with star wideout Brandon Gibson returning, it's a safe bet the Cougars will continue to air it out. It might be their only hope.

Prediction: 5-7

It is one of the enduring memories of college football in 2007: Stanford's stunning upset of 41-point favorite USC at the Coliseum. It's still a miracle that even happened. And a look at the 2008 Cardinal roster makes that all the more clear. There just isn't enough talent here. At least not yet. Quarterback remains a question mark, with three players—Tavita Prichard, Jason Forcier and Alex Loukas—battling for the starting spot. And though seven offensive starters do return, there's nobody on this roster that might make defenses worry. Coach Jim Harbaugh has brought some much-needed energy to this program, and recruiting has improved, but Stanford is at least two years away from bowl contention.

Prediction: 3-9