2010 Pac-10 Preview

It’s a leap of faith, yes. While I certainly don’t believe the Cardinal to be as talented as Oregon, USC or even Oregon State, I do believe that Jim Harbaugh is the best coach in the league. And yes, that matters. All-everything quarterback Andrew Luck returns to lead an offense that needs to replace all-everything tailback Toby Gerhart, and the defense has some question marks, but with USC enduring probation issues and Oregon losing their best player from last year’s Rose Bowl team, Stanford just seems like the Pac-10's most solid squad. Oh, and if Harbaugh does deliver that Pac-10 crown this year? Well, it’s a real possibility that Stanford could be a winner for a long, long time. That is, unless Harbaugh returns to Ann Arbor, of course.

By the time the 2009 season had ended—a season that saw Oregon win the Pac-10 crown and thump USC 47-20 in Eugune—the Ducks seemed like an awfully safe bet to win the title again in 2010. And, clearly, many so-called experts still believe they are. But while I understand that this team returns a goldmine of talent—tailback LaMichael James, safety John Boyett and others—and while I understand that, on paper, they look like the best team in the Pac-10, I also believe that it’s folly to think this team won’t be impactedby the loss of their best player, one-time Heisman Jeremiah Masoli. Masoli was the guy who made the Ducks offense go. Can this team survive without him? Sure. Are they a national title contender without him? No.

The Beavers have been so close—so tantalizing close—to that long-sought Pac-10 title under the guidance of the hugely underrated Mike Riley. And though Riley’s gang have the talent to make another run at the crown in 2010, there are just enough holes here to ensure that they’ll likely fall short once again. Wideout James Rogers and his brother, Heisman candidate Jacquizz Rogers, will lead what figures to be a potent offensive attack, even with a first-time starter (likely Ryan Katz) running the show at quarterback. It’s the defense, though, that worries me: The unit gave up 25 points per game in 2009 and could be less stout in 2010. In a Pac-10 loaded with offensive talent, will be hugely problematic.

While this program is certain to take a big step back now that the interminable Reggie Bush investigation has been completed, and while Lane Kiffin has yet to prove that he can actually coach, USC is still USC. Which means five-star talent is going to continue to head out to Los Angeles, which means the Trojans are going to continue to be, at the very least, very competitive. That includes this year. Sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley is back on offense, which will get a nice boost from much-hyped freshman tailback Dillon Baxter. The defense has been reshuffled under Kiffin but should be stout once again. The Trojans will give the Ducks, Cardinal and Beavers everything they can handle.

This is a big, big season for Mike Stoops. The Wildcats put together nice little run in 2009, but faltered badly in their bowl game. That 33-0 Holiday Bowl loss to Nebraska was an absolute embarrassment, and now Stoops finds himself in the position of having to once again prove his worth out in Tuscon. His defense, which needs to be rebuilt up the gut, could make that task difficult, but his offense, led by talented quarterback Nick Foles and tailback Nic Grigsby, could be prolific. This team could make a real statement by knocking off highly regarded Iowa in Week 3. If they can do that, a Rose Bowl run wouldn’t be out the of the question.

Here's the good news for the Bears: Nobody expects much out of them this year. While Jeff Tedford has done a mostly good job during his tenure in Berkeley, his teams have shown themselves to be prone to collapse when expectations are highest. This year, those expections aren't there ... but a surprising amount of talent is. Overall, 14 starters are back from last year's 8-5 squad, including eight on offense. Kevin Riley (2,850 yards, 18 touchdowns, 8 interceptions) will lead a unit that put up nearly 30 points per game in 2009; that number figures to go up in 2010. If the defense can improve a bit, this team could win as many as nine games.

Jake Locker, Jake Locker and more Jake Locker. That's what the Huskies have going for them in 2010. The superstar quarterback and presumed No. 1-NFL-draft-pick-to-be threw for 21 touchdowns and ran seven more in 2009. He's big, strong and smart. And for the first time in his time in Seattle, he's actually got some talent around him on offense. Ten starters are back on the unit, including underappreciated tailback Chris Polk (1,189 yards, five touchdowns) and Locker's top seven receivers. Yes, top seven receivers. The Huskies are capable of putting up 35 points per game. But can that pourous defense hold up against those fleet Pac-10 offenses?

Rick Neuheisel is just 11-14 in two years at his alma mater, and while the Bruins seem capable of duplicating last year's 7-6 mark (they ended the season by surviving Temple in the EagleBank Bowl), it's hard to see this team getting to eight wins. Thirteen starters are back, including most of the offensive line. It's a good group that should give quarterback Kevin Prince (2,050 yards, 8 touchdowns, 8 interceptoins) enough time to throw—and hopefully improve on his average 2009 campaign. The defense loses a ton of talent, though, and the schedule is tough (they have a Week 4 trip to Austin; yeah, we'll chalk that up as a loss).

Things don't look too good for the Sun Devils—or, for that matter, fourth-year coach Dennis Erickson. After guiding the Sun Devils to a 10-3 season back in 2007, Erickson's record is a lowly 9-15 since. Things won't get any better this season. Steven Threet, who transferred out of Michigan because he couldn't beat out true freshman Tate Forcier for the quarterback job last year (Forcier, it turns out, may now be on the cusp of losing that job to fellow sophomore Denard Robinson), will lead a Sun Devil offense that returns just four starters. It could be one boring group. The defense doesn't look much better: Five of the team's top six tacklers from last season are gone.

Folks in the know will tell you that Paul Wulff inherited a real disaster up there in Pullman—and that he should be given some time to turn things around. Time, it seems, is exactly what Wulff needs, because after going 1-11 in 2009, there is little hope that the Cougars will be any better in 2010. This team's top returning passer, Jeff Tuel, threw for a whopping 789 yards last season. Its top returning rusher, James Montgomery, rushed for a whopping 167 yards. I mean, it's ugly, folks. Really ugly. Good luck, Cougars fans. And hang in there.