PAC-12 Notes for Week One

PAC-12 North

California Bears

Brock Mansion started the final four games of 2010 but finds himself third on the depth chart starting 2011.

Sophomore walk-on linebacker Dan Camporeale won a starting spot over senior Ryan Davis and freshman Chris McCain.

True freshman cornerback Stefan McClure of Vista, California will get time as a backup to junior Marc Anthony.

Oregon

Cornerback Cliff Harris and linebacker Kiko Alonso are out against LSU. Redshirt freshman Terrance Mitchell replaces Harris and senior Dewitt Stuckey fills in for Alonso.

Red shirt freshman Hroniss Grasu and senior Ramsen Golpashin have earned the open starting offensive lineman spots for the Ducks.

Oregon State

Injuries have marred the starting and two-deep roster for the Beavers vs. Sacramento State. Look for Mike Riley to play as many people as he can to evaluate his team in game time situations.

True freshman running back Malcom Agnew will be the Beavers’ starter. Agnew should provide the breakaway pop they will miss now that Jacquizz Rodgers is gone.

Senior cornerback Brandon Hardin is injured, Rashad Reynolds will start in his place.

True freshman wide receiver Brandin Cooks will start against Sacramento.

Stanford

The three new starters on the offensive line for the Cardinal will be junior Sam Schwartzstein at center, redshirt freshman David Yankey at guard, and redshirt Cameron Fleming at right tackle. The Cardinal has two warm-up games before entering conference play against Arizona. This should give the line time to gel.

Three true freshmen will see a lot of playing time against San Jose State: highly recruited linebacker James Vaughters from Stone Mountain, GA, cornerback Wayne Lyons from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and free safety Jordan Richards from Folsom, CA.

Washington

Two freshmen will see the significant snaps at tight end against Eastern Washington, true freshman Austin Seferian-Jenkins from Fox Island, WA, and redshirt freshman Michael Hartvigson.

Freshmen and sophomores line the two-deep chart: DT Danny Shelton, DE Josh Shirley, LB John Timu, and LB Princeton Fuimaono to name a few.

Washington has two warm-up games before traveling to Nebraska for their 2010 tie-breaker.

Washington State

Only two freshmen made the two-deep chart for the Cougars: LB Chester Su’a from Pearl City, HI, and cornerback Spence Waseem from Apopka, FL.

No surprise that C.J. Mizell is the starter at MLB.

Washington State plays Idaho State this week and gets another tune-up game against UNLV before facing a possible tough test against San Diego State on the road.

PAC-12 South

Arizona

Three true freshmen made the two-deep chart on defense for the Wildcats: linebacker Rob Hankins (starter) from Dallas, TX, linebacker Hank Hobson from Bakersfield, CA, and cornerback Cortez Johnson from New Orleans, LA.

University of Texas transfer, wide receiver Dan Buckner (6’4”, 220 lbs), made the four deep receiver rotation. Look for his size and speed to be a difficult matchup for opposing defenses all season.

Arizona plays Northern Arizona before traveling to Oklahoma State next week.

Arizona State

Arizona State easily won their game against UC Davis Thursday night 48-14. UC Davis started playing in the final quarter but not before ASU was well on their way to amassing 517 total yards of offense.

ASU is still waiting on Omar Bolden, Brandon Magee, and Deantre Lewis to return from their injuries. If the Sun Devils can get to full strength before conference play in week four at home versus USC. The rest of the PAC-12 better watch out.

Colorado

True freshman cornerback Greg Henderson from Corona, CA, will start for the Buffaloes against Hawaii. True freshman Kyle Washington from Pasadena, CA will see time as the backup strong safety.

Jon Embree will alternate Daniel Munyer and Gus Handler at center.

UCLA

No big surprises for UCLA. Wide receiver Taylor Embree has a calf injury and may see limited action against Houston.

USC

Lane Kiffin is still looking for his starting running back, Marc Tyler is suspended for the game against Minnesota. Dillion Baxter, Curtis McNeal, D.J. Morgan and true freshman Amir Carlisle should all see time against the Gophers.

Walk-on redshirt freshman quarterback John Manoogian is listed as Matt Barkley’s backup.

Look for USC to try several players out on offense and defense before entering conference play next week against Utah. Kiffin will look for several players to separate themselves from the back against University of Minnesota.

Utah

Utah had an easy win over Montana State but did not look impressive. Utah jumped out to an early 17 point lead in the first quarter going tying 10-10 from the second quarter to the end of the game. Norm Chow did not open up the playbook but one still has to wonder how Utah will fair next week on the road at USC. 

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2011 PAC-12 South Division College Football Preview

Does the newly aligned PAC-12 South division seem wide open to you? If not it should. After Southern California’s disappointing 2010 season, the 2011 south division seems ripe for any team to break out of the pack and set the tone for the new division. The only problem is who can knock off USC in the south? How will the two new additions to the conference, University of Utah and University of Colorado, fair against the old PAC-10 teams?

Overview

The state of Arizona has somehow upset the football gods; what did they do wrong? Can they reverse the curse? Both Arizona schools have been snake bit with injuries and bad breaks in 2010 and during spring and fall practices in 2011. University of Arizona seemed destined for greatness last year after a 7-1 start. A 0-5 finish including a 36-10 loss to Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl quickly brought Wildcat fans back to a disappointing reality. Arizona State wins the games they are supposed to win but can’t seem to get on a consistent even playing field with the top tier teams in conference.

What more can be said about UCLA and Rick Neuheisel that has not already been said? Neuheisel is 15-22 in his three years at UCLA with big non-conference wins over University of Texas and University of Tennessee during his tenure. Why does UCLA falter in conference play? With the wealth of talent in the state of California, how can Neuheisel finish ranked 45^th in recruiting (rivals.com) after the 2011 recruiting season following a top ten recruiting class in 2010? There is talent is on campus. Another question Bruins fans have is can Neuheisel develop his own players or does he need to be an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach on the colligate level? There are too many questions in Westwood with far fewer answers.

The good news is Colorado is no stranger to playing in a tough BCS conference. The bad news is Colorado has not performed well in a tough BCS conference. New head coach Jon Embree has to instill a new philosophy for the Buffaloes and pray that the losing ways under former head coach Dan Hawkins are quickly forgotten. Colorado has not made a bowl since 2007 (Independence Bowl). Embree has returning experience on the two-deep depth chart. Recruiting rankings don’t mean everything but Colorado has not finished in the top 50 in recruiting over the past two years; placing 48^th in 2009. A fresh start in a new conference with a new head coach could be just what the Buffaloes needed.

All eyes will be on the University of Utah this season. During the spring, public officials in Utah had a much publicized standoff with the NCAA over anti-trust issues regarding unfair practices; a political publicity stunt but the action helped bring more attention to the possibility of a college football playoff system in the future. The Utes will not have any excuses this season for not being able to make the BCS National Championship Game. Mixed thoughts range amongst college football pundits if Utah can play at a BCS Conference level for an entire season as opposed to a Mountain West schedule. Utah went 2-3 against top tier competition last season. Do they have the depth and talent to play in the PAC-12 week after week? That’s why all eyes will be on the Utes during the 2011 season.

Which USC team will show up to the party this season? The USC teams of 2009 (9-4) and 2010 (8-5) that underperformed, by their own previous standards, or the USC teams of the early to mid-2000’s that we’ve come to expect 11 and 12 wins from each year? Second year head coach Lane Kiffin has not dropped the ball on recruiting. In 2010 USC finished ranked number 1 in the nation (rivals.com) and in 2011 they finished ranked fourth in recruiting. Pete Carroll didn’t completely deplete the depth charts before leaving either. A second season in Pa and Son’s offense and defense should help the players, their reactions times, and overall performance. Can the “Kiffin’s” keep the team motivated through another non-bowl berth season (their last year to forfeit a bowl game for the Reggie Busch violations)? Pushing to win the PAC-12 South Division and the first annual PAC-12 Football Championship Game will have to pass as USC’s 2011 bowl game.

University of Arizona Wildcats

Injuries and missed opportunities have marred Mike Stoops and the Arizona Wildcats over the past year. Arizona has talent returning at their skill positions on offense; quarterback Nick Foles, running back Keola Antolin, and wide receiver Juron Criner. Stoops will have to use incoming recruits to fill out holes along the depth chart. There’s only one offensive lineman returning with starting experience. Foles will be on the run early in the season unless the line gels overnight.

Defensive coordinator Tim Kish has a strong group of linebackers to lean on along with quality players up front. The secondary is said to be talented but time will tell against one of the more difficult college football schedules in the nation. If the offensive line cannot run block and eat up the game clock, this talented group could be worn out quickly. Starting free safety Johnny Thomas has been ruled ineligible for the game against Oklahoma State making life more difficult for Stoops and company on a national stage.

Outcome

Mike Stoops is entering his eighth season as the head coach for the Wildcats and has largely underperformed (40-55). Fans of Stoops will point to three straight bowl berths as a sign of things to come. Less inclined fans of Stoops will say his time has come as head coach of the Wildcats.

Look for Arizona to flip-flop last year’s performance of starting off strong and ending poorly. Stoops did not do himself any favors scheduling consecutive games (starting week two) at Oklahoma State, vs. Stanford, vs. Oregon, at USC, at Oregon State. The Wildcats may start the season 1-4 before playing seven games they may have a better chance of winning. If Arizona goes 7-1 or 6-2 in their final eight games Stoops may have saved his job. If Arizona plays .500 ball or less over the final eight, a change of direction with the football program maybe coming.

Arizona State University Sun Devils

Dennis Erickson is on the hot seat after three straight years without a bowl berth. Six wins normally qualifies any division 1 program for a bowl game but two of ASU’s six victories in 2010 were against sub-division teams. An appeal to the NCAA for bowl eligibility was denied turning up more heat on Erickson’s seat; why is a third of the team’s wins coming against sub-division teams? A more forgiving schedule in 2011 will help, dropping an away game at Wisconsin for an away game at Illinois, and losing Stanford from this year’s schedule. ASU gets University of Missouri at home on September 9. Playing at home and in the Arizona heat should be enough of advantage for the Sun Devils.

This team is stacked top to bottom, even with all of the injuries they have suffered; Steven Threet, J.J. Holliday, Devan Spann, etc…Quarterback Brock Osweiler played well when Threet was hurt last season (109 attempts, 62 receptions, 797 yards passing, 5 TD, with 0 interceptions) and seems ready for the 2011 season. The Devils top running backs are back; Cameron Marshall (787 yards rushing, 9 TD) and Deantre Lewis (5.9 yards per rush, 4 TD). The wide receivers are talented but who will be the go-to guy? Four of five starters are back which should help make the Devils a bowl team in 2011.

If you like defense, you should enjoy watching the Devils play in 2011. The defensive line is good enough to help the up and coming secondary out. ASU should be strong against the run because of their linebackers. ASU’s linebackers could be as good as any other team’s linebackers in the nation not named Alabama. MLB Vontaze Burfict is a beast and could be the meanest and best on the colligate level. His talent has never been questioned but his ability to control himself on the field and even against his own teammates has been; he had a fall practice fight in the locker room against a teammate. ASU fans hope he can keep his emotions under control during the season. Losing him to suspension or a getting a costly penalty at the wrong time is always a possibility with Burfict.  

Outcome

The Sun Devils were only chased out of one game during the 2010 season; 50-17 at California. Look for the Devils to be nasty on defense and balanced on offense. Erickson’s hot seat goes cold, unless a major injury strikes the team again, as this team should win at least nine games this season. Anything less… something has gone terribly wrong, again, for the Erickson and the ASU faithful.

University of Colorado Buffaloes

New head coach Jon Embree will have his hands full this year with the Buffaloes. He has to adjust the offense, the defense, and the mentality of a program that has not made a bowl game since 2007. Embree wisely hired staffers that have coached in the PAC-10 at various times in their career; Embree was a coach at UCLA before taking an assistant’s position in the NFL. Learning the ropes of the PAC-12 should be easier with the staff he put together.

Colorado was a different team at home than on the road in 2011. That mentality comes from the coaching staff and a home field altitude advantage. Hopefully Embree will be able to take the 14 returning starters along well enough to make a difference from the five win team in 2010. Quarterback Tyler Hansen played well in the spring and has continued that trend in fall practices. The offensive line is battle tested and returns a 1,318 yard rusher in RB Rodney Stewart. Stewart had 10 touchdowns last season and looks to expand upon that in a conference that has smaller but quicker defensive linemen in the PAC-12 than he faced in the Big 12. If Stewart can keep gaining yards and Hansen can continue to find WR Toney Clemons and Paul Richardson, this could be a tough team offensively.

And then there’s the defense. Defensive coordinator Greg Brown will run a 4-3 scheme with the Buffaloes. He has quality players upfront especially with the return of senior defensive end Josh Hartigan (7 sacks). Junior linebacker Jon Major will help solidify an unknown linebacker unit. Free safety Ray Polk was second on the team in total tackles last season. A free safety with 72 tackles is not unheard of but that is not what you want for a quality defense. Brown will have to find some playmakers to replace last year’s starting cornerbacks. The defense has holes which will place more of an emphasis on the Buffaloes running game. Running back Rodney Stewart and the offensive line could be the best defensive players the Buffaloes have on campus.  

Outcome

I hope the players have registered for their frequent flyer miles because they will have earned them after the first month of the season. Colorado travels to Hawaii during week one and then to Ohio State in week four. Will all of the travel wear on the team? Tough road games are strung throughout their season including at Stanford, at Washington, at Arizona State, at UCLA, and at Utah. Can Embree make Colorado a tough team on the road and at home? If not, this could be another long year for fans. The final two games of the regular season, both on the road (UCLA and Utah), should determine if Embree takes his team bowling or not.

University of California at Los Angeles Bruins

The motto for the 2011 Bruins campaign should be “No More Excuses”. Head coach Rick Neuhesial fired both head coordinators and slotted himself as the quarterback’s coach. New offensive coordinator Mike Johnson and defensive coordinator Joe Tresey have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. Tresey is widely liked in coaching circles and thought of as a good hire for UCLA. Johnson has NFL experience but how will that translate on the college level? Neuhesial is experiencing the pains, again, of not living up to expectations as a college head coach; see University of Washington and University of Colorado. Can he turn around a four win season and take UCLA to a bowl better than the 2009 Eagle Bank Bowl?

Kevin Prince has looked sharp in fall practices and Neuhesial is hoping this translates into a successful season. Prince has all of last years top receivers back, for better or for worse, along with junior running back Johnathan Franklin. Franklin is a workhorse and should improve upon the 1,127 yards rushing and 8 TD during the 2010 campaign. The offensive line has talent but players keep getting hurt. Jeff Baca was hurt in spring practice along with Kai Maiava and Sean Sheller. Can this unit stay healthy long enough to come together as a powerful unit in 2011? Time will tell.

The defense should be solid this year, if the offense gives them time to rest between series. The Bruins finished 2010 ranked 94^th in total defense. Depending on how you look at the experience returning, they have either six to eight starters returning including their entire line backing unit. The defensive line is solid and should benefit from Joe Tresey’s schemes. The secondary has returning experience which will be aided by the push and pressure the big guys get up front. Look for UCLA to be much improved on the defensive side of the ball.

Outcome

Neuheisel tried to install the pistol offense last season with mixed results. The running attack finished ranked 32^nd in the nation while the passing attack finished 116^th. The defense better be ready in week one when they travel to Houston. Houston’s offense is hotter than the Texas heat they will experience. Completing their Texas football circuit in week three versus the University of Texas will be interesting. Last season UCLA upset Texas at Texas 34-12 but lost at Kansas State 31-22 in their first game of the season. Can UCLA pull off a couple more upsets this season? If not, look for UCLA to miss another bowl game in 2011. Many of the PAC-12 teams are on shaky ground this season. UCLA can either take advantage of it or be in for a long season.

University of Southern California

Lane Kiffin is a polarizing figure in college football thus it’s hard to feel sorry for him and the expectations of being the head coach at USC. But it’s never easy following up after a legend, assuming one views Pete Carroll as a college football legend, no matter who you are. Lane helped build USC to the level of elite college football program as an assistant and offensive coordinator from 2001-2005 so some of the burden his due to his own success. After a nine win season in 2009 (under Carroll) and an eight win season last year, USC critics are quick to dismantle the team from their elite status. Fans of USC’s program know better. There’s talent at USC and a lot of it. After a recruiting class ranked fourth in the nation in 2011 and number one ranked class in 2010, is there any doubt? The big question centers on Lane. Will he stay at a program long enough to sink or swim? With the talent he’s getting at USC, how can he sink?

Matt Barkley is going into his third year as USC’s starting quarterback and shoulders the burden of returning the Trojans to greatness. Robert Woods returns as Barkley’s favorite target (65 receptions, 792 yards, 6 TD) as does senior tailback Marc Tyler (913 yards rushing with 9 TD); suspended for USC’s week one matchup against University of Minnesota for his comments about USC players being paid on TMZ. The offensive line is the question mark of the team, much like the rest of the PAC-12. Can the three new starters on the offense line gel fast enough to make USC an elite team?

The defense was woeful last season. How can a Monte Kiffin coached team finish ranked 84^th in total defense? Is this a sign of things to come or was this part of an adjustment period between coaching staffs? The defensive line should be stout and experience returns in the secondary and with the linebacking unit. Another year in the system along with eight home games should make USC’s defense tough to beat.

Outcome

USC’s non-conference schedule sounds tougher than it really is. They get Minnesota and Syracuse at home but play Notre Dame on the road; all winnable games. Arizona State and Oregon on the road should be the toughest games of the season for the Trojans. USC went to the wire with the Cardinal in Palo Alto (37-35) last season. If the Kiffin’s have things going their way during the 2011 season, look for USC to upset the Cardinal at home. Nine wins should be easy to come by. Arizona State will push USC for the right to be the first PAC-12 South Division winner.

University of Utah Utes

Whoever made the PAC-12 conference schedule for the Utes must have been a Utes alumnus. Whoever scheduled the Utes non-conference games must be a Utes hater. The Utes avoid Stanford and Oregon during their first season in the PAC-12 but play at BYU and University of Pittsburgh. Head coach Kyle Whittingham’s toughest games are split between USC on the road and Arizona at home. Whittingham will face tougher defenses week in and week out in the PAC-12. Last year’s squad had a nice record on paper (10-3) but only had two quality wins; at home versus Pittsburgh and at home versus BYU. They struggled, putting it kindly, against better opponents in 2010. No more New Mexico State’s or Wyoming’s in this league. Every game will challenge Utah in 2011.

Junior quarterback Jordan Wynn is back to help the Utes. He was impressive as a sophomore with 2,334 yards passing with 17 touchdowns. The 10 interceptions are a concern. The Utes were balanced in the backfield during the 2010 season but have no experience returning running the ball. Until a running back breaks out of the back during the season and shows he can carry the load, Wynn will have a tougher time finding his receivers. The wide receivers are another area of concern. Only one player, DeVonte Christopher (39 catches, 660 yards receiving, 6 TD), returns with any big game experience.

Norm Chow is in his first year as offensive coordinator for the Utes. His time in Los Angeles (UCLA) did not go as well the second time around. Can he help the Utes or was his genius at USC a product of the talent Carroll and company provided for him?

Returning starters should not be counted against Utah. Defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake rotates players in and out of the game at all times. Experience is there for the Utes in the front seven. The secondary gave up 225 yards per game last season in a weaker conference. Everyone knows the PAC-12 likes to air it out. If the front seven cannot get a constant push up front, this unit can and will be exploited.

Outcome

Utah has a tough start to their season. They take their bye after a week one tune up against Montana State before starting conference play at USC. This will make a longer season a little bit longer. If Utah can win three or four of their first seven games they can be in great shape to finish the season strong. They play at USC, at BYU, home vs. Washington, home vs. ASU, and then they play at Pittsburgh before going to Cal. Utah has the ability to win 8 games or more if the team can weather the storm through early September to early October. If the team gets down, no running backs or wide receivers emerge, this could be a very long year for a state and university that wanted their shot at the national championship.

Predicted Order of Finish in PAC-12 South

USC

Arizona State

Utah

Arizona

UCLA

Colorado

PAC-12 Championship Game

Oregon vs. USC

Champion

USC

Oregon wins the first matchup at home and USC wins the second game to unseat the Ducks national championship hopes. 


* USC is ineligible to play in the PAC-12 Championship, an oversight on my part. With this new/old information, look for ASU vs. Oregon with Oregon winning the 1st annual PAC-12 Championship. 

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Larry Scott: A PAC-10 and PAC-12 College Football Review and Preview for the 2011 Season

This is part one in a series previewing the PAC-12 2011 season.

The rollercoaster ride continues for PAC-10, now PAC-12 commissioner Larry Scott in 2011. When Scott took the reigns as commissioner in July of 2009, all was great in PAC-10 football land. USC was coming off a dominate 2008 football season that saw the school finish with a 12-1 record (the one loss to Oregon State in Corvallis 27-21), an early season thrashing of BCS heavyweight Ohio State (35-3), a Rose Bowl win over Penn State (38-24), and their seventh straight PAC-10 conference title.

The rest of the PAC-10 was pretty good as well. Half of the schools in conference made a bowl with great results during the 2008 bowl season going 5-0; Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State 38-24, Holiday Bowl Oregon 42 vs. Oklahoma State 31, Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh 3-0, Emerald Bowl: California vs. Miami 24-17, Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona vs. BYU 31-21. All was seemingly great for PAC-10 football. Expansion was bantered about as soon as Scott took over but no serious discussions took place. Why would one want to expand the successful conference and what teams would help bolster the conferences status across the academic and sports board? The upcoming highlights and low lights no one could have predicted.

The rollercoaster ride began in week one of the 2009 football season for Larry Scott. #14 Oregon lost to #16 Boise State 19-8. After the game Oregon running back LaGarrette Blount (now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout and was subsequently suspended until November 9, when he was reinstated by the school with Scott’s permission. Nine days after the Oregon loss, UCLA pulls off a major upset at the University of Tennessee beating the Vols 19-15. On the same day #3 USC beats Ohio State 18-15 in Columbus on a last minute touchdown by running back Stafon Johnson. On September 28, Johnson would end his season in a tragic weight room accident when a barbell crushed his vocal cords, adam’s apple, and tore his neck muscles.

Parity in a tough conference ensued as each team took turns pulling upsets throughout the season. When the smoke cleared, Oregon would claim the conference championship and end the season ranked #11, Toby Gerhart finished second in the Heisman Trophy race to Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Jr. in the closest Heisman voting ever, and #22 USC at 9-4 is the only other PAC-10 team to finish the season ranked. Seven PAC-10 teams made a bowl due to the winning capabilities each team showed during intra-conference games. The downside is only two of the seven teams won their less acclaimed bowl games; Emerald Bowl: USC vs. Boston College 24-13, Eagle Bank Bowl: UCLA vs. Temple 30-21.

2010 kept the ride going for Scott. In January, then USC head coach Pete Carroll resigned from his position and took over as the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin, a former offensive coordinator at USC, resigned to take over as head coach for USC after one year as the Vols head coach amongst a national college football controversy. In February Oregon running back LaMichael James (a 2010 Heisman finalist and 2010 Doak Walker Award winner) was arrested on charges of fourth-degree assault, physical harassment, and strangulation; he pleaded not guilty. In June Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was kicked off the team after being arrested for marijuana possession during a traffic stop. Masoli was on suspension during his drug arrest for the entire 2010 season after pleading guilty to second-degree burglary charges in March; he pleaded guilty to stealing two laptops and a projector from a campus fraternity house.

June 10, the announcement day of a monumental change for Larry Scott and the PAC-10, the NCAA handed down their sanctions regarding former USC running back Reggie Bush; sanctions included a loss of scholarships and a two year bowl ban. On the same day Scott wisely followed through with his announcement that Colorado will join the PAC-10 as their 11^th conference member. The University of Utah’s announcement as the PAC-12 twelfth member would follow seven days later.

The importance of the PAC-10 adding two conference members seemed to be overshadowed by the turmoil surrounding the programs currently involved. Utah a program of prominence over the past five years, including an undefeated season in 2008, was welcomed by the national media as a “great get for the PAC-10”. The University of Colorado on the other hand had been a low functioning Big 12 team over the previous five years with only one bowl appearance; Independence Bowl in 2007. The addition of the two teams would finally add legitimacy to the BCS power conference by having an end of the season conference championship game. The addition of a championship game means more revenue for the conference and teams involved. Scott was able to parlay the television rights to the first PAC-12 Championship Game to Fox for $14.5 million; the game is to air on December 3, 2011.

With the promise of an exciting future, little of that excitement translated into positive commentary for the PAC-10 when the 2010 Associated Press college football preseason rankings came out. Only three PAC-10 teams were listed; Oregon #11, USC #14, Oregon State #24. USC and Oregon State would only spend a few weeks ranked while Arizona would spend the majority of the season in the top 25 before falling out of the top 25 two weeks before seasons end on the tails of a five game losing streak. Despite finishing the season with a 6-6 record, Arizona State would not be eligible for post season play because two of their victories were over Football Championship Series teams, formerly known as Division 1-AA.

The biggest surprise of the 2010 season was Stanford; yes bigger than Oregon’s run. After the departure of Toby Gerhart to the Minnesota Vikings, many pundits did not give the Cardinal much of a chance. The rise of Andrew Luck to All-American quarterback status would change the fortunes for the 2010 Cardinal team and head coach Jim Harbaugh; Harbaugh left Stanford to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011 after 4 years in Palo Alto. Stanford cruised through the season with only one loss to eventual BCS National Championship runner-up, University of Oregon, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. Harbaugh coached the Cardinal to a 12-1 record and a convincing win over ACC champion #12 Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl winning 40-12.

Overshadowing the spot light of the Cardinal run was University of Oregon. Ducks’ second year head coach Chip Kelly would bring more excitement and hope to the Oregon faithful. During the 2010 season the Ducks would be ranked #1 in the Associated Press college football rankings for the first time in school history, finish the season with a school record 12 wins, finish the regular season undefeated with no ties for the first time in school history, and see their head coach win the Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award.

The Ducks high powered offense averaged 49.3 points per game easily outpacing all of their opponents, except for the Cal Bears (15-13). A heartbreaking loss to Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game (22-19) only fuels the fire and expectations for the 2011 Oregon Ducks team.

What will become of the newly formed PAC-12 in 2011?

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Proposed Rule Changes for College Football Recruiting

SEC and College Football Recruiting

Incase you missed the news the SEC is hoping to change recruiting across the board in college football. After SEC coaches had to succumb to the hard cap recruiting rules, which only allows coaches to sign 25 players instead of over signing in the event that 2 or 3 players do not make their grades, they want to gain a thought advantage in other areas.

Here are their seven proposed rule changes:

1. Earlier start date for first contact with recruits for off-campus visits.

2. Allowing university officials to “friend” players and their families on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites.

3. Allowing coaching staff members to accept calls from recruits, family members of said recruit, and coaches of said recruits.

4. Allowing coaches to text recruits again. This seems to be a movement that will gain support throughout the college recruiting ranks. The proposal would come with limits for each player.

5. Changing the contact calendar from the current four period system consisting of contact, evaluation, dead period, and on-campus to a three period calendar on-campus, off-campus, and dead period.

6. Allowing players to make earlier official visits.

7. Banning all non-scholastic events from NCAA campuses. The main focus would be a ban on 7 on 7 tournaments which the SEC has already banned.

Just to Clarify

Some of the rule changes are much needed while others are begging for trouble.

1. Visiting with a recruit off-campus before their senior season can be a very important step for a college coach. If college coaches are allowed to offer high school and junior high children scholarships, then it may be a good idea to speak with the kid first before extending that offer. Making blind offers to any player off of their highlight reel without speaking to them first has always been confusing. You may see an attractive person and think you want to marry that person based on their looks but after talking to them you may think differently.

2. I don’t understand why coaches would want to “friend” any recruit or their parents on any social networking site. That is just a recipe for disaster. I understand this allows additional attempts to market the school, team, and coach to those individuals but this also allows those individuals to post anything they want on your Facebook page. If they think you lied to them or if their child is not getting the amount of attention they feel they need, hello Mitch Mustain’s mother, everyone will know about it before you have an opportunity to settle the matter privately.

3. Coaches should be allowed to field calls from a recruit, their parents and/or guardians, and their high school coach. The NCAA forces teams to report secondary violations if a coach answers the phone from a recruit during certain “dead” times. These children and their parents are trying to make a best life decision about their future. They should be allowed to call a coach and ask questions and find out what’s what.

4. Texting recruits with certain restrictions should be allowed. Some of the restrictions should include a total amount per month, within certain time frames, and only if the parents or guardians and the recruits have given permission to a coach. The recruit should only be allowed to receive text messages from the head coach and one other member of a team’s coaching staff. Hitting a recruit up by the head coach, the recruiting coordinator, and the recruit’s position specific coach is too much. Teams would take advantage of this rule and allow special teams coaches to text a kid because he might return kickoffs next year.

5. Changing the contact periods as long as it stays unilateral for all teams should be a no brainer.

6. The cutoff date for earlier official visits would sway my vote one way or the other. A football recruit that is a junior in standing should be allowed to make official visits during the spring or summer semesters before their senior season. Some recruits graduate early so they can enroll in college for the spring semester and participate in spring football practices. In theory this gives the player a better opportunity to play in the fall. Thus an early official visit during the second half of their junior season should be allowed. Official visits during their junior and senior seasons should be limited. The current rule allows for 5 official visits. Would the total number of visits stay at 5 or be raised to 6 or 7?

7. The ban of 7 on 7 tournaments on NCAA campuses is confusing. Why would coaches not want recruits on their campus in as many different ways as possible? This would give kids an opportunity to play on their home field and get a taste of what it might be like to be a player for said team. If the SEC has missed the boat on 7 on 7 tournaments I doubt they would have much trouble raising awareness for their individual tournaments. Would the bleed over from this include other tournaments such as volleyball, baseball, wrestling, etc…? This might be the worst and least thought out rule change of the bunch. 

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