College Football Picks: Week 1

Well this is a new thing I'll be doing... actually it's not really new because I didn't have this blog as this time last year, so there is no precedent for this! But anyway, I'll just pick out what I think are the 5 biggest/best college football games of the weekend, and make my picks on who will win. Since there are already games starting today, this is a little earlier than normal, but here we go.

Stanford at (21) Oregon
Ok, so this isn't the most exciting game ever. But Stanford should be improved this year under Walt Harris, and being led by Trent Edwards at QB. Edwards completed almost 63% of his passes last year, throwing for 17 TD and 7 INT. But Oregon is too tough. They're experience and talented in the backfield, and they're always very tough to beat at home. I like OREGON, 28-14.

(6) USC at Arkansas
The first look at the brand new Trojans (or at least it seems like they're brand new). Arkansas should be much improved this year, but I'm not sure they'll be able to match up with USC, even at home. There is still some uncertainty at QB, as Mitch Mustain figures to get the call sometime this year, although he won't be starting in Game 1. The Trojans are young, but as I've written, I expect big things from them, and I don't think they'll start off with a loss. USC 34-17.

(9) Cal at (23) Tennessee
A very intriguing matchup to start the year. Cal figures to be a strong contender for the Pac-10, while the Vols know they have to improve greatly on last year's mark or Phil Fulmer could be gone. Cal announced they'll start Nate Longshore at QB, and they just need someone to be efficient with Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett at RB. For the Vols, they again have a good defense, but Erik Ainge has to be a lot better than he was last year. But I don't see it in game 1. Even in Tennessee, I like CALIFORNIA 21-17.

(2) Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
The Irish may be ranked 2nd but they can't take Georgia Tech lightly. Tech has possibly the best WR in the nation, a playmaker at QB, a solid defense, and home-field advantage. There's a reason they beat Auburn and Miami last year. For the Irish, they obviously have to be better defensively. The offense could be the best in the country, but that won't mean anything if they can't stop anybody. But I think they'll stop Ga. Tech enough to pull it out. NOTRE DAME 35-24.

(11) Florida St. at (12) Miami
And now the Monday nighter! Last year, this game set offensive football back about 10 years, but things look to be smoother this year. For one, Kyle Wright and Drew Weatherford have experience playing, and they look to be the top QBs in the ACC. The defenses are very good as usual. It's rare to have such a big conference game to start the year, which makes this one all the more exciting. But in the end, I think Kyle Wright makes just enough plays at home to beat the Noles... MIAMI 16-13.

What are your predictions?

NFC North Preview: Green Bay Packers

As I continue on with these NFC North previews, the next on the list is the Green Bay Packers. Basically, the team I love to hate more than any other in sports. So let's have a look.

About Last Year: Let's put it this way, with all the injuries to their RBs, I think they were even scouting me at one point. The season was that bad for GB. They finished 4-12, Brett Favre threw like 100 INTs, and their best WR got hurt right away. And then after the year the Packers had to go through 5 months of Brett Favre's "will he retire or won't he?" Add it all in, and 2005 is probably a year the Packers would like to forget.

What they Added: Well, they managed to get some good underachieving defensive guys! Charles Woodson is talented, and has had a nice career, and he'll be looking to rebound in the Packers secondary. Rian Pickett will add depth along the line, and he's another early draft pick that hasn't really panned out. In the draft, the Packers added AJ Hawk, who's going to be really good. Also, reports are that Abdul Hodge is also looking real solid for the Packers. You wouldn't know it if you just watched the Bengals/Packers game, but the defense should be pretty decent. Elsewhere, long-time head coach Mike Sherman is gone, replaced by Mike McCarthy, who lasted worked as the O-Coordinator for the SF 49ers... you don't sound impressed? Although the Packers will get like 10 RB from injury, and that's nice.

What they Lost: For one, reliable kicker Ryan Longwell is gone, leaving for the friendly confines of the Metrodome. Longwell has been a consistent, reliable threat and should be missed. Center Mike Flanagan is also good, as he's not with the Texans. The D-Line also took a hit as big Grady Jackson is gone. Jackson didn't rush the passer, but he was very solid against the run. Offensively, the big loss is Javon Walker due to trade. He wasn't going to playing for GB, and so they had no choice. But I can't say I'm too upset. Despite his injury last year, I expect nothing less than a very good year from Javon, a very talented WR.

What does this all mean? It means relief probably isn't really in sight for GB. The O-Line still isn't good, the RB aren't that talented, and the WR not named Donald Driver aren't very reliable (in other words, get Donald Driver for your fantasy football teams). Meanwhile, they're working in a new coach, and the defense hasn't looked too impressive. I see a lot more INT for Favre, a lot more frustrations for the Packers, and another losing season. 5-11 sounds about right.

NFC North Preview: Detroit Lions

After looking at the Chicago Bears yesterday, next on the list is the Detroit Lions.

About Last Year: Um yeah, I think this is something most Lions fans would like to forget. The Lions finished 5-11 last year, including losing 6 of their last 7 games. They had the QB carousel of Joey Harrington and Jeff Garcia, which didn't work out well. The Joey Harrington Experiment finally ended, and Garcia is gone as well. There were a couple of good things happening, like Roy Williams showing he's an excellent receiver when healthy, or Dre Bly showing he can be a playmaker on defense, but there was a lot more bad than good. Such as the fact that Matt Millen is still employed.

What they Added: First and foremost, some coaches. In his Rod Marinelli, a no-nonsense head coach. More importantly, at least in my mind, is that Mike Martz is on board as O-Coordinator. I think Martz is an awful coach, but he's a very good offensive mind. For the offense, QBs Jon Kitna and Josh McCown were brought in for a total overhaul, and it looks like Kitna will be the starter. They also brought in Corey Bradford at WR, who's not a real great player, but if nothing else should provide more competition for guys like Mike Williams and Charles Rogers, who have fallen very far out of favor it seems. TWFE has a complete offensive look for the Lions. In the draft, they added a playmaking LB in Ernie Sims, and then added depth in the secondary with Daniel Bullocks. Jamar Fletcher was also brought in to help replace some CB that left.

What they Lost: Well, Joey Harrington and Jeff Garcia are gone, but that's kinda addition by subtraction. They also lost some CBs in RW McQuarters and Andre Goodman, and brought in Jamar Fletcher to try and help offset that. But for the most part, other than the coaches, we're going to see a lot of the same Lions this year. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

What does this all mean? It means it doesn't look like the Lions will be competing for the playoffs yet, even in the weak NFC North. Unless Mike Martz can completely overhaul the offense to make it more dangerous (and if anyone can, he can), I don't like Detroit's chances. A lot of their skill players are perennial underachievers, they're starting a new QB, and the defense is still young and a little thin in spots (although I should mention here that I LOVE Shaun Rogers). But all in all, even some Lions fans aren't that excited for the season to start... and I can't blame them. My guess is 6-10, with a shot at 7-9.

NFC North Preview: Chicago Bears

As you may or may not know or care, I'm a big Vikings fan. I'd pay good money to see a Vikings Super Bowl win. Which is neither here nor there, I guess. But anyway, this results in me paying special attention to the NFC North, because that's obviously the Vikings domain. Which is why I'll preview each of the 4 teams in the division, because I don't really have the stamina to cover all the teams in depth. I'll go in alphabetical order, which means the Chicago Bears are up first.

About Last Year: It was a nice run for the Bears, no denying that. Led by Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, they had the best defense in the NFL. They were fast, they tackled well, got to the QB, and were pretty good in coverage. In the regular season they only gave up 202 points, which was by far the tops in the league. All of this helped them go 11-5 despite an offense that was mediocre at best. Things improved once Kyle Orton was pulled for Rex Grossman, but Grossman wasn't exactly a world beater either. All in all, a season that started without a lot of expectations ended at 11-5 with a division title, and a 29-21 2nd round playoff loss to Carolina.

What they Added: First and foremost, they added a good QB to provide insurance if Rex Grossman can't stay healthy. Brian Griese has been very productive, but with Chris Simms coming up, there was no room for him in Tampa Bay. So far, he's look very solid in the preseason, and if Grossman struggles, it wouldn't surprise me a bit to see Griese get the call at QB. Everywhere else, it was about depth. Most notably, they added to the defense with CB Ricky Manning Jr. With Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman already in place, Manning adds another talented part to the defense. In the draft, they also looked to add defensive depth, with guys like Danieal Manning, Dusty Dvoracek, and Jamar Williams. Apparently, you can't have too much of a good thing.

What they Lost: Not much. Jerry Azumah is gone, but they replaced him with Ricky Manning Jr and rookie Danieal Manning. Terrence Metcalf is gone, which decreases the depth at OG, but they're not going to miss him much I don't think. All in all, surprisingly little turnover on this Bears team.

What does this all mean? Well, it means the Bears are the favorites in a weak NFC North. Certainly they look like they'll have a great defense again, with basically everybody back. The questions are still with the offense... how much slack will Rex Grossman get? Can Cedric Benson be an every down back? Can one of the young WR become a big play guy? In the end, I'm guessing about 10-6 for the Bears and another division title. All the ingredients are there to be a good football team again - great defense, solid running game - they just need some consistency from the offense.

College Football Preview: Roundup

After what probably seemed like months and months to you readers, my college football previews are finally over... in case you missed any, here they are.

Conference Previews (conference winner)
ACC (Florida St / Miami - Miami)
Big East (Louisville)
Big 10 (Ohio St.)
Big 12 (Texas / Nebraska - Texas)
Pac-10 (USC)
SEC (Florida / Auburn - Auburn)
Independent/Mid-Majors

Other Previews
Best Games
Heisman Hopefuls
National Title and other BCS Bowls

How was it? Did I spend too much time and you got bored with it? Let it all out.

And by the way, first games of the college season are Thursday!

College Football Preview: BCS Bowls and Predictions

Well after looking at all of the major conference and possible contenders, the Heisman hopefuls, and all of the best games, it's time to get to my predictions for the title game and the BCS bowls, as well as my predictions.

BCS Title Game
Notre Dame vs. Texas - The Irish have a tough schedule, but I think they have all the weapons offensively, and the defense should be better this year. Going into USC and winning won't be easy, but I think they can do what the Trojans did to them last year. For the Longhorns, they lost Vince Young, but they've returned a boatload of talent. They get the Buckeyes at home, and it's early in the year which will magnify OSU's youth, and I think give Texas the cushion they need. By the title game, I think Jevan Snead will be firmly entrenched as the starting QB, and the Longhorns have more talent across the team to take out Notre Dame. That's why I like TEXAS as my repeat National Champions.


Fiesta Bowl
Louisville vs. Oklahoma - With the game against WVU coming at home, I like Louisville to win the Big East. Brian Brohm is very talented, and he has weapons around him in Michael Bush and Marco Urrutia. For the Sooners, Rhett Bomar is a huge loss, but Adrian Peterson is the best RB in the nation, and they have a great defense. I think they'll use that formula to go through the Big 12. However, LOUISVILLE has too many weapons, and I like them to win here.


Rose Bowl
USC vs. Ohio St. - Finally back to a more conventional Rose Bowl, pitting the best of the Pac-10 and the best of the Big 10. Troy Smith is one of the best QB in the nation, while Ted Ginn is a great playmaker. The Trojans are loaded with young talent that should bve matured by the end of the year. However, I like OHIO ST's experience on offense and young talent on defense to get them the Rose Bowl win.


Orange Bowl
Miami vs. West Virginia - I like Miami to win the ACC, putting them in the Orange Bowl. I think Kyle Wright is going to make the steps to be an excellent QB this year, and he has enough around them to lead them to a conference title. For WVU, their schedule shouldn't be too challenging other than the trip to Louisville... but that should be enough to end the undefeated season and end the title dreams. But the season will end on a high note, as just like last year, I like WEST VIRGINIA to win their BCS Bowl game.

Sugar Bowl
Auburn vs. Florida St. - I think Auburn is the best, most balanced team in the SEC, and they have the best chance to run the table in that conference because of a comparatively favorable schedule. Kenny Irons is a great weapon, and Brandon Cox to Courtney Taylor could become a common theme. For FSU, Drew Weatherford is developing into a very good QB, but he might be a year away. I like FSU to lose a game or two and wind up with an at-large berth. In this game, I think the best team in SEC shows why it's the best conference in America, and AUBURN wins.


END OF SEASON TOP 10
1. Texas
2. Ohio St.
3. Auburn
4. Notre Dame
5. Lousiville
6. USC
7. West Virginia
8. Oklahoma
9. Miami
10. Florida

What's your pick for the National Title game, and who do you have winning it?

College Football Preview: Best Games of the Year

Well I've gone through all the conferences, and looked quickly at the best games from each conference, but as we get closer and closer to the end of this preview it's time to take a look at all of the best game overall, conference and non-conference.

SEPTEMBER

2nd - Cal at Tennessee - An excellent start to the year... Cal looks to be Pac-10 contenders this year, while Tennessee needs to rebound from the disappointment of last year.
4th - Florida St. at Miami - Best opening weekend game, believe it or not this could determine the ACC Champion.
9th - Ohio St. at Texas - The long-awaited rematch of last year's great battle... probably the second most looked forward to non-conference in all of college football. Both teams look like title contenders.
16th - Michigan at Notre Dame - The Irish went into The Big House last year and sprung what looked like an upset... can the Wolverines do the same to the Irish this year?
16th - Nebraska at USC - Is Nebraska back? Are the Trojans able to overcome the losses? Lots of questions will be answered.
16th - LSU at Auburn - Great SEC matchup between two extremely talented teams.
23rd - Penn St. at Ohio St. - Penn St. beat them last year, but can they do it again without Michael Robinson?


OCTOBER

7th - Oklahoma vs. Texas - The Red River Shootout has been lopsided the past couple of years, but the Sooners will be looking to regain their mojo this year after last year's whooping.
14th - Florida at Auburn - How will Urban Meyer's offense look against a fast and talented defense in Auburn? Can the Gators shut down Kenny Irons? Excellent matchup on both sides.
14th - Michigan at Penn St. - Wolverines won this game last year on a pass as time expired ending Penn St.'s hopes for a perfect season, now the Nittany Lions look for revenge at home.
21st - Texas at Nebraska - If Texas gets by Oklahoma, Nebraska has the best shot to beat Texas of anyone in the Big 12, especially at home.
28th - Florida vs. Georgia - The great rivalry game usually produces great games... this game will likely decide the SEC East.


NOVEMBER

2nd - West Virginia at Louisville - Game should decide the Big East, and with the talent on these clubs, this has the potential to be one of the most entertaining games of the year.
4th - Virginia Tech at Miami - Beamer's Boys will be very good defensively, while Miami has some offensive talent. These two teams have been playing great games since the Big East days.
11th - South Carolina at Florida - Steve Spurrier's return to The Swamp. Enough said.
18th - Cal at USC - If USC is going to lose a game in the Pac-10, my money would be on this being the game.
18th - Michigan at Ohio St. - One of the best rivalries in college football. Both teams appear to be very talented, and this could have Big 10 and National Title implications.
25th - Notre Dame at USC - At least for me, the game I'm looking forward to the most. Last year's game was the most entertaining game that I can remember watching, and even though some personnel have changed, the Trojans have the talent (and should have the experience by the end of the year) to beat Notre Dame. These two teams will be undefeated when they meet. You heard it here first.
26th - Florida at Florida St. - Another great rivalry game. Two very talented teams on both side of the ball.

What games are you most looking forward to?

College Football Preview: Other Teams to Watch

After going through all of the major contenders, that just leaves those teams that are either not in a conference (here's looking at you Irish) or those teams that are in the Mid-Majors. I could go through them all, but well, I'm not quite that ambitious, so I'll just take a look at those that possibly have shots for a BCS Bowl or are just interesting.

Notre Dame: We all know the story last year - good offense, bad defense. Well, the good news is that there are 9 starters back on defense. The bad news... is that there are 9 starters back on defense. The problem with the Irish defense was speed last year, something that, from all reports, they have worked hard on improving during the offseason and through recruiting. If the defense can even be average, well, the Irish have a shot to go far, because the offense could be the best in all the land. Charlie Weis is a mastermind, Brady Quinn is the best QB in the nation, and Jeff Smardizja (I spelled that horribly wrong), is an excellent receiver. Add in Darius Walker, Rhema McKnight, and a good O-Line, and lots and lots of points will be put up in South Bend. They've got early season tests, but all eyes are on their trip to USC late this year, which could be one of the best games of the college football season.

TCU: They were an early-season loss at SMU away from going undefeated, and they return 8 starters on offense and 6 on defense. They've got an excellent rushing attack spearheaded by Robert Merrill and Aaron Brown at RB. They start out at Baylor and home vs. Texas Tech, and if they pass those early season tests a BCS bid is not out of the question.

Utah: The Utes are back and one of the best mid-majors in all the land. They've got an experienced defense with 8 returning starters. Also, even though QB Brian Johnson won't play this year, they still have experience at that position. They won't be as good as the Alex Smith/Urban Meyer show, but they'll win more than the 7 games they won last year.

Boise St: Dan Hawkins is gone, but they've still got lots of talent on the offensive side of the ball, led by Jared Zabransky. They averaged over 36 points a game last year, and they return 9 starters on offense (and 9 on defense). Look for them to be an exciting team and once again a force in the MWC.

Tulsa: The C-USA champs should be very good again this year, as they return 17 starts including QB Paul Smith. They finished 9-4 last year (including a Liberty Bowl win over Fresno St.) and once again they look to be the class of C-USA.

UTEP: But Tulsa's biggest competition in C-USA should come from UTEP and QB Jordan Palmer. Palmer is one of the most talented QBs in the country, but he has to make better decisions and take better care of the ball. If he can cut down on TOs, then UTEP will be potent offensively and big contenders to Tulsa.

Houston: The Cougars will be an entertaining team to watch because of QB Kevin Kolb. As he goes into the year, he has already thrown for 9,155 career yards and 55 TD. There are definitely some good QBs in C-USA.

UCF: They won't be contending for the BCS, but they're an interesting team because of the huge turnaround last year. They'll return 18 starters from an 8-win team, and once again will look for a bowl berth under George O'Leary.

College Football Preview: SEC

And finally we move on to the best and deepest conference in all the land - the SEC. According to the first USA Today poll, 8 of the top 30 teams in the nation reside in the SEC. They're deep, talented, and it's going to be extremely difficult to come out of that conference unscathed. Let's take a closer look:

Player of the Year: Unlike some other races, there is no clear cut favorite here, at least in my opinion. Kenny Irons of Auburn obviously has a great shot at this, coming off of a 1300 yard, 13 TD year. The Tigers offense will be absolutely loaded this year, and defenses won't be able to focus on Irons, which should only help. Chris Leak should also be in the discussion. He's very talented, very experienced, and we all know what QBs have done once they've been comfortable in Urban Meyer's offense. Plus, he's got great talent behind him (more on that later), so he'll have to play well to keep his job.

Those two are the favorites, but there are some darkhorses. One is Sidney Rice of South Carolina, one of the best WR in the nation. He has an experienced QB in Blake Mitchell throwing to him, and Steve Spurrier is still a great offensive mind. A final candidate is JaMarcus Russell of LSU. Only a junior, he's got a lot of experience and has always been very talented, and like Leak, has players behind him that can play. But when you add it all up, I like Chris Leak to take things home. He's got Urban Meyer there, plus the receivers are healthy and extremely talented.

Freshmen to Watch: It's the year of the freshmen QB in the SEC, but let's start with a WR. Percy Havin from Florida is one of the best incoming players in the country, and his speed and versatility shoud allow him to contribute immediately for Florida in the passing game and on special teams. Elsewhere for the Gators, QB Tim Tebow should get some playing time immediately, even with Chris Leak there. He's a perfect fit for Urban's spread offense, and should be a star in Gainesville. Elsewhere, Matthew Stafford should get some early playing time for Georgia, with DJ Shockley gone. He's got a great arm, and might be the best freshman QB in the nation. A final guy is Mitch Mustain from Arkansas. It doesn't look like he'll start the year, but if they struggle at that position, don't be surprised to see Mustain in there, especially with his high school coach as the offensive coordinator.

Breakout Players: A lot of people know about him already, but I think Brandon Cox will establish himself as an excellent QB in the SEC and NCAA for Auburn. The offense hardly missed a beat after losing Brown/Cadillac and Jason Campbell, and Cox was a big reason for that. Another guy is Andre Caldwell, who is coming off of injury, and should have a big year with Leak/Tebow at QB. A final guy is Brent Schaeffer, the transfer who will be a big part of Ole Miss' offense and will be the key if Ole Miss can take a step forward.

Other things to watch: Can anyone come out of this conference undefeated to have a shot for the title game? There are just so many good teams it's extremely tough. If things break right, teams like Auburn, LSU, and Florida can be top 5 teams, this conference is that good.

Best Games:
- LSU at Auburn - An early season matchup facing two talented and experience teams. The winner has a huge advantage in the West. (September 16)
- LSU at Florida - Once again, just two quality teams. (October 7)
- Florida at Auburn - The 2 best teams in the SEC in my mind and two of the top teams in the nation. (October 14)
- Florida vs. Georgia - How's this for a 4-week span: LSU, at Auburn, vs. Georgia. Wow! This rivalry game is always entertaining. (October 28)

Projected Order of Finish

East
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt

West
1. Auburn
2. LSU
3. Arkansas
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi St.

College Football Preview: Pac-10

After a short hiatus, I'm back (though probably not better than ever), and ready to get back into the college football previews with the season right around the corner. Now the Pac-10, which features my favorite team (UCLA), but it hasn't really been all the competitive of late, as USC has looked down on everyone else for the past few years. They have the talent to do that again, but they'll be very young. Let's take a look.

Player of the Year: The favorite coming in is Cal's Marshawn Lynch. He's an explosive runner, has a good offense around him, and will get the ball (even with fellow RB Justin Forsett there). He is one of the top returning RB in all of college football. Elsewhere, USC has great athletes once again, led by WR Dwayne Jarrett, who might be the best WR in the nation, coming off of 29 TD in his first two years. The biggest darkhorse in this race could be John David Booty, who looks to be stepping in as the USC starting QB. Remember what happened the last time USC replaced a star QB? There are no shortage of weapons for Booty (including the best WR corps in the nation), so if he stays healthy, he could be a candidate here. Lastly, whoever wins the ASU QB job will be in the running. Right now, it looks like Sam Keller has the inside track, but Rudy Carpenter showed last year he can put up big numbers and win ballgames. But in the end, I think it will come down to Marshawn Lynch being the most talented player in the conference, playing on a good Cal team. I like him to be the Conference Player of the Year.

Freshmen to Watch: It'll be really interesting to watch the trio of freshman RBs for USC - Stafon Johnson, Emmanuel Moody, and CJ Gable - because all of them could get chances this year. The frontrunner to get the most carries of the 3 is probably Stafon Johnson, one of the top RB prospects in the nation. For other freshman, we don't really have to look further than the Trojans skill players, because WR Vidal Hazelton could also have an impact on offense and special teams. Sure, the receiving corps is loaded (Jarrett, Steve Smith, Patrick Turner), but they were loaded last year and Patrick Turner got on the field. Pete Carroll is not shy about playing freshman, so Hazelton should get his chances.

Breakout Players: There are some solid young QBs in the Pac-10, and perhaps none of them is better than UCLA's Ben Olson, at least on paper. We've probably all heard the story - he was a top prospect, went on his Mormon mission, then came to UCLA - so he has the talent. If he can pick up the offense well, he should be very productive replacing Drew Olson. Another young QB is Willie Tuitama of Arizona. He was very productive for Arizona once Mike Stoops took the redshirt off, and that should just create momentum for this year.

Other Things to Watch: Can anyone in the Pac-10 beat USC? The three best teams other than UCLA are Cal, Oregon, and Arizona St... which all go on the road to play USC this year. In other words, my guess is a resounding no. Another interesting thing is to see who will be Cal's starting QB... Nate Longshore was it last year until he got hurt, and then Joe Ayoob came in an struggled. If they can get any type of reliability and consistency there, they will be firing on all cylinders. And sorry Washington fans, despite an experienced QB and improving D, Washington doesn't have enough to crawl much higher than the depths of the Pac-10.

UPDATE: All of this ASU QB talk is null becuase now it looks like Sam Keller may have been released from his scholarship, and possibly plans to transfer. Needless to say, this is big news for the Pac-10, Rudy Carpenter, and whichever team Sam Keller might possibly go to (Nebraska?) Very interesting stuff indeed.

Best Games:
- Arizona St. at USC - The Sun Devils gave USC a tough test last year, and with their talented QBs, they have a chance to do that again. (October 14th)
- California at USC - Cal remains the last Pac-10 team to beat USC way back when. (November 18th)
- Arizona St. at Arizona - The in-state rivalry should be made better as Arizona gets better. (November 25th)

Projected Order of Finish

1. USC
2. California
3. Arizona St.
4. Oregon
5. UCLA
6. Arizona
7. Stanford
8. Oregon St.
9. Washington St.
10. Washington