Pac-10 preseason conference outlook

By J.R. Hopwood  |   Thursday, July 28, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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The Pac-10 conference features easily one of the best teams in the nation. However, the USC Trojans tend to overshadow some of the solid depth that is in the conference this year. I think the Pac-10 will be a lot more competitive than many think.

PAC-10
1. The USC Trojans return about as much offensive firepower as you could want. QB Matt Leinart will look to be the first 2-time Heisman trophy winner since Archie Griffin, but he might be outshined by his running back Reggie Bush. This team loses a few starters on defense, but that won't be a hindrance at all.

2. The Oregon Ducks return Senior QB Kellen Clemons and 1000+ yard rusher Terrence Whitehead. The D returns 7 but may be the only question mark on this team.

3. The California Golden Bears lose a ton of talent, returning only 8 starters from last year. The key player will be RB Marshawn Lynch, and he will be running behind a solid O-line!

4. UCLA Bruins QB Drew Olsen threw for over 2500 yards and RB Maurice Drew ran just above 1000 yards last year. The defense returns 8 and should contend in the stacked Pac-10.

5. Arizona State Sun Devils QB Sam Keller played a solid Sun Bowl last year and should carry experience over to this season. Look for the numbers to stay about the same on both sides of the ball this year.

6. The Washington Huskies return more starters than any school. New head coach Tyronne Willingham will look for the experienced team to pick up his new schemes quickly.

7. The Oregon State Beavers returns 13 starters but lose stellar QB Derek Anderson. The Defense should be solid, and may have to save the offense in a game or two this year.

8. Washington State Cougars QB Josh Swogger was injured most of the year last year and will look to rebound this season. 9 offensive starters return, and the D returns 6, anchored by star LB Will Derting.

9. The Arizona Wild Cats have some talent returning across the board, but I don't think they are quite up to par with the rest of the conference.

10. The Stanford Cardinal nabbed a new head coach in Walt Harris and it will take him some time to implement his schemes. They do return 14 starters but still should hang around the cellar this year.
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