2007 Pac-10 Preview

Guest Writer and OSU alum Kyle Rogers chimes in with his 2007 Pac-Ten Football Preview:

A little over 24 hours before the 2007 football season kicks off. Here is my breakdown of the best conference in the nation.

Predicted Conference Records:

USC 9-0

UCLA 7-2

Cal 7-2

Oregon St. 5-4

Oregon 4-5

ASU 4-5

WSU 3-6

Arizona 3-6

Washington 2-7

Stanford 1-8

USC- Reloaded isn't even a strong enough word to describe this juggernaut. Their backfield is loaded with talented experience. So, they have to replace two major productive WR, but they have the athletes. Can a there be another Ucla or OS loss on their resume? The Defense looks tough again, however they can be vulnerable in the secondary. Too much depth this year, and with JDB coming back with a whole year under his belt I expect this team to run the table. A near upset will be the ASU game.

UCLA- you keep thinking with all the recruits and talent that this team will put it together, but every year Dorrell costs them a couple of games. This is Oregon South, tons of talent, but a penchant to underachieve by not showing up for the less-than-important games. I see them losing in Corvallis, and USC, but they will be right there in the conference race if Olsen steps up big.

Cal- is a consensus number two pick, with their performance the last five years under Tedford (probably the best coach in the league). They have DeSean Jackson who possibly could return kickoffs as well as punts. Not to mention, he is a deep threat at WR. They will have to replace Marshawn Lynch, but they have a good stable of RB's and under Tedford somebody always emerges. I see their defense as not being as strong as the offense, and teams like ASU, OS, and USC will give them problems. OS has won the last four games in Berkley.

Oregon- Returns a lot on offense, but you have to wonder where the committment is and what type of team chemistry they have, especially after a few losses. Stewart is a great back who can cause a ton of problems; we shall see if they call more plays for him or if he will get lost in the offense. The defense doesn't look very good, and the Ducks will have to score a lot of points.

Oregon State - New QB, new punter (Serna), no Sammie Stroughter (update - he is practicing), and a tough road schedule will provide a huge challenge for this team. However, the defense looks better than last year, the OL is the best in country, and Yvenson Bernard is the most verstatile back in the league. They will need to limit turnovers by their inexperienced QB's and kicking game. They will beat some teams, but will struggle on the road and need their senior leadership to get them through the season. Top games: ASU, UCLA, and Oregon.

ASU- Wherever DE ends up he usually leads that team to a Pac-10 crown, and I won't be surprised to see him do it again --- however it won't be this year. Again they will beat some tough teams, maybe even USC, but their defense is horrible. It will improve under DE, but they are still a year or two away.

WSU- Will be in the mix this year, with Alex Brink at QB and they will play a lot better than last year, however Brink might not have enough around him to take the pressure off of him in the offense. Tough games against Oregon and Cal will determine what type of season it will be. The defense will not be as strong at pass defense, but they could put up some numbers. A bad season and Doba may be on his way out.

Arizona- Much will be determined by the QB, and if Tuitutama can perform without mistakes they might knock some pretenders out (ASU, Ucla). Their defense along with Ucla's will be the top in the league and will keep them in games. However, Stoops is not a good coach and doesn't get the most out of his players. He is a good recruiter, but not so much with offense players.

Washington- will be improved but their talent level still isn't very high. They will give teams a lot of heart, but a tough Non-conference schedule will have this team realizing they have a lot of work still ahead. There isn't anything on this team that scares you, and it will be easy to make them one dimensional.

Stanford- enough said.