ESPN College Football

We've given you our thoughts recently on which Pac-12 player has the best shot at winning the Heisman. You've given your thoughts (an extremely tight poll) and now the folks at HeismanPundit.com have offered up their darkhorse candidates for 2012.

They looked at 12 not-as-mainstream candidates who could contend for the Heisman Trophy, and four of them are from the Pac-12.

First, the list:

• Eddie Lacy, Alabama
• Curtis McNeal, USC
• Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michigan
• Kenjon Barner, Oregon
• James Franklin, Missouri
• Braxton Miller, Ohio State
• Kiehl Frazier, Auburn
• Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State
• Cierre Wood, Notre Dame
• Christine Michael, Texas A&M
• Jesse Callier, Washington
• De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon

Their thoughts on each of the Pac-12 players:

On McNeal: A total of 150 carries have departed the program and there is little depth behind the senior, who will benefit from defenses focusing on USC’s strong passing attack. Give McNeal at least half of those departed carries and you are looking at a possible 1,500 yard season, if not more.

On Barner: There were times the rest of the year when he looked as good as, if not better than, James. This year, the Ducks lose not only James’ 247 carries, but also the 45 of freshman Tra Carson and the 56 of quarterback Darron Thomas, for a total of 347 carries to be redistributed.

On Callier: I actually think there is a good chance that Washington experiences no dropoff at this position and that Callier establishes himself as one of the top backs in the Pac-12 with a season exceeding 1,300 yards on the ground.

On Thomas: Thomas is obviously an interesting case since he is such an all-around dynamo. Last year, he had just 140 touches, with 39 of them coming in the return game. This was a wise move by Oregon, as keeping the rather slight Thomas fresh and healthy is the key to his effectiveness. It worked, as he had 18 touchdowns and 2,235 total yards. In that vein, Oregon might be tempted to put a huge workload on him in 2012, but I don’t foresee it unless there is a desperate need.

Fun list. With frontrunner Matt Barkley out there, along with Washington quarterback Keith Price, a couple of USC wide receivers and A-list running backs like John White IV and Stepfan Taylor, there is certainly no wanting for offensive talent in the conference. Per usual.

Which players emerge will definitely be one of the more fascinating stories to follow in 2012.

Edward Aschoff talks about Missouri players who need to have big offseasons.

Notre Dame entered 2011 as the Associated Press' preseason No. 16 team, expectations high and a BCS-bowl berth in sight.

Things didn't go according to plan. But were the Irish the biggest disappointment of this past college football season?

Turns out they'll have to settle for No. 2 in that category.

CBSSports.com's Brett McMurphy broke down the preseason AP poll, using it as a measuring stick to see whom the voters were right (or close to being right) about while acknowledging those they whiffed on. McMurphy listed the 48 schools that received a vote in the preseason poll and calculated the difference from where they finished in the final poll.

The numbers showed that preseason No. 8 Texas A&M, at minus-41, was the biggest disappointment of 2011, with Notre Dame right behind the Aggies at minus-33. Ohio State (minus-31), Mississippi State (minus-29) and Florida (minus-27) rounded out the top five disappointments. Those five, plus Missouri (preseason No. 21, minus-8) and Auburn (preseason No. 23, minus-4) made up the seven schools that were not ranked in the final poll after being ranked in the preseason.

Preseason unranked Baylor (plus-36) finished as the biggest surprise.

And, in a reassuring sign for sportswriters everywhere, No. 7 Stanford, No. 14 TCU and No. 19 Georgia finished in the exact same spots as their preseason rankings.

1. West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen told me that he enjoyed his first Christmas without work since 1999. The Mountaineers don’t play in the Orange Bowl until Jan. 4. Then Holgorsen pointed out that early bowls present scheduling problems not only for players dealing with final exams, but for coaches trying to prepare a team and recruit. The recruiting dead period didn’t begin until Dec. 18. The more a team wins, the later it gets to play in the postseason.

2. USC performed masterfully in staging junior quarterback Matt Barkley's decision to return to the Trojans in 2012. The press conference with a marching band couldn’t have been more different than the lack of hubbub at Stanford a year ago when Andrew Luck spurned the NFL. Stanford is not USC -- the schools take pride in their differences -- but it seems to me, in a season when the 11-1, No. 4 Cardinal fell short in beauty contests for the BCS and the Heisman, that the Farm could use a little more Troy.

3. Missouri finished with four straight wins, including a rout of North Carolina, 41-24, in the Independence Bowl. But don’t get carried away with the Tigers as they head into the SEC. The Tar Heels came in as an underachieving team with a lame-duck interim head coach. More important, Missouri went 1-1 in overtime, 1-1 in games decided by four points or fewer, and 5-4 in the Big 12. The Tigers beat the five league teams they finished ahead of, and lost to the four teams they finished behind. Mizzou, thy name is mediocrity.

Missouri Tigers (7-5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (7-5)

Dec. 26, 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Missouri take by Big 12 blogger David Ubben: Missouri is headed to the SEC next season, and went out quietly in Big 12 play. The Tigers roll with dual-threat quarterback James Franklin, but are still trying to find their offense after losing Henry Josey, the Big 12's leading rusher at the time, to a serious knee injury. He started the season No. 3 on the depth chart. It's been up to Kendial Lawrence and De'Vion Moore to pick up the slack.

The Tigers' defense had high hopes coming into the season, and it's been good after some early-season struggles, but perhaps not as good as expected. The defensive line hasn't dominated as most expected, but the Tigers played well enough to win four of their final five games to rescue a rough start against a brutal schedule. Mizzou may have the best five losses of any team in the country: Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Baylor, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Not a bad one in the bunch, and all four but Oklahoma State came on the road. Mizzou is better than its record suggests, and will get a chance to prove it in the postseason.

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North Carolina take by ACC blogger Heather Dinich: The entire season could have unraveled for UNC, considering former coach Butch Davis was fired just days before summer practices began, but interim coach Everett Withers kept the program on track for its fourth straight bowl appearance.

North Carolina has faced Missouri twice, losing both times, but has not played the Tigers since 1976. North Carolina started the season 5-1, but fizzled down the stretch against better competition. The Tar Heels lost four of their past six games, including a fifth-straight loss to rival NC State. Individually, though, it has been an impressive season for a few Tar Heels. Tailback Giovani Bernard rushed for a UNC freshman record 1,222 yards and became the first Tar Heel since 1997 to run for more than 1,000 yards.

Receiver Dwight Jones set a school record with 79 receptions and has 11 touchdown catches, which is just one shy of the single-season record. And quarterback Bryn Renner enters the bowl game tied for the school record with 23 touchdown passes. Defensively, Carolina is led by defensive end Quinton Coples and linebacker Zach Brown. Coples ranks fourth among active college players with 24 career sacks. Brown led the Tar Heels with 91 tackles, including 11.5 for losses and 5.5 sacks.

1. Good spade work by my colleague Gene Wojciechowski revealing the options that the FBS commissioners are considering to revamp the BCS. The most interesting, and perhaps the most radical, would have the BCS deal only with setting up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. The other bowls would be on their own. Let’s hope the commissioners recall the problem that developed in the free market 20 years ago: bowls began offering bids in October. The bowls and the leagues have to maintain a structure that will keep bids from going out until season’s end.

2. And good spade work by USA Today in the database of 2011 FBS coaching salaries that it published Thursday. There are, in sum, some amazing numbers: 64 head coaches make at least $1 million (No. 64: Joe Paterno) and 46 do not. The paper didn’t publish salaries for 10 head coaches, all at private schools. Lowest-paid head coach of a ranked team: Larry Fedora of No. 20 Southern Mississippi ($704,500). Highest-paid lame duck: Houston Nutt of Ole Miss ($2,771,750). As always, Thank God for Mississippi.

3. Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel got arrested Wednesday night for driving while impaired. Early Thursday, the university posted an apology from Pinkel and a statement from athletic director Mike Alden on its Facebook page. Later in the day, Missouri announced it had suspended Pinkel for a week without pay and frozen his salary for next year. He also will serve 50 hours of community service. Quick action, taken in plain public view -- if only every school handled a crisis like this.

Here are 10 things I’ll be watching in college football this weekend:

1. Will Oklahoma bounce back against Kansas State?

The No. 9 Sooners were stunned by unranked Texas Tech 41-38 last week, ending their 39-game home winning streak. OU hasn’t lost consecutive conference games since a four-game slide in 1998. The Wildcats are off to a 7-0 start but haven’t beaten OU since the 2003 Big 12 championship game. Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein ran for 10 touchdowns in the past three games, but the Cats are averaging only 153.9 passing yards per game. The Red Raiders were able to expose OU’s secondary while totaling 572 yards of offense last week.

2. Should Clemson be on upset alert?

Heading into Saturday night’s game at Georgia Tech, the Tigers are aiming for their first 9-0 start since 1981, when they finished 12-0 and won a national championship. Georgia Tech has dropped two games in a row, scoring only 28 points and averaging only 253 yards of offense in losses to Virginia and Miami. But Tech’s triple-option offense might pose problems for Clemson’s defense, which surrendered 83 points in victories over Maryland and North Carolina. The Tigers scored 115 points and had 1,026 yards of offense in their last two games.

3. What does USC have to do to upset Stanford?

The No. 6 Cardinal will be going for their 16th consecutive victory in Saturday night’s trip to USC. The Trojans will have to slow down Stanford’s running game, which ran for a school-record 446 yards in last week’s 65-21 rout of Washington. The Trojans will need another big game from receiver Robert Woods, who had 12 catches for 224 yards with three touchdowns in last season’s 37-35 loss to Stanford. USC quarterback Matt Barkley has thrown nine touchdowns with only one interception during a three-game winning streak.

4. Who starts at quarterback for Florida?

Gators coach Will Muschamp said senior John Brantley is ready to go for Saturday’s game against No. 22 Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla. But Brantley hasn’t played since injuring his ankle early in the Gators’ 38-10 loss to Alabama on Oct. 1 and hasn’t practiced much over the past three weeks. Brantley might get a chance to play against the Bulldogs, but don’t be surprised if freshmen Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett take most of the snaps. Georgia has to do a better job of taking care of the football -- it has had 12 turnovers in its three consecutive losses to UF.

5. Who’s going to run the ball for South Carolina?

The No. 13 Gamecocks begin life without star tailback Marcus Lattimore, who will miss the rest of the season after tearing knee ligaments in a 14-12 victory over Mississippi State on Oct. 15. Freshman Brandon Wilds will get the start in Saturday’s game at Tennessee, after running for 75 yards on 13 carries so far this season. Quarterback Connor Shaw will have to carry a bigger load on offense, and former USC basketball player Bruce Ellington might get some snaps out of “Wildcats" plays. Volunteers freshman quarterback Justin Worley makes his first start after senior Matt Simms was benched last week.

6. Should Oklahoma State be worried about Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III?

The No. 3 Cowboys’ defense has held up so far this season but will be tested by Griffin, who has thrown 22 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Baylor’s defense has been exposed by strong passing attacks, giving up 681 yards of offense in a 55-28 loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 15. The Bears allowed 725 yards in a 55-28 loss to OSU last season. Griffin played very well against the Aggies, throwing for a school-record 430 yards with three touchdowns. Baylor has lost five straight and 14 of 15 games to the Pokes.

7. Can Michigan State get up for another big game?

The No. 11 Spartans just completed a trifecta of emotional victories, defeating Ohio State (17-7), Michigan (28-14) and Wisconsin (37-31). The Spartans defeated the then-No. 6 Badgers on quarterback Kirk Cousins’ 44-yard touchdown pass to Keith Nichol on a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game. Now Michigan State has to regroup to play at No. 14 Nebraska on Saturday. MSU’s defense, which allowed 220 rushing yards to the Badgers, will have to slow down Cornhuskers quarterback Taylor Martinez and I-back Rex Burkhead. The winner gets the inside track to winning the Big Ten’s Legends division.

8. Will Wisconsin rebound to beat Ohio State?

The Badgers saw their BCS national championship hopes all but end with last week’s loss at Michigan State. But Wisconsin can still win the Big Ten’s Leaders division and play in the inaugural Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis on Dec. 3. The Buckeyes had an extra week to prepare, after upsetting Illinois 17-7 on Oct. 15. Ohio State completed only one pass for 17 yards against the Illini, but tailback Dan “Boom” Herron ran for 91 yards with two touchdowns in his first action of the season.

9. Can Texas A&M’s defense shut down another opponent?

Missouri’s trip to Texas A&M on Saturday night will be a matchup of potential future SEC teams. The No. 16 Aggies have struggled defending the pass all season, but they were much better in last week’s 33-17 victory over Iowa State, allowing only 305 yards of offense. Missouri has won four of its last five games against Texas A&M. Tigers quarterback James Franklin struggled in last week’s 45-24 loss to Oklahoma State, completing only 14 of 27 passes for 184 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

10. Can Penn State do it again?

The Nittany Lions have won six games in a row heading into Saturday’s game against Illinois, and they’ve done it with a menacing defense and mediocre offense. Penn State tailback Silas Redd has been very good lately, with four straight 100-yard games. But the Nittany Lions remain unsettled at quarterback, although Matt McGloin played well in last week’s 34-24 victory at Northwestern. The Illini have lost two straight games after a 6-0 start.

1. USC athletic director Pat Haden sounded an alarm this week about the state of his program’s rivalry with Notre Dame. Neither team is ranked, despite their records (USC 5-1, Notre Dame 4-2). It’s true that the game Saturday night doesn’t have the buzz that the rivalry carried in recent years, when USC dominated the game. Haden’s lament overlooked the five years (1997-2001) preceding the Trojan dynasty -- the teams went unranked in four of them. Great rivalries ebb and flow. Only realignment dries them up.

2. If you want to view Missouri’s interest in the Southeastern Conference through the lens of financial security, take a look at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s ranking of athletic spending for the 2009-10 school year. Missouri spent $53.2 million, about half of SEC leader Florida ($105.2 million). That would rank Missouri 11th among the 14 schools. So if Missouri goes, it will make more money and still be undercapitalized, all with one move. How does that create financial security?

3. You think your weekend is hectic? West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck and will attend the Mountaineers’ game Friday night at Syracuse. He and his 13-year-old son Addison also will be in the stands when No. 25 Washington plays at No. 8 Stanford on Saturday evening. That’s about 2,900 miles away, for those of you keeping track of Luck’s frequent flyer miles. He is going to all trouble because his other son is the Cardinal quarterback. You may have heard of him.

Here are 10 things I’ll be watching in college football this weekend:

1. Can Wisconsin’s mammoth offensive line handle Michigan State’s aggressive defense?

The No. 6 Badgers have one of the country's biggest offensive lines, with their five starters averaging 322 pounds. The No. 16 Spartans' four starting defensive linemen have an average weight of 282 pounds, but they're very aggressive and exceptionally quick. Whichever team controls the line of scrimmage in Saturday night's game at Spartans Stadium figures to have a big advantage. MSU ranks No. 2 nationally in total defense (186.1 yards per game) and No. 8 in sacks (3.5 per game).

2. Is No. 25 Washington capable of knocking off No. 8 Stanford?

The Cardinal will play a ranked opponent for the first time this season in Saturday night’s game at Stanford Stadium. The Huskies are off to their first 3-0 start in Pac-12 play since 1997. Washington quarterback Keith Price has been spectacular, completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 1,466 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is 5-1 against ranked opponents, and the Cardinal have won 15 games in a row, the longest winning streak in the country.

3. Will USC restore order against Notre Dame?

The Fighting Irish knocked off the Trojans 20-16 last season, ending USC’s eight-game winning streak in the series. USC quarterback Matt Barkley missed last year’s game against Notre Dame because of a sprained ankle. He’s coming off a so-so performance in USC’s 30-9 victory over Cal last week, completing 19 of 35 passes for a season-low 195 yards. Notre Dame’s secondary will be tested by receiver Robert Woods, who had only five catches for 36 yards against the Bears.

4. Does No. 20 Auburn have a chance at No. 1 LSU?

The Tigers will go into Saturday's game at Tiger Stadium with a new quarterback, after Auburn coach Gene Chizik benched Barrett Trotter in favor of sophomore Clint Moseley. Moseley, who is more of a running threat than Trotter, provided a spark in the second half of last week's 17-6 victory over Florida. Chizik can only hope Moseley performs better than the past two quarterbacks who faced LSU's defense: Florida freshman Jacoby Brissett and Tennessee's Matt Simms. LSU will probably stack the line of scrimmage to slow down Auburn's running attack, so Moseley will have to make some throws down the field.

5. Can Tennessee’s defense slow down Alabama’s Trent Richardson?

The Volunteers seem to be reeling and Saturday night's trip to No. 2 Alabama isn't good a remedy. The Volunteers rank No. 8 in the SEC in run defense, allowing 155.8 yards per game. Richardson has run for 100 yards or more in six straight games, matching Shaun Alexander's 12-year-old school record. Richardson had 183 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 52-7 rout of Ole Miss. If he reaches 100 yards before halftime, Alabama coach Nick Saban might sit him down in the second half to rest for the Tide's Nov. 5 showdown against LSU.

6. Does No. 4 Oklahoma State have anything to worry about at Missouri?

The Tigers have won 10 consecutive home games and they're coming off their best performance of the season. Missouri quarterback James Franklin had 289 passing yards and 84 rushing yards in last week's 52-17 rout of Iowa State. The Pokes have been spectacular on offense this season, but their defense is allowing 426.7 yards of offense per game. OSU will also have to slow down Missouri tailback Henry Josey, who ran for 100 yards or more in three of the past four games.

7. Where does No. 3 Oklahoma need to improve?

The Sooners haven't had problems beating Texas Tech or winning at home. OU has defeated the Red Raiders seven straight times and it has won 39 games in a row at home. But OU coach Bob Stoops would like to see his offense become more consistent in the red zone. The Sooners have scored only 19 touchdowns in 31 trips inside opponents' 20-yard line. OU settled for four short field goals in last week's 41-17 victory over Kansas.

8. How many points will No. 5 Boise State score against Air Force?

The Broncos are firing on all cylinders like never before, scoring 120 points and totaling more than 1,200 yards of offense in their past two games. Boise State had a school-record 742 yards of offense in last week’s 63-13 rout at Colorado State. Tailback Doug Martin ran for a career-high 200 yards, and quarterback Kellen Moore completed his first 18 passes. The Falcons are allowing 434.7 yards of offense -- 103rd in the country -- heading into Saturday’s game at Bronco Stadium.

9. Will No. 7 Clemson play better defense against North Carolina?

The Tigers’ dream season nearly came to a screeching halt last week, before they rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Maryland 56-45 on the road. Clemson allowed 468 yards of offense against the Terps, including 291 rushing. The Tigers will have to do a better job against the Tar Heels, who have a pretty balanced offense. UNC quarterback Bryn Renner leads the ACC in completion percentage (75.3) and pass efficiency (174.1 rating). Tar Heels freshman Giovani Bernard has gained 100 rushing yards or more in five straight games.

10. Can Georgia Tech get its offense back on track?

The No. 22 Yellow Jackets gained a season-low 296 yards of offense in last week’s 24-21 loss at Virginia. Quarterback Tevin Washington had only two completions and two interceptions and has completed only 30.8 percent of his passes the past two games combined. Georgia Tech’s defense has surrendered 520 rushing yards in the past two games, and Miami quarterback Jacory Harris is coming off one of his best games, throwing for 267 yards with three touchdowns in last week’s 30-24 win at North Carolina.

1. The SEC presidents will decide which school to invite as the league’s 14th member. Athletic administrators, I am told, don’t want Missouri because of the travel to Columbia. For instance, it’s 1,000 miles from there to Gainesville, Fla. Add the remote nature of so many SEC campuses, and travel of non-revenue teams will incur a sharp increase in either time (commercial travel through Atlanta) or money ($30,000 charter flights).

2. If your Heisman tastes run toward the dual-threat quarterback a la Cam Newton (2010), then Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III may be your guy. You may know that Griffin has rushed 60 times for 280 yards and two touchdowns (sick), and that he ranks second in the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 212.94 (sicker). Thanks to the ESPN Stats & Info geeks, you now know that on passes of 25 yards or more this season, Griffin has completed 12 of 16 for nine touchdowns (sickest).

3. If North Carolina hires Bubba Cunningham, it will be the best hire the university has made regarding football since it took Mack Brown away from Tulane in 1988. Cunningham cut his teeth in the athletic department of Notre Dame, his alma mater. As athletic director at Ball State in 2003, he hired Brady Hoke. At Tulsa in 2007, he hired Todd Graham. That’s good news for a North Carolina program without a permanent coach and about to be penalized by the NCAA.

The good news at midseason is the Pac-12 has two top-10 teams -- Stanford and Oregon -- and a couple of other programs that are -- or look like -- Top-25 teams.

The bad news is the conference was pretty rotten during the nonconference schedule, which means the national perception has taken some heavy blows.

While the Pac-12 is 12-10 against all FBS nonconference foes, it went 4-7 against other automatic qualifying conferences. And the only win of note was Arizona State beating Missouri, which is now 2-3. Arizona, Colorado, Oregon State, UCLA, Washington and Washington State all took double-digit whippings.

The biggest blow, however, was Oregon falling in the opener to LSU. No shame in that; LSU is a national-title contender. But the Ducks thought they were, too. And seeing another A-list defense -- particularly one from the SEC -- control the Oregon offense damages the perception of the Ducks and the conference they've won the previous two seasons.

The conference's image of great offenses/great QBs with questionable defenses held true. Six Pac-12 passers rank among the nation's top 25 in passing efficiency, while just one team -- Stanford -- ranks in the top 25 in the nation in both total and scoring defense.

The QBs and offenses, in general, have been pretty fun to watch, though. Everyone knew about Stanford's Andrew Luck, USC's Matt Barkley, Arizona's Nick Foles and Oregon's Darron Thomas. But some newbies made big impacts, such as Arizona State's Brock Osweiler and Washington's Keith Price. Washington State lost starter Jeff Tuel in the season opener, but Marshall Lobbestael came off the bench and led the Cougars to three wins, ranking 17th in the nation in passing efficiency while doing so.

It's not just QBs. Running backs -- particularly Oregon's LaMichael James and Washington's Chris Polk -- and receivers -- USC's Robert Woods, Washington State's Marquess Wilson and California's Keenan Allen -- also have stood out.

As for the big picture, there haven't been too many surprises. Oregon and Stanford in the North Division still look like the class of the conference, and they appear to be headed toward a red-letter matchup on Nov. 12 in Palo Alto. Arizona State has surged in the South Division, which looks fairly weak after the Sun Devils and USC, which is ineligible to play in the Pac-12 championship game due to NCAA sanctions.

Some preseason hot seats -- UCLA's Rick Neuheisel and Washington State's Paul Wulff -- are still warm. And some we didn't see coming -- Arizona's Mike Stoops -- are heating up.

So the second-half questions will be about what the top and bottom will end up looking like. Will Stanford or Oregon play itself into national-title contention? And might the conference again get two BCS bowl berths? And, at the bottom, which teams will be looking for new head coaches at season's end?

Offensive MVP: Oregon RB LaMichael James

James started slowly in the LSU game, but has been lights out since then. He leads the nation in rushing with 170.4 yards per game , with an eye-popping 8.97 yards per run and eight TDs. He's eclipsed 200 yards in his last three games.

He also, by the way, has caught 11 passes for 159 yards and a TD, leads the nation in all-purpose yards and is tied for second in punt returns.

He dislocated his elbow, however, in the win last Thursday over California, making his second-half prospects questionable.

Defensive MVP: Stanford LB Chase Thomas

Stanford is the only Pac-12 team ranked in the top 25 in the nation in total and scoring defense, and Thomas has been the Cardinal's best defender.

Thomas leads the conference in sacks (five) and ranks second in tackles for a loss (seven) and forced fumbles (three). He also has 20 tackles overall.

Biggest surprise: Washington

Truth be told, there aren't any big surprises in the Pac-12. Most thought the Huskies would be competitive in the North Division, battling for the No. 3 spot behind Oregon and Stanford.

But that perception was based on Polk and what looked like a potentially stout defense. The Huskies are 4-1 because of Price -- his 17 TD passes is tied for second-most in the nation -- Polk and a high-scoring offense and a defense that took three weeks to join the part.

The Huskies haven't started 4-1 since 2006.

Biggest disappointment: Arizona

The Wildcats had big questions in the preseason, most particularly five new starters on the offensive line and a questionable defense. But the feeling was that Foles and an outstanding corps of receivers would be able to outscore a lot of foes.

And, really, Stoops wouldn't ever have a terrible defense, right?

Well, the Wildcats, now 1-5 after losing to previously winless Oregon State, do have a terrible defense, one of the worst in the country, and Foles isn't getting much help on offense.

That bottom line: A 10-game losing streak against FBS opponents and a hot seat for Stoops that few anticipated during the preseason.

Best game: California 36, Colorado 33 (OT)

The nonconference game that was a conference game -- but wasn't -- was a barnburner featuring four lead changes and a lot of passing and just one turnover. It wasn't over until Cal receiver Keenan Allen hauled in a 5-yard touchdown pass in overtime from his half-brother, Zach Maynard. It was Maynard's fourth TD pass.

In a losing effort, Paul Richardson caught 11 passes for a school-record 284 yards and two TDs to help Colorado rally from a 10-point deficit in the second half. Buffs QB Tyler Hansen threw for a team-record 474 yards passing with three TDs.

Colorado forced overtime with a 22-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in regulation after a 16-play, 70-yard drive that took 6:40 off the clock and required three third down conversions.

Best coach: Dennis Erickson, Arizona State

He entered the season on the hot seat. Some said he was mailing it in after a long career. Instead, he's turned in one of the better coaching performances of his career. Erickson has taken a team ravaged by injuries to the top of the Pac-12 South Division and a No. 18 national ranking.

He's helped develop a QB, Osweiler, into a potent passer and charismatic leader, and he's got a defense missing a bevy of inured starters playing better than any other the conference, other than Stanford.

Just when we thought we were out of the expansion business, they pull us back in.

Or does Missouri's wandering eye -- away from the Big 12 and toward the SEC -- mean anything for the Pac-12?

It could but probably doesn't in the short-term.

Jon Wilner, as usual, provides some informed speculation here. You'll note his story is mostly about the SEC, Big East and Big 12.

And he makes clear who the villain is here -- besides, of course, Texas. Writes Wilner:

Make no mistake, folks: The SEC’s desire to sign a new TV deal -- and its frustration that the little old Pac-12 has a better deal -- is driving the realignment.

There wouldn’t be anyplace for A&M and Mizzou to go without the SEC opening its doors.

In other words, Texas laid the groundwork for the demise of the Big 12 -- at least as we know it -- but the SEC is carrying out the execution.

Of course, the Big 12, upon losing its third and likely fourth team in two years could go hunting for a new pair -- or foursome to get to 12 teams again -- but the choices are limited, and most have a downside.

What about the Pac-12?

The idea of a Pac-16 isn't dead, but it will only happen on commissioner Larry Scott's -- and the Pac-12 presidents' -- terms. The truth is Scott, who still believes the future will be superconferences, will have to win over the presidents to the justifications of further expansion. The presidents got their TV contract -- their money -- so now they're pulling back inward.

Texas would still be the centerpiece of a best-case, read lucrative, scenario, but the Longhorns would have to agree to the Pac-12 terms: 1. Equal revenue sharing; 2. The Longhorn Network joining the framework of the Pac-12's regional networks.

The problem is inding anyone who thinks Texas will give up the Longhorn Network.

Texas has another issue. Pac-12 folks don't trust Texas. Those exact words were said to me recently by an administrator at a Pac-12 school, and various versions of those sentiments have been repeated to me for months.

The general feeling inside the Pac-12 office is that it continues to believe it operates from a position of strength. If it needs to expand as the landscape changes, it will have plenty of options.

The SEC landing a TV contract that eclipses the Pac-12's deal? Well, that's just a market reality that will surprise no one.

It's hard to imagine things are becoming stable. The Big East and Big 12 on not on firm footing. That means the discussion of expansion scenarios hasn't ended inside the Pac-12 office.

1. The Big 12 “family” is beginning to resemble a daytime soap. They argue, they leave, they look to leave, they come back. One day after the conference members agree to share their main TV money equally, a big step on the road to a happy future, Missouri decides to withhold its commitment. The chancellor resigned as conference chairman. It comes down to Mizzou forsaking tradition and loyalty, to flirt with the SEC, a league in which the Tigers are not equipped to compete. Knock yourself out.

2. In the last week, both Bret Bielema of Wisconsin and Mark Richt of Georgia have endorsed a lead of three scores as the benchmark for deciding to milk the clock in the fourth quarter. “You do that by running the ball and making sure you don’t snap the ball too early in the 40-second clock,” Richt said. Bielema praised quarterback Russell Wilson after the Nebraska game for having the presence of mind, when chased out of the pocket, to slide inbounds and keep the clock moving.

3. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday that yards per carry is a better measure of the effectiveness of a running back than it is an offense, because sacks and kneeldowns (every coach’s favorite offensive call) can skew that statistic for a team. There, Ferentz said, the better measure is carries per game. He didn’t establish a number. For what it’s worth, the 15 undefeated teams average 42.3 carries per game.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Omar Bolden couldn't stop grabbing and hugging Vontaze Burfict as they walked into the locker room. Bolden, Arizona State's injured, charismatic captain, was bouncing around, jumping for joy. Burfict? The Sun Devils wound-tight superstar alternated between a grin and a grimace as he limped off the field, lugging along Bolden under a scoreboard that said the Sun Devils had beaten USC 43-22, the first time they'd been on top of the Trojans in 11 previous meetings.

This Sun Devils team feels different.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler walked into his postgame news conference with 1,500 pounds of escort -- his entire starting offensive line.

Why? "I thought the media was pretty harsh on these guys last week," Osweiler said.

Last week, the Sun Devils lost at Illinois, despite outplaying the Illini. Osweiler had three turnovers. The offensive line gave up six sacks. There were eight penalties for 91 yards. The loss knocked the Sun Devils out of the national rankings and cost them defensive end Junior Onyeali, who suffered a knee injury. It was the sort of loss that could linger in a locker room, not to mention inspire talk of "same old Sun Devils" from a skeptical fanbase.

This Sun Devils team was different. It yielded just one sack. It committed no turnovers -- versus four from USC. It had just six penalties, one of which was on coach Dennis Erickson for celebrating.

And now, at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12, these Sun Devils have beaten two ranked teams. They might return to the national rankings. And this win was particularly sweet.

"Eleven years is a long time not to beat somebody," Erickson said.

The game turned in the third quarter, just as USC seemed to be taking control. The Trojans, who trailed 21-9 at the break, took a 22-21 lead with touchdown drives of 80 and 76 yards. They were running and throwing over the Sun Devils, who seemed to be wearing down.

"The thing we kept saying was, '11 years.' That was a huge thing that kept us motivated all week," defensive tackle Bo Moos said.

Said Osweiler, "We don't really have a panic button."

ASU would score the final 22 points.

The Sun Devils immediately answered the Trojans with a 76-yard TD drive. Arizona State then let USC throw up on itself. The Trojans fumbled on the ASU 28-yard line. On their next possession, USC quarterback Matt Barkley fumbled after a sack from Greg Smith, Onyeali's replacement, on the ASU 18. After another Sun Devils touchdown drive, Barkley then threw a 41-yard pick-six to Shelly Lyons.

In the second quarter, Barkley threw one interception to Burfict on the Sun Devils' 12. Burfict returned the interception 36 yards. He was tackled by Barkley, who had said Burfict was a dirty player this week.

Burfict ran to Barkley. And helped him up.

That was different.

"They didn't make many mistakes, didn't give us many chances," USC coach Lane Kiffin said.

Injuries? Running back Cameron Marshall sat out practices with a sprained ankle, but he rushed for 141 yards on 25 carries with three TDs. Mistakes? Osweiler bounced back from his performance at Illinois with two touchdowns and no interceptions, completing 25 of 32 passes for 223 yards and also ran for 18 yards.

There's a lot of season left, but beating USC, which slipped Utah two weeks ago, puts the Sun Devils in good position in the South Division. An Oct. 8 trip to Utah appears critical.

But looking ahead would be so 2008-2010 Sun Devils. That can't happen. The first priority, however, is enjoying this one.

Said Erickson, "It doesn't get much better than that."

USC's Matt Barkley and Arizona State's Brock Osweiler are both juniors and they are both talented quarterbacks, but they are obviously very different.

Barkley is the polished, pedigreed Trojan -- a touted recruit since before his senior year of high school who is almost certain to enter the NFL draft this spring, when he is expected to be picked in the first round.

Osweiler? Only over the past two weeks has his play overshadowed his height, which you might have heard is 6-foot-8.

Osweiler is raw. Basketball was his No. 1 sport growing up. Barkley has been groomed most of his life to be an NFL quarterback. Former USC coach Pete Carroll repeatedly referred to him as an "outlier," Malcolm Gladwell's term for exceptional people, during Barkley's true freshman season.

But if this were a quarterback horserace, Osweiler would be gaining on Barkley. As nice as Barkley's numbers have been, and as impressive as he is throwing the football, he hasn't had many (any?) performances better than Osweiler's against Missouri in Week 2, when the Sun Devil completed 24 of 32 passes for 353 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and rushed five times for 34 yards and a score against a nationally ranked team. And that was Osweiler's third career start.

Said USC coach Lane Kiffin: "Big, powerful, strong arm. Really is doing a better job of moving to his second and third progressions in his reads than a year ago ... It's shocking to play this well. A big-time NFL talent."

Of course, Osweiler wasn't nearly as in control at Illinois the next week. He completed 25 of 45 passes for 256 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He again rushed for a score but also fumbled and was sacked six times. Coach Dennis Erickson didn't entirely blame his offensive line for that, either.

"We didn’t get rid of the football," Erickson said. "In our offense, you’ve got to get rid of the football. That’s just part of it. There were times when the ball should’ve been out and it wasn’t out, and we held it and got sacks."

Very few quarterbacks avoid bumps in the road in their development. Barkley certainly can identify during his two-plus years as a starter. During USC's meandering 20-9 record with him under center, he's been spectacular -- three games with five touchdown passes -- and inconsistent, see 27 career interceptions.

At present, Barkley ranks sixth and Osweiler seventh in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency. Will that order stay the same after the Sun Devils and Trojans tangle Saturday, with the No. 1 spot in the Pac-12 South Division on the line (USC isn't eligible for the postseason, so it can't play in the conference championship game)?

While many football players say stats don't matter -- only wins do, Barkley has made no secret that he keeps up with other quarterbacks.

"I definitely have them on the radar," Barkley said in April about other "name" Pac-12 quarterbacks, such as Stanford's Andrew Luck. "I'm aware of them. It is competition. Every quarterback wants to be the best at what they do. When I hear their name, I'm always trying to one-up them."

While Barkley didn't know who Osweiler was then, he probably does now. Osweiler, however, said he doesn't compete with the other Pac-12 quarterbacks. Or he sorta said that.

"Obviously, I know what other quarterbacks are doing around the conference," he said.

The primary focus is inside the locker room. The Sun Devils took the loss at Illinois hard, as they should have since they lost a game they should have won. Nine possessions inside Illinois' territory netted just two touchdowns. They had three turnovers, missed a chip shot field goal, gave up six sacks and had eight penalties in a 17-14 defeat in which they outgained the Illini 362 yards to 240.

"Guys were pretty hurt," Osweiler said. "It was pretty gut wrenching for me. But the positive thing is as hurt and as down as everyone was in the locker room after the game, by the time we hit the buses to go to the airport everyone was like, 'Hey, this one is behind us. We've got USC this week. We're at home. Let's go have a great week of practice.' It was pretty cool to see guys bounce back so quickly."

When asked if some fans might say, "same, old Sun Devils," he added: "A lot of people are looking at this loss like it's the end of the world. It's just one loss early in the season. It's a nonconference game. It's a great learning tool for us."

Learning is about experience, and that's what Osweiler lacks compared to Barkley.

"I don't care how athletic you are or how good you are, experience makes you better," Erickson said. "He'll learn from what happened."

That means getting rid of the football faster against a Trojans defensive line that is more talented than Illinois'.

The Sun Devils seemingly have more to play for. A win over the Trojans would put them in good position in the Pac-12 South, seeing that Utah already lost at USC. It might push them back into the national rankings. It certainly would energize a fan base hungry for success. It would get the critics off Erickson's back.

Oh, and it would end an 11-game losing streak in the series. And yes, that span of futility has come up this week.

"Obviously that talk is going around the building, reminding us how long it has been," Osweiler said.

Ending that streak may come down to Osweiler, the surging new guy, outplaying Barkley, the established star.