ESPN College Football

EUGENE, Ore. -- While Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas' decision to enter the NFL draft a year early shocked many outside the football program, it didn't surprise many of those close to him, including his fellow Ducks quarterbacks. Thomas had brought up the possibility a number of times throughout the year, so backup Bryan Bennett and talented true freshman Marcus Mariota knew he was eyeballing a potential departure.

Though the news was greeted with more than a few gasps, many Ducks fans didn't spice their surprise with disappointment. Some had felt that Bennett -- despite Thomas' record-setting numbers -- was a better quarterback, or at least that he had more upside. They had seen what he'd done in limited action in 2011, coming off the bench in a big win over Arizona State and a start at Colorado.

Inside the program, not only was it not a big surprise, it also wasn't viewed as a perfunctory passing of the torch. There was a mystery man, an X factor, with whom fans and media weren't terribly familiar because Oregon has shut down access to practices: true freshman Marcus Mariota.

Mariota, a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder out of St. Louis High School in Honolulu, had shown enough in one impressive redshirt year to be viewed by his coaches and teammates as a legitimate threat to win the job.

"When DT left, I told Brian, 'You got to work for it. Marcus Mariota is a very good quarterback,'" said center Hroniss Grasu, Bennett's roommate and good friend. "It's going to be a great competition."

What you keep hearing when you ask players and coaches about Bennett and Mariota is that they are notably similar. Both are tall and fairly thin -- Bennett is 6-3, 205 pounds. Both are athletic and comfortable running an option attack. Both are capable passers. Both have low-key personalities.

"We feel real confident as a staff in our quarterback situation," said coach Chip Kelly, whose Ducks begin spring practices Tuesday. "They just haven't played significant amounts. I'm real confident in whoever ends up out of those guys pulling the trigger that we'll have a pretty good one."

There's good reason for that. Since Kelly arrived as the Ducks' offensive coordinator in 2007, Oregon has been good to outstanding at the position. He transformed Dennis Dixon from a guy who threw more interceptions than touchdowns in 2006 to a leading Heisman Trophy candidate before he got hurt. He made Jeremiah Masoli, an unknown summer junior college transfer, into a swashbuckling, dual-threat force. And under his tutelage, Thomas ended up throwing more TD passes than any previous Ducks QB.

Kelly insists he has no preconceptions: "Our program is founded on competition," he said. Of course, many coaches throw the "competition" coaching platitude around. What actually happens on the depth chart demonstrates that most still favor seniority, particularly at QB. Coaches believe in the value of experience and they are more comfortable with players with whom they've built up years of familiarity. To win a job, a younger player must decisively demonstrate superiority.

But Kelly has shown he's not like that, and we need look no further than the last quarterback competition in Eugene between senior Nate Costa and Thomas, then a sophomore.

Costa was the feel-good story after Masoli's ugly departure. He was the one-time spread-option prodigy who'd been done in by bad knees, but heading into 2010 spring practices he was again healthy and ready to lead the Ducks with his moxie and still substantial skills. Thomas was a skinny guy from Houston with an odd throwing motion who lacked Costa's polish.

Just about everyone thought Costa would win the job, perhaps even by the end of spring practices. But a funny thing happened: Thomas was announced as the starter in late August.

Bennett was a true freshman observer of that competition, at least the fall camp portion. And, just as Thomas didn't surprise him when he opted to leave for the NFL, he also didn't surprise Bennett when he won the job.

"At first, I saw Nate as the older, senior, who kind of took control more," Bennett said. "I think it could have gone either way, but I wasn't too surprised. I thought it kind of started to lean towards Darron at the end."

Fair to say Bennett knows he can't expect his limited experience -- 369 yards passing, six touchdowns, no interceptions -- to give him a substantial advantage, at least not as baubles that will impress Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. But that experience could become a foundation or launching point that helps Bennett develop faster, which could provide a competitive advantage. The game should be slower to him than to Mariota. He knows how it feels when the lights are on for real, and how his teammates and coaches react. He knows how to prepare as a starter. And he saw how Thomas won the job over Costa.

"Since Darron left, I have taken it on myself to present myself as a leader of this team," Bennett said. "I would like to be the starting quarterback of this team. In my mind, I'm going to continue to tell myself that I need to get better and worry about the things I can control. It could come down neck-and-neck. It could be decided in spring ball. I really don't know. It's more a competition with myself, because I can control what I do. I can't control what [Mariota] does."

When fellow Ducks talk about Mariota, they talk about how quickly he's picked up the offense. Mariota, in a revealing moment of humility that supports that very point, said it took him "a week" -- a whole week! -- to feel comfortable running the offense in fall camp his freshman year.

"I feel we are going in evenly," Mariota said. "Bryan is a very good player. He's been in this system for a while now. I'm just going to take it day by day. We both are. And whoever wins, we'll be rooting for each other."

Mariota adds: "If Bryan wins the job, I will be behind him 100 percent. This is a team thing."

This "team" thing has changed at Oregon. Three years ago, the Ducks starting QB was only of local, perhaps regional interest. After three consecutive conference titles, it's now a position of national import. The last three Ducks QBs have been in Rose Bowl and national title hunts.

The expectations aren't any lower in 2012, even with Thomas' surprising/not-so-surprising decision.

"I know whoever the quarterback is, he will do a great job," Grasu said. "Hopefully even better than last season. I know last season was a great season, but I think with the team we've got coming back everywhere else, we can be very successful."

It's great having a veteran quarterback, particularly a veteran quarterback who is proven.

But a veteran quarterback can have his own concerns. Here's what the returning starters at the position in the Pac-12 will be fretting about -- though they'd never own up to fretting -- during preseason camp.

Nick Foles, Arizona: Foles has a talented and deep crew of receivers but he also has five new starting offensive linemen in front of him, which not only will be an issue in pass protection but also for creating a running game that will slow down a pass rush.

Tyler Hansen, Colorado: The good news for Hansen is the job is his and he no longer has to worry about the coach's son, as he did under Dan Hawkins with Cody Hawkins. The bad news also is it's all on him, though Hansen seems like the sort who would see that as good news. A more tangible worry for Hansen is a lack of depth at receiver. Paul Richardson can ball and Toney Clemons is solid. After that, things are thin.

Darron Thomas, Oregon: Talk about a debut. Most folks thought Nate Costa was going to win the starting job over Thomas last preseason, but Thomas not only prevailed, he thrived, earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors and, oh by the way, playing in the national championship game. But now Thomas is playing behind a less-experienced offensive line and without his top-two receivers from 2010, Jeff Maehl and D.J. Davis. Further, he's the man now, the first guy his teammates will look at in the huddle, though running back LaMichael James also figures to play a significant leadership role. Thomas seems up to increasing his responsibilities, but he can't do it alone. He will need some young receivers to step up, just as he did last year.

Ryan Katz, Oregon State: Katz might have the biggest arm in the conference and he certainly had some impressive moments, most notably a tour-de-force performance at Arizona. But he sure could use the return of a healthy James Rodgers, who was a big help against the Wildcats before he suffered a terrible knee injury. But receivers are not among Katz's chief worries. His offensive line welcomes back four starters, but it underperformed in 2010, both as run- and pass-blockers. And Katz no longer has certainty at tailback, with Jacquizz Rodgers off to the NFL.

Andrew Luck, Stanford: Luck is the best quarterback in the country, but that means many will expect him to be perfect, which he can't be. For one, his dominant 2010 offensive line is replacing three starters. We don't know if the Cardinal running game will match what it did the previous two seasons. That line also protected Luck as well as any line protected its quarterback in the nation. But more pressing for Luck is a questionable crew of receivers. If speedy Chris Owusu is healthy all season, things should work out. But without him, Luck doesn't have any options who can scare a defense. No one stepped up during the spring, which makes receiver perhaps the Cardinal's most worrisome position.

Matt Barkley, USC: Barkley looks poised for a breakthrough in his third year as a starter. While Luck is super special, watching Barkley throw the ball at practice is pretty darn special, too. He's certainly an NFL talent, and he's got plenty of young talent around him at the skill positions to help him put up big numbers this season. But his offensive line was awful during spring practices. Injuries were the chief explanation, but he needs his starting five to stay healthy because there is a decided lack of depth. Offensive line is probably, in fact, USC's biggest question mark.

Jordan Wynn, Utah: First, Wynn needs to worry about himself. He's coming back from shoulder surgery, so he needs to pace himself this preseason, both in terms of not overthrowing and in terms of not seeking out any unnecessary contact. After taking care of himself, Wynn will need to develop chemistry with a receiving corps that is replacing two of its three top guys. Beyond that, Wynn will be paying attention to running back, where the Utes' top two rushers from last season need to be replaced. Utah wants to be a downhill running team, and a hard-nosed running game certainly makes things easier for a quarterback when he steps back into the pocket.

Jeff Tuel, Washington State: Tuel and his receivers are going to be fine -- more than fine if they get some help from an offensive line that struggled horribly in 2010, failing to protect Tuel or to create running lanes for an anemic running game. Tuel did an admirable job handling 51 sacks last fall. But if he gets sacked that many times again in 2011, it's hard to imagine him starting all 12 games.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Oregon is No. 1 in the nation in scoring and No. 1 in total offense. Auburn is No. 4 in scoring and No. 7 in total offense, so the Tigers aren't so far behind.

But when you talk about the Auburn offense, it starts and finishes with this: Cam Newton.

When you talk about the Oregon offense, it starts with running back LaMichael James and then it goes on and on and on.

What's toughest about the stopping the Ducks offense?

"Probably our tempo," center Jordan Holmes said. "We just keep going and going and going. Even when things aren't going as planned, we just keep doing our thing and eventually the defense gives way."

Agreed Auburn linebacker Craig Stevens, "It's always hard to emulate an offense going that fast." Added Tigers linebacker Josh Bynes, "Their pace is unmatched by anybody in the nation. I haven't seen a pace like that against any opponent this year."

No, it's not the tempo. The tempo is challenging, but Auburn's offense plays with fast tempo, too. So then what is the hardest thing for a defense to deal with?

"The misdirection," Oregon linebacker Spencer Paysinger said. "[QB Darron Thomas] is really good at hiding the ball with his fakes and his play-actions."

But that's not really it, either. It's the pressure the Ducks put on a defense to maintain gap discipline while dealing with a fast-tempo offense that uses a lot of misdirection.

"That's where they get people," Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "You can see people take their eyes off them, people missing gaps, and it's a touchdown, not a 4-yard gain anymore." Agreed Stevens, "It's their ability to exploit defenses. Anytime a guy mis-fits, it seems like a guy is always able to find that hole and hit it and it turns into a big run or big pass."

Oregon is a dominant running team -- 304 yards per game -- that isn't too shabby throwing the ball -- 29 touchdown passes, No. 16 in the nation in passing efficiency. And it has star players; see James, a Heisman Trophy finalist and the nation's leading rusher.

But when you talk about the Oregon offense in terms of its most potent weapon, it's really about how everything blends together. While even the Ducks can't agree on what makes the offense most difficult to stop, the buy-in is complete under coach Chip Kelly, the mastermind behind the scheme. The players' confidence suggests they see their offensive success as, well, inevitable.

"We are in a situation right now where our guys believe 100 percent in what they are doing," coordinator Mark Helfrich said.

That starts not with James, but with quarterback Darron Thomas. James calls the sophomore, first-year starter the "point guard of the offense."

Thomas was expected to be No. 3 this year behind starter Jeremiah Masoli and senior backup Nate Costa. But when Masoli was kicked off the team, Thomas was a surprise winner in a close quarterback competition with Costa.

Even as the starter, early in the season he was expected to play the role of caretaker and distributor. He's become much more than that. His passing numbers were significantly better than Masoli's in 2009, and he earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors.

Oregon players thought Thomas was going to be good. Just not this good.

"He's done some things this year that have definitely surprised all of us," Holmes said.

Thomas' top target is Jeff Maehl, who doesn't look the part -- his haircut inspired more than a few "Jeff Spicoli" references from reporters meeting him for the first time. He caught 12 touchdown passes this year, a number of them fairly spectacular.

But he's one of nine Ducks who've caught TD passes.

Further, the rushing attack isn't only about James. Four other Ducks rushed for more than 200 yards. Thomas and backup running back Kenjon Barner combined for more than 1,000 yards and 11 TDs on their own. Seven different Ducks scored rushing TDs.

Then there's the offensive line. Oh, those poor, poor Ducks linemen. They just aren't big enough to get the job done.

"We are probably the smallest offensive line in the Pac-10," Holmes said. "We're outweighed by 10 to 40 pounds on a weekly basis. So [the national championship game] is no new thing."

That itty-bitty line -- average weight: 296 pounds -- led one of the nation's best rushing attacks while yielding only eight sacks, fifth fewest in the nation.

It's fair to say that Auburn's defense is going to win the "eye test" with Oregon's offense. The Tigers look better getting off the bus, as reporters like to say. But Roof thinks the Ducks look pretty good on film.

"On top of being really, really talented, they have a great scheme, they're well coached and they're very disciplined," he said.

That's the Ducks' best offensive weapon: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Auburn Tigers (13-0) vs. Oregon Ducks (12-0)

Jan. 10, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Oregon take by Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller: Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas keeps things mostly close to the vest with reporters. But when a group of them expressed skepticism when running back LaMichael James said people doubted the Ducks, Thomas piped in with one word: "Masoli."

That's fair. When quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was kicked off the team during the offseason, many thought the Ducks’ chances of contending for the national title were no longer an issue. They were still a Pac-10 front-runner, but only by a little. At that point, in fact, most thought senior Nate Costa would win the starting job, not Thomas. But Thomas not only won the job, he gave the Ducks an upgrade at the position. And that has been the key this season.

Thomas and Oregon used the Ducks’ explosive, high-tempo, spread-option offense to wear down foes. They've outscored opponents by nearly 31 points a game this year. Only one team, California, came within single digits of the Ducks.

The Ducks made their first national statement with a blowout win at Tennessee, but their overwhelming 52-31 victory over Stanford proved to be a signature victory, one that grew in stature as the year went on because it would be the Cardinal's only defeat. The Ducks trailed 21-3, but then exploded and ran away with the game.

Oregon has owned the second half this season, outscoring foes 277-77, and it's yielded just 24 fourth-quarter points. The underrated defense is ranked 14th in the nation in scoring.

---

Auburn take by SEC blogger Chris Low: Outside of Florida and the junior college ranks, nobody really knew who Cam Newton was when Auburn opened preseason practice back in August. Even the Tigers’ coaches weren’t completely sure what they had.

Everybody knows now.

Newton, who started his career at Florida and then detoured through Blinn College, was the driving force in leading the Tigers (13-0) to their first-ever appearance in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game. The front-runner to win the Heisman Trophy, Newton passed for 28 touchdowns and ran for 20 touchdowns, taking turns beating teams with his arm and his legs.

He’s coming off an MVP performance in the SEC championship game where he threw four touchdown passes and ran for two more in Auburn’s 56-17 dismantling of South Carolina. In his last five games, he’s thrown 15 touchdown passes and just one interception.

Auburn has been comfortable outscoring teams all season. The Tigers are sixth nationally in scoring offense, averaging 42.7 points per game.

Their defense has been vulnerable against the pass, as evidenced by the fact that they rank 105th nationally in pass defense. But those numbers are deceiving, because the Tigers have made a living out of coming up with key stops and forcing turnovers in the second half. In their last two games against South Carolina and Alabama, they've given up a total of two field goals in the second half.

» Power Rankings: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Non-AQ

If you don't like where you are in the power rankings, play better.

1. Oregon: If you're looking for something to worry about, Oregon fans, the apparent knee injury to backup QB Nate Costa makes keeping Darron Thomas healthy critical. Does that mean fewer spread-option keepers? Three more games, Ducks, and you play for ...

2. Stanford: The Cardinal put on a show on both sides of the ball while dominating Arizona, making a statement that it is the best one-loss team in the nation.

3. USC: The Trojans can't play in the postseason, but they looked plenty motivated while beating Arizona State in a 34-33 nailbiter.

4. Arizona: Arizona couldn't hang with Stanford, and what once looked like depth at QB is now a question: Nick Foles is beaten up and Matt Scott has a wrist injury.

5. Oregon State: Sort of hard to rank the following group (Oregon State crushed Cal, Cal crushed UCLA, UCLA beat Oregon State. And Oregon State lost to Washington). The Beavers were surging, winners of three of their first four Pac-10 games. Now, well, it's hard to say.

6. California: The Bears survived at Washington State because the defense made a stand. Well, here comes Oregon. Cal D: What ya got?

7. UCLA: Just when you were ready to count UCLA out (again), it finds a way to win. Now can the Bruins find two more and become bowl eligible?

8. Arizona State: The Sun Devils are putting together a season of "what-ifs," and right now they are a team that finds ways to lose.

9. Washington: The Huskies fought hard at Oregon. They just didn't have the horses to keep up. The visit from UCLA on Nov. 18, is a must-win for bowl hopes. Will QB Jake Locker be ready to play?

10. Washington State: The Cougars led Cal at halftime. Hey, baby steps!

Recall the image of the preseason -- four Pac-10 quarterbacks strutting their stuff on the East Coast. How could they possibly live up to the hype?

And yet the Pac-10 in 2010 has (mostly) lived up to its billing as the "Conference of Quarterbacks," just as many envisioned in the preseason. Only things haven't exactly played out as folks envisioned they would.

What was expected and has occurred: Stanford's Andrew Luck proved to be one of the nation's elite quarterbacks.

What wasn't expected and has occurred: Oregon sophomore Darron Thomas is pushing Luck for first-team All-Pac-10.

What was expected and has occurred: There's been mostly impressive quarterback play, top-to-bottom.

What wasn't expected and has occurred: In that measure of impressive quarterback play, Washington's Jake Locker ranks near the bottom.

Three of the four members of the East-Coast contingent, Luck, USC's Matt Barkley and Arizona's Nick Foles have delivered on their high preseason expectations, though Foles has missed two games because of a knee injury. And, other than UCLA, no team's play at the position could be rated a disaster, though the Huskies surely thought Locker would be significantly better.

Injuries have been and could continue to be an issue.

Start with Locker, whose disappointing season took another hit when it was announced Monday that he will miss the visit to No. 1 Oregon on Saturday because of a broken rib. He sits out as the conference's second lowest-rated passer and one of just two who ranks outside the nation's top-50 (66) in passing efficiency.

UCLA has been miserable at the position in large part because of injuries to Kevin Prince, who is now out of the year with a knee injury. He played fairly well running the Bruins new "pistol" offense when he was healthy and could put in a full week of practice. Still, the Bruins are the only team that has been consistently terrible throwing the football, see a No. 117 ranking (out of 120) in passing offense.

Next, head over to California, where Kevin Riley was hoping a strong senior season would prove that he also should have been invited on the East Coast tour. He's likely done for the year with a knee injury suffered Saturday at Oregon State, and what preceded was hardly distinguished play.

Then there's Foles, who's missed the past two games with a dislocated knee cap. He's expected to return -- if fully healthy -- to start the marquee matchup at Stanford on Saturday, but backup Matt Scott's strong performance in his stead suggests there won't be too much patience if Foles shows some rust early.

Of course, Foles looked like a potential Heisman Trophy candidate early in the year, and there are few players in the country who have as strong a track record during fourth-quarter crunch time.

And, speaking of Scott, let's here it for backups! Scott delivered when called upon, just as Nate Costa did for Oregon when Thomas went down with a shoulder injury at Washington State. Can Keith Price now do the same for Washington?

Washington State sophomore Jeff Tuel, the seventh returning starter from 2009, has completed 60 percent of his passes and thrown 14 scoring tosses. He has been one of the few bright spots for Washington State.

As for the new guys, Thomas has been spectacular. He's 13th in the nation and second in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency. He's completed 60 percent of his throws with 21 TDs and just six interceptions. He's also rushed for 311 yards and two scores.

Fellow sophomore Ryan Katz has been off-and-on for Oregon State, though mostly on of late. The big-armed Katz has thrown 11 TD passes and four interceptions. At Arizona State, junior Steven Threet has put up big numbers in good and bad ways -- see a conference-leading 268 yards passing per game and a conference-leading 13 interceptions.

Still, Threet is leading an offense that is multiple times better than it was in 2009 while he was forced to sit out after transferring from Michigan.

While it hasn't been all rainbows and ice cream at the position, the play, in general, has been great to solid. And there's further good news: At least seven starters will be back in 2011 -- eight if Luck opts to return for his junior year instead of becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

At this point, only Washington and California will be looking for new starters this spring, though UCLA's future at the position also is probably in question. And Price and junior Brock Mansion, Riley's replacement at Cal, at least will get some quality work as a starter that could serve them next fall, if they win the job.

Oh, and by the way, Colorado and Utah, who will joining the conference next fall, both are scheduled to welcome back their starting quarterbacks, with Utah sophomore Jordan Wynn, the nation's 11th-rated passer, likely to immediately enter into the quarterback conversation.

So after a couple of sputtering seasons, the Conference of Quarterbacks is back on firm ground.

It's not exactly a pressing issue now, but surely folks in the about-to-become Pac-12 offices are starting to look ahead: Who do we bring East next August?

Oregon coach Chip Kelly channeled Bizarro World Allen Iverson this week.

We're (not) talking about practice, man. We're (not) talking about practice. We're (not) talking about practice. We (can talk) about the game. We're (not) talking about practice.

Kelly closed practices this week -- a bye week, no less -- and won't say anything about what happened during practice, which means fans and media will have to keep guessing as to the health of quarterback Darron Thomas (shoulder) and backup running back Kenjon Barner (concussion). We know this because of a wonderful, testy exchange on the Pac-10 coaches conference call between a good, persistent beat writer -- the Eugene Register-Guard's Rob Moseley -- and Kelly, who never gives in to reporters' questions.

(You can listen to it here -- the exchange starts at 1:19).

Moseley asked about Barner's status: "I’m not talking about that. Practice is closed, Robby, that’s why we closed it. I’m not going to discuss practice," Kelly said.

Moseley followed up by asking why Kelly closed practice (the decision preceded the injuries on Saturday): "I thought that’s what our football team needed, so we don’t have to deal with questions like this," Kelly said.

(Moseley later felicitously noted this on his blog: "This struck me as odd. He closed practices so that he wouldn’t have to face questions like, “Why did you close practice?” Seems to me that, had he not closed practices, the odds were pretty low that I would have asked that question.")

Pac-10 coaches tend to be an open and affable group, unlike the reputations of a number of SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten coaches. And Kelly is no exception, though he can be a bit grumpier than most at times. Most teams have open practices (until Kelly's move only California and Stanford completely closed practices). But a gigantic, pink polka dotted elephant has wandered into Eugene and parked itself in front of Autzen Stadium, and this exotic interloper seems to have made Kelly even more intense than usual.

The elephant's name, by the way, is "National Championship Talk." But you can call her "Natty Champ" for short.

Kelly is trying to ignore this elephant, who is known to be fickle with her affections.

I stopped laughing just after the Moseley-Kelly exchange and was able to ask Kelly how he planned to shield his team from all the hype that is simmering around it.

"We don’t shield our team," he said. "I think our kids can read whatever they want to read. I don’t talk about that. But they also know that it means absolutely nothing. You can just look at Alabama. They were the No. 1 team in the country and they lost. Now they’re the No. 8 team in the country. So I don’t shield my team. I know our kids can read the paper. I know our kids can read the Internet. But we don’t need to discuss it. Because it means nothing."

The Ducks have been here before, though not as an undefeated team. They were 8-1 and ranked No. 2 in 2007 before an ill-fated trip to Arizona. Not sure if any Ducks fans will remember this, but quarterback Dennis Dixon's knee blew up in the first half, the Ducks lost and national title hopes went splat. They then meandered through their next two contests and ended the regular season with a three-game losing streak.

That season is not only noteworthy as a parallel but also as an example of what is different now. When Dixon went down -- and he was only the biggest name on a long injury list that season -- there was no one capable of adequately filling his shoes. The Ducks were shut out -- think about that: Kelly's offense shut out! -- in their next game at UCLA.

But when Thomas went down against Washington State, senior Nate Costa, who lost a close battle for the starting job during the preseason, stepped in and the offense just kept doing its ludicrous speed thing. Costa completed 13 of 15 passes for 151 yards and a TD. And he rushed eight times for 84 yards and a score.

"It just speaks to the depth we have in this football program," Kelly said. "It’s just like bringing Michael Clay in at linebacker or Boseko Lokombo or Cliff Harris or Josh Huff. We have depth at a lot of different spots right now, and that’s paying off for us."

The Ducks don't play again until UCLA comes to town on Oct. 21 for a Thursday night, ESPN game, so there's time for Thomas and Barner to heal, though the best guess is there will be no rush to get Barner back on the field after taking a huge hit against the Cougars that knocked him out and required two nights of hospitalization. There then will be a long week of preparation before the visit to USC on Oct. 30, which remains a big game even though it doesn't have the same gravitas that it appeared to have during the preseason.

So the Ducks have one game in a 20-day span. That's plenty of time for Thomas to get healthy (and perhaps Barner). And if Thomas still needs a few more weeks, the offense remains in good hands with Costa.

In other words, things are setting up nicely for the Ducks to remain in the national title hunt.

Chip, "Natty Champ" really is cute. You don't have to ignore the elephant in the room.

"We don’t run this football program based on outside influences," Kelly said. "People saying you’re this or that, whether you’re good or bad. I don’t think you can do that. We don’t as a coaching staff talk about it. We as a group don’t talk about it. Our players, when I listen to them talk, they don’t talk about it either."

And Kelly most certainly is not going to talk about practice.

A look back on the week that was.

Team of the week: Oregon State announced its return to relevancy with a win at No. 9 Arizona. The biggest revelation: Sophomore QB Ryan Katz is ready for primetime.

Best game: You can't beat a game with two game-winning drives, unless your team is the one that produced the penultimate game-winning drive, which was the case of USC in its 37-35 loss at Stanford. For the second consecutive weekend, the Trojans lost on a last-second field goal. Still, a game billed as a potential blowout showed USC has plenty of fight left, at least on offense. (Wow. Are we now citing "moral" victories for the Trojans?)

Biggest play: There were so many big plays in Oregon State's 29-27 win over Arizona that it's hard to pick just one. But if you had to, it might just be Katz's 43-yard completion to H-back Joe Halahuni on a second and 13 play from the Beavers 33-yard line. With James Rodgers out with a knee injury, Katz's top passing options were limited, and if he'd missed the throw over the middle, it's possible the Beavers wouldn't have been too aggressive on a third-and-long call from their own territory. The Beavers got a first down on the Wildcats 24 and were able to run a lot of clock -- six of the next seven plays were runs -- before scoring a TD that gave them a a 29-20 lead, which made it a two-possession game.

Offensive standout: As usual, so many to choose from: Katz, Oregon's LaMichael James, California's Shane Vereen, USC's Matt Barkley, USC's Robert Woods, etc. But Andrew Luck was masterful against USC, completing 20 of 24 passes for 285 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. What's more: He led a seven-play, 62-yard drive in 1:08 to set up the game-winning field goal. And did you see his hit on Trojans CB Shareece Wright after a fumble? Smack goes the QB!

Defensive standout: Cal cornerback Darian Hagan had a bad year last season. Not this year. He had two sacks, an interception and five tackles while leading the Bears stellar defensive effort against UCLA. Honorable mentions include Arizona State's Jamaar Jarrett, who had two sacks at Washington, and Oregon's Brandon Bair, who had 3.5 tackles for a loss at Washington State.

Special teams standout: Oregon's Cliff Harris returned a punt 67 yards for a TD at Washington. He has done that three times this year, which is the most in FBS football. Oh, and he returned an interception for a TD at Tennessee.

Smiley face: Cal suffered two tough losses in September: It got embarrassed at Nevada and lost a heartbreaker at Arizona. It could have yielded. Instead, it whipped a hot UCLA team 35-7 and showed it can stop a pistol offense by holding the Bruins to just 144 yards.

Frowny face: Washington had injury issues and QB Jake Locker was trying to play through a flu-like illness, but that doesn't change the fact that it couldn't maintain the momentum it built after a win at USC. Arizona State had plenty of issues, too, but it found a way to win on the road in a rainstorm, weather one would think would benefit the Huskies far more than the Sun Devils.

Thought of the week: Oregon fans: How different did it feel when QB Darron Thomas injured his throwing shoulder knowing you had senior Nate Costa on the bench ready to step in? While Thomas may be back as soon as the UCLA game on Oct. 21, the Ducks would still feel like the Rose Bowl favorites with Costa as the starter. Recall in 2007 that when Dennis Dixon was lost for the year with a knee injury, almost everyone immediately realized the Ducks were in big trouble.

Questions for the week: Does the cannibalism begin now? Or do a couple of teams emerge at the top of the conference? Arizona's loss to Oregon State -- which left only Oregon undefeated -- hinted that stringing together wins is going to be extremely difficult due to the depth of the conference. So does that mean we end up with a muddle of two, three and four-loss teams? Or will Oregon ride home unscathed with an escort in the top-10?

Sometimes a 20-point win on the road doesn't feel so good.

No. 3 Oregon piled up 558 yards and beat Washington State 43-23, but it was a costly day. And not just because the win lacked the style points that are often required to keep moving up in the polls.

First, quarterback Darron Thomas was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. Also, running back Kenjon Barner was seemingly knocked out, though the nature of his injury hasn't been revealed. He was was in stable condition and undergoing tests at the hospital, Oregon reported.

Oregon is 6-0 for the first time since 2002. With Alabama's loss at South Carolina, it's possible it could take another step forward in the polls.

But a competitive game with Washington State might not help.

Backup quarterback Nate Costa played the final three quarters after Thomas left and led three scoring drives. LaMichael James scored three touchdowns, including an 84-yard scoring reception, and rushed for 136 yards on 25 carries.

And maybe the Cougars deserve some credit. They piled up 337 yards and seem to have taken a step away from patsy-dom.

The Ducks are off next weekend. Washington State plays host to Arizona.

1. Oregon fifth-year quarterback Nate Costa won the starting quarterback job two years ago, but he wasn’t good enough to win it this year. Coach Chip Kelly named sophomore Darron Thomas as his starting quarterback, which makes it appear that the talent level in Eugene has increased. Kelly stressed to Costa that he has to be ready. “Every year I’ve been here, two quarterbacks have played,” Kelly said, according to The Oregonian. When you run your quarterback, you usually need more than one.

2. ESPN research’s guys came up with this stat, and it’s a stunner. Guess which quarterback finished second in the nation last season in red zone passing efficiency. The answer? Jordan Jefferson of LSU. He finished 36th in the category overall as a sophomore in 2009. He has acknowledged he has had problems making quick decisions. But in big situations, Jefferson delivered more than any of us realize. A fluke? Or a sneak preview of a big year to come?

3. The starting lineup that USC announced for its opener Thursday night at Hawaii is skewing younger. Senior linebacker Chris Galippo, a second-team preseason All-Pac-10 pick, is out. Sophomore Devon Kennard is in. Two freshmen, wideout Robert Woods and corner Nickell Robey, won starting jobs. Lane Kiffin may be a protégé of Pete Carroll, but the new coach always gives everyone a new chance. Either that or Kiffin didn’t find as much talent there as USC’s reputation would have us believe.

All the speculation across the globe will end on Saturday at 9:05 a.m., when either senior Nate Costa or sophomore Darron Thomas takes the first snap at Oregon's practice.

That's when reporters and fans will learn who the Ducks starting quarterback will be in the season-opener vs. New Mexico on Sept. 4.

Said coach Chip Kelly, as quoted in The Oregonian.

“Saturday morning when we come out to practice (for) New Mexico, we’ll know who our starting quarterback’s going to be. It’s been the same plan all along, I’m not being evasive. This Saturday, right after Friday … Thursday, Friday, Saturday. … On Saturday morning, whoever takes the first snap (will be the starter). … I’ll tell you before if you want to call me.’’

Kelly, by the way, has a talent for screening calls. Maybe he could change his voice mail: "Hello, this is Oregon football coach Chip Kelly. I'm really sorry I missed your call and I really, really want to talk to you. Except for you Miller. As for our starting quarterback, it's... mnfffuabuffta. Go Ducks."

Dial tone.

It's possible the decision has already been made. It's also possible a closed scrimmage on Thursday will be the final and telling contest between the two candidates to replace He Whose Name Shall Not Be Mentioned, who is presently competing to start at Ole Miss (or not?).

Based on what the Pac-10 blog has read on the competition -- thousands upon thousands words of copy -- there is a general consensus: No one knows whom Kelly will tap.

There are lots of reasons to check out the Pac-10 this fall, but here are five hot topics that top the list.

Elite quarterbacks: Jake Locker or Andrew Luck? Andrew Luck or Jake Locker? Who gets picked first in the NFL draft this spring (if, of course, Luck opts to enter the draft after his redshirt sophomore season). Neither has put up spectacular numbers -- yet -- but both have NFL scouts drooling over their talent. Do both, or either, live up to their considerable preseason hype? Or maybe you prefer USC's Matt Barkley or Arizona's Nick Foles. Both have NFL talent and both have good supporting casts on offense. Oh, and Cal's Kevin Riley, UCLA's Kevin Prince and Washington State's Jeff Tuel are returning starters with plenty of capability. The competition for All-Pac-10 quarterback figures to be heated.

Quarterback questions: Two of the top three teams in the preseason media poll -- No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State -- are breaking in new quarterbacks. The Ducks said an early goodbye to potential Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiah Masoli, who's now at Ole Miss, and it's still not clear if senior Nate Costa or sophomore Darron Thomas will replace him. The Beavers are fired up about the big arm and athletic ability of Ryan Katz, but it's not easy playing TCU in Cowboys Stadium and at Boise State in two of your first three starts. Finally, Arizona State also hasn't figured out who will be its starting quarterback between Brock Osweiler and Steven Threet.

Is there a Heisman Trophy contender here? The Heisman Trophy hunt starts with Locker and Luck, and could include Barkley and Foles. But what about the running backs? Both Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers and Oregon's LaMichael James are All-American candidates and potential Doak Walker Award winners. And, you know, Rodgers' big brother, James, is a pretty fancy receiver, too. Or is there someone else, a dark horse who might emerge as Toby Gerhart did last year?

Is there a BCS title contender here? The Pac-10 hasn't played for a national championship since USC's bid to win three in a row fell just short in the 2005 title game. Based on the preseason rankings, it's not likely to happen in 2010: No conference team will begin the season ranked in the top 10. Oregon would have been viewed as a contender if Masoli were still around. And USC probably would have earned some mention -- mostly out of habit -- if it were eligible for the postseason. Based on how deep the Pac-10 is this year, it's going to be hard to lose just once -- much less go undefeated -- in conference play. So the conference champion might just have to settle on playing in the Rose Bowl once again.

After all the hullabaloo, can Lane Kiffin coach? Seems like everyone's got an opinion on Lane Kiffin, and most of them aren't too positive, to say the least. Even his defenders can't cite much from his body of work: a 5-15 record with the Oakland Raiders and a 7-6 mark in one season in Knoxville. But at some point there will be an accurate measure: wins and losses. If Kiffin wins, then he's a good coach. End of story. Further, if he leads USC out of major NCAA sanctions -- keeping his team motivated and competitive in the process -- then he will have accomplished something even a lot of good coaches couldn't. What to watch this season? Let's see how USC reacts after its first loss. If the Trojans fight all year -- unlike 2009 -- and win nine or 10 (or more?) games, then it might be time for Kiffin's critics to put a sock in it.

Extra credit: Pac-12 business? Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott and the conference athletic directors have plenty of off-field concerns to discuss this offseason, from how to split up the conference into divisions when Utah and Colorado join, to where to play a conference championship game, to how revenue will be distributed. Firm answers likely won't be revealed until October. Oh, and once they are answered, then Scott can focus all his attention at the A-No. 1 item on the agenda: A new broadcast deal and/or Pac-10 network, contracts that need to keep the conference competitive with the mega-money the Big Ten and SEC are raking in.

Only two Pac-10 teams entered fall camp not knowing who their starting quarterback would be: Oregon and Arizona State. That remains the case with just over three weeks until the season begins.

The process seems to have bogged down a bit at Arizona State, with Brock Osweiler and Steven Threet flashing ability but failing to be consistent (as for third option Samson Szakacsy: It's not good that his arm is giving him trouble again). Said coach Dennis Erickson to the Arizona Republic, "Like I told them today, we're still missing too many things. We're going to miss throws; that's a natural thing. But we're missing too many reads right now that we need to get better at."

Doug Haller also collected this telling and amusing quote from offensive tackle Dan Knapp "I really wish they would speed up the process and name a starter so everyone would stop worrying about it and the quarterbacks would stop stressing."

Osweiler started camp with what seemed like a slight lead, but the pecking seems even more of a toss-up today.

Same thing at Oregon, where senior Nate Costa and sophomore Darron Thomas continue to battle. Some writers are picking sides, but this one still seems too close to call even after the sorta-scrimmage Tuesday.

While Costa led all three TD drives in the redzone, that doesn't mean he had a decisively better day, writes Rob Moseley: "Thus, Costa did the superior job getting the offense into scoring position Tuesday. But Thomas had some explosive moments in the run game and was 25-of-35 passing by one unofficial tally; Costa was 18-of-35 on the day. Thomas, however, twice took sacks in the late-game scenarios."

So Thomas had perhaps slightly better numbers but made more mistakes. And didn't get into the endzone.

Ken Goe, thankfully back on the college football beat, throws up his hands and admits he has no idea who's going to win the job.

I've long though Costa would eventually earn the nod. Fans love playmaking upside, but my experience through the years is talented young QBs lose more games because of mistakes than they win with fancy playmaking. The Ducks aren't playing for the future. It's now-time for this team.

That said, I'm feeling more like Goe these days. The only guy who's got a clue on who will eventually get the call is coach Chip Kelly, and I'm not sure he's that close to anointing anyone.

Still, Kelly wants to name one guy, and that one guy will be challenged by a road trip to Tennessee in week two. Even if the Volunteers are down, that stadium is something else -- trust me on that.

Arizona State, on the other hand, might be better off taking advantage of its unusual schedule: Two games against FCS foes to start the season. Read: preseason games -- the Sun Devils aren't going to lose to either Portland State or Northern Arizona. It might be worthwhile then to play both quarterbacks and see how they manage things under fire for eight quarters, then name a starter for the tough road trip to Wisconsin.

As it is, it appears that both competitions won't be settled until the final week of preseason camp. If then.

The easiest Pac-10 quarterback to rank? California's Kevin Riley.

He falls just after the talented foursome who comprised the Pac-10 quarterbacks tour of the East Coast and just ahead of the quarterbacks who's resumes are middling, incomplete or nonexistent.

Jake Locker vs. Andrew Luck?A toss up.

Nick Foles vs. Matt Barkley? Foles had more touchdowns and fewer interceptions; Barkley had a higher rating.

And how do you rank Washington State's Jeff Tuel? He turned in a valiant effort and flashed potential in 2009 as a true freshman with absolutely no support. Should he rank higher than Oregon's Nate Costa, who has started just one career game and still may not end up as the Ducks No. 1 quarterback?

And what about Ryan Katz at Oregon State? I saw him during the spring. He's a good athlete with a gun. But he's never played a meaningful snap.

It's a bit of a cop-out to say experience must play a key role when ranking quarterbacks in the preseason but ... experience must play a key role when ranking quarterbacks in the preseason.

1. Jake Locker, Washington: He's big. He's fast. He's got a strong arm. He's a high-character guy and a great leader. He will be a first-round NFL draft pick. He tied for the Pac-10 lead with 21 touchdown passes in 2009. Only issue is getting his completion percentage higher than 60 percent.

2. Andrew Luck, Stanford: He's big. He's fast. He's got a strong arm. He's a high-character guy and a great leader. He will be a first-round NFL draft pick. Only issue is how his production will be affected when the opposing defense isn't obsessing about stopping Toby Gerhart. Led the conference in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman, but only threw 13 touchdown passes, which ranked seventh.

3. Nick Foles, Arizona: Word is that Foles' footwork and throwing mechanics will be much better in 2010, which likely means he'll throw more passes downfield. He's got the sort of supporting cast that could help him put up big numbers. While he faded a bit in 2009, he still threw 19 touchdown passes.

4. Matt Barkley, USC: Barkley is a major talent and he was nearly flawless during spring practices. But, though he was the conference's third-rated quarterback as a true freshman, he threw 14 interceptions -- most in the conference -- compared to 15 touchdowns.

5. Kevin Riley, California: Riley is 15-8 in 23 starts and is the conference's active career leader in touchdown passes with 37. He's had some nice games. And some that weren't so nice. The big issue: Consistent accuracy -- see a 54.2 career completion percentage. But senior Pac-10 quarterbacks often see the light in their final frame.

6. Kevin Prince, UCLA: The Orange County Register noted: "Over the second half of the 2009 season Prince’s passing yardage, touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio and quarterback efficiency rating were actually better than Barkley’s." Prince has the ability to be a first-flight quarterback. But there are still questions about how well he will run the new "Pistol" offense, which features a lot of options.

7. Jeff Tuel, Washington State: Tuel's first career action as a true freshman? At USC. His first start? At Oregon. Welcome to college football. Tuel started five games before a knee injury ended his season, but he still -- with little talent around him and terrible pass protection -- completed 58.7 percent of his passes with six touchdowns. In other words, he produced. Like when he completed 28 of 42 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns at California, the second-highest yardage total by a true freshman in school history behind Drew Bledsoe.

8. Nate Costa, Oregon: Costa was nine-of-17 for 82 yards in a 24-10 win at UCLA in 2009, his only career start, but before the 2008 season he was the touted heir-apparent to Dennis Dixon. He's smart, he's a survivor -- see three knee operations -- and he looked good this spring. Coach Chip Kelly thinks folks underestimate his ability to be a threat out of the spread-option. Of course, sophomore Darron Thomas might end up beating him out.

9. Ryan Katz, Oregon State: Katz, a redshirt sophomore, has the arm and athletic ability to one day become an All-Conference quarterback. But it's impossible to know how he'll react when the lights go on. Further, recent Beavers quarterbacks have struggled in their first years as a starter, from Matt Moore, to Sean Canfield, to Lyle Moevao (you could even throw Derek Anderson in there).

10. Brock Osweiler, Arizona State: While the Sun Devils quarterback competition is hardly resolved, it appears that Osweiler, a true sophomore, might have a slight lead. He made one start and saw spot action in 2009, completing 43.6 percent of his passes for 249 yards with two touchdowns and two picks. He's huge -- 6-foot-8, 242 pounds -- has a good arm and is a good athlete. Needs to improve his accuracy.

PASADENA, Calif. -- It's one thing to beat out USC for the Pac-10 title. It's another to change perception. Oregon did the first in 2009, and it opens 2010 seemingly doing the second by earning the top spot in the preseason Pac-10 media poll.

For the first time in seven years, a team other than USC is the favorite.

But there's a third step for Oregon: Replacing the now wounded Trojans as the lead dog -- lead Duck? -- in the Pac-10 pecking order. To do that the Ducks need only repeat as champs in a conference that features seven teams, that at least one reporter, deemed worthy of a first-place vote.

The Ducks can't motivate themselves by trying to prove their doubters wrong, an approach many coaches and players adopt when they are unhappy with the perch in media polls. They can't claim they are being disrespected. They are the favorites.

"What do you say when you're on top?" defensive tackle Brandon Bair said with a shrug.

Oh, but you know what they do say: Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. Or not.

"Preseason rankings don’t mean anything to us," coach Chip Kelly said.

Thing is, Oregon might have been an overwhelming favorite instead of just nipping USC by three points and three first-place votes -- one pollster even dumped the Ducks into ninth place. If Jeremiah Masoli hadn't thrown what had been an outstanding career into the dumpster, he would have been hanging out in New York this week with the other Pac-10 quarterbacks, answering a hundred questions about his Heisman Trophy candidacy.

As it is, the Ducks still have 18 starters back and appear deeper and faster than any other team in the conference. But quarterbacks are, you know, important.

"It’s always a question mark when you lose your quarterback," Kelly said. "We have two competent players in Nate Costa and Darron Thomas who will battle it out in preseason camp."

Bair said the Ducks are treating Masoli's, er, departure like a graduation -- next guy steps up. But Bair rejected the notion that it's "Rose Bowl or bust" for the new conference frontrunners. Sort of.

"I'm not going to say Rose Bowl or bust -- I'm shooting for Arizona," Bair said. "If we can be the best that we can, the Rose Bowl is the worst that can happen to us."

Arizona, by the way, is the site of this year's national title game.