College Football Nation: Syd'Quan Thompson
2002: No. 9 Washington (finished 7-6)
2001: No. 11 Oregon State (finished 5-6)
2009: No. 12 Cal (finished 8-5)
Easy to remember each of those teams.
The 2002 Huskies featured quarterback Cody Pickett, who passed for 4,458 yards that season, and wide receiver Reggie Williams. The season began with a last-second loss at Michigan due to a massive coaching blunder that cost the Huskies the game. Said then-coach Rick Neuheisel: "We switched substitution groups, which we're going to kick ourselves about for a thousand years."
The Huskies seemed to lose their mojo, but they then rallied for three consecutive wins to finish the regular season -- Neuheisel memorably created the "Northwest Championship" -- over Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State to earn bowl eligibility.
That Oregon State team was touted -- Sports Illustrated ranked the Beavers preseason No. 1 -- after an 11-1 finish in 2000, with quarterback Jonathan Smith and running back Ken Simonton returning. Things immediately fell apart with a blowout loss at Fresno State. A 1-3 start, in fact, featured a 38-7 home loss to UCLA.
As for Cal, at least one writer [insert uncomfortable cough] celebrated the 2009 Bears as a potential national title contender. (They were stacked with talent: backs Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen, defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Tyson Alualu, linebackers Mike Mohamed and Devin Bishop, cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson, etc.) After a 3-0 start, the Bears headed to Oregon ranked sixth.
SPLAT! Cal goes down 42-3. The next weekend, just in case we didn't get the message, USC ripped the Bears 30-3 in Berkeley. Suffice it to say, there was nothing subtle about Cal's unmasking.
Here's this year's preseason top 10. So who becomes the bust this year?
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. LSU
5. Boise State
6. Florida State
7. Stanford
8. Texas A&M
9. Oklahoma State
10. Nebraska
Pac-10 deep & thin: Stocked and depleted positions
(By the way, some of you wondered about QB. The Pac-10 is, without question, the nation's deepest conference in terms of quarterbacks -- and it would have been deeper if not for a certain Duck making a very, very poor decision. But that's so obvious and been written about so much that we're not including it in this three-part package).
Deep: Running back
Rick Scuteri/US PresswireJacquizz Rodgers is one of several talented running backs returning to the Pac-10 this season.The big names: Start with Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers, the conference's top Heisman Trophy candidate, and Oregon's LaMichael James, who has All-American potential. They combined for just under 3,000 yards and 35 TDs in 2009. Then there's Washington's Chris Polk (1,113 yards rushing), California's Shane Vereen (952 yards, 12 TDs) and Arizona's Nic Grigsby, who rushed for 1,153 yards in 2008. The Wildcats, in fact, have their top four rushers back, including Keola Antolin, who's rushed for over 1,100 yards and 14 TDs over the past two seasons. USC and UCLA are both experienced in the backfield and have highly rated freshmen recruits who figure to be in the mix, particularly USC's Dillon Baxter, who was spectacular this spring. Washington State has three of its top four rushers back.
Thin: Cornerback
Why is it thin? Three of the four All-Pac-10 cornerbacks are gone: UCLA's Alterraun Verner, California's Syd'Quan Thompson and USC's Kevin Thomas. Each of them were NFL draft picks. Only second-teamer Trevin Wade of Arizona returns. In fact, only one returning CB even earned honorable mention all-conference recognition (Washington's Desmond Trufant). Only Oregon, Stanford and Washington welcome back both starting CBs from 2009, and each of them is hardly settled at the position after spring practices. Arizona State and USC are replacing both corners, though the return of Omar Bolden from injury and Shareece Wright from academic ineligibility should bolster the Sun Devils and Trojans, respectively.
Fill the void? Wright might turn out to be the conference's best cover corner and a top NFL draft pick. Wade had five interceptions last year and could earn national attention. Bolden had a great spring after missing last season with an injury and suffering through a disappointing sophomore year. Trufant, UCLA's Sheldon Price, USC's Torin Harris and Oregon's Cliff Harris are youngsters who might break through. Oregon's Talmadge Jackson and Oregon State's James Dockery are veterans who could take the next step.
Pac-10: Biggest shoes to fill in 2010
Here are the biggest shoes to fill in the Pac-10 with spring practices just around the corner.
Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
How do you replace the best running back in the nation, a guy who scored 28 touchdowns and rushed for 1,871 yards? You don't. Those sorts don't come around every season.
The Contenders: Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gafney will get first crack, as well as Jeremy Stewart, who's coming back from a knee injury. Incoming freshman Anthony Wilkerson could be a dark horse.
Sean Canfield, QB, Oregon State
The first-team All-Pac-10 quarterback became an NFL prospect during a strong senior season. He led the conference with 3,271 yards passing and 21 touchdowns, which tied with Washington's Jake Locker.
The Contenders: This will be a showdown between Ryan Katz and Peter Lalich this spring, with Katz starting as the leader.
Brian Price, DT, UCLA
Price could be an NFL first-round draft pick. He led the Pac-10 with 23.5 tackles for a loss in 2009. 'Nuff said.
The Contenders: Good question. The Bruins are perilously thin here, considering both tackles need to be replaced and only senior David Carter has much experience. The answers here might be in the Bruins' recruiting class.
Syd'Quan Thompson, CB, California
The Cal secondary was a huge disappointment this season, but Thompson, a four-year starter and two-time first-team All-Pac-10 performer, was mostly his usually stellar self.
The Contenders: Will Darian Hagan step up in his senior season? Perhaps the answer is sophomore Josh Hill? Or maybe a redshirt guy? The Bears only signed one player listed as a corner in their most recent recruiting class. Expect there to be a lot of competition here this spring.
Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, DE, Washington
Te'o-Nesheim, a high-motor guy who started four years and earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors his final two seasons, ranking third in the conference with 9.5 sacks.
The Contenders: Considering the other end, Darrion Jones, also is gone, the Huskies will trend young here. Andru Pulu was listed behind Te'o-Nesheim on the depth chart, with Talia Crichton and Kalani Aldrich on the other side. There also will be opportunities for younger players here.
Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon
Dickson not only was the Ducks' second-leading receiver with 42 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns, the matchup problems he presented forced defenses to scheme specifically for him. That helps an offense in ways that aren't accounted for in statistics.
The Contenders: Junior David Paulson was Dickson's backup last year, and he had some nice moments, but he's no Dickson. JC transfer Brandon Williams and touted incoming freshman Curtis White will be in the mix here.
Kenny Alfred, C, Washington State
Alfred, a four-year starter, was a good player on a bad -- and beaten up -- line. His brain as well as his physical ability will be hard to replace.
The Contenders: Walk-on junior Chris Prummer was listed as Alfred's backup -- largely due to injury -- but Andrew Roxas, who redshirted this year after contracting viral hepatitis, is probably the leader here, though Steven Ayers could move inside to challenge him. Or there could be some reshuffling.
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl preview
WHO TO WATCH: Cal quarterback Kevin Riley. Riley stood on the sidelines last year and watched Nate Longshore play terribly in the Bears' Emerald Bowl win over Miami. He was on the bench because of inconsistency, and that's still his biggest problem. Cal averaged 29 points per game this year but only 10 points per game in its four losses. Not all of that, of course, falls on Riley -- heck, the Bears lost those four by an average of nearly 29 points; it wasn't just one guy. But it's hard to imagine that if Riley comes out sharp, the Bears' chances won't be greatly enhanced.
WHAT TO WATCH: The consensus thinking entering the season was that Cal owned one of the nation's best secondaries. The crew didn't live up to the hype, ranking seventh in the Pac-10 in pass efficiency defense, with opponents completing 63 percent of their throws. Utah, however, isn't a great passing team. It decided to make a quarterback switch eight games into the season to true freshman Jordan Wynn, who's done some good things but has completed only 50 percent of his passes over the last three games. It's likely that cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson will see a lot of action opposite the Utes' best receiver, David Reed. It's unlikely the Utes will be able to run all over the Bears' solid rushing defense. They will have to throw, and that's a battle the Bears need to win.
WHY TO WATCH: First off, aren't you curious which Cal team shows up? You might get the one that was once ranked sixth in the country and whipped Arizona and Stanford. Or you might get the one that lost by 32 points at Washington. Second, it's a good matchup. The winner will end up nationally ranked and will feel fairly good about its season. The loser will not.
PREDICTION: California, 28-24. As we've said before: Golden Bears, why can't we quit you? The simple fact is Cal has better players. If they show up with a sound plan and play hard, they should win. The Bears have shown some resilience this year when folks are counting them out, winning five of six after getting bludgeoned on consecutive weekends by Oregon and USC. The humbling debacle at Washington should serve as motivation. Bears, do you really want to go out as losers in 2009?
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
A rough road game experience? Shoot, Syd'Quan Thompson can tell his California teammates all about that. The humbling the Bears took at Maryland last year? That was nothing.
In 2006, Thompson was a redshirt freshman thrust into duty because starting cornerback Tim Mixon had suffered a season-ending knee injury. Thompson, sporting a bulbous cast on an injured hand, walked out in front of 107,000 orange-clad fans at Tennessee and looked across the line at future NFL first-round draft pick Robert Meachem.
Yikes.
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| James Lang/US Presswire | |
| Since 2006, Jeff Tedford's Bears are just 5-11 on the road. |
And Meachem just flat cleaned Thompson's clock as the Volunteers jumped ahead 35-zip. The 35-18 final count doesn't do justice to just how horribly wrong the day went for what turned out to be a good Cal team, one that finished 10-3 and then would stomp the Vols the next year in Berkeley.
That game, however, is Point A of Cal's road woes.
In coach Jeff Tedford's first four seasons -- 2002 to 2005 -- the Bears were 14-9 on the road. Away from the West Coast, they were 5-2.
But, including that ill-fated date in Knoxville, the Bears are 5-11 on the road since 2006, including a pair of beatdowns in the (cue shower scene music from "Psycho") Eastern Time Zone.
In both 2006 and 2008, the Bears' only defeats came on the road.
Now might be a good time to mention that No. 8 Cal visits Minnesota on Saturday, which is in the Central Time Zone, but the kickoff time -- noon EST -- means it will feel like breakfast for the Bears.
Yikes.
That "yikes" is not about the game time. That's about asking Tedford about what appears to be his least favorite topic this week.
"I think whatever the announcers say on TV gets on everybody's mind," he huffed.
Tedford doesn't buy the notion that his team struggles on the road or the idea that the Bears were still asleep at kickoff against Maryland, a 35-27 defeat that wasn't as close as the score suggests.
"We got down 14 points early and it must have been because we were sleeping," he said. "We were sleeping, but it wasn't because of when we flew in. I don't believe that."
Ah, but Tedford isn't stubborn. The Bears will fly into Minneapolis on Thursday in order to get an extra day to adapt to the mysterious effects a couple of hours difference on a clock can make on a Pac-10 team.
"I don't want to be hard-headed about it," Tedford said. "I want to give it a shot and see what that's all about and see if it's better."
Thompson is fairly chill about the whole thing. In fact, Thompson is fairly chill about nearly everything. That goes a long way toward explaining why he shook off that horrible debut and became a 41-game starter, a first-team All-Pac-10 player and an All-American candidate.
"Playing that first game -- that was the loudest place I've played in -- but having that experience helped me a lot," he said. "Now I have the ability to cancel the fans out and concentrate on my technique and my assignments."
Experience helps on the road. Cal has seven starters back on offense and eight back on defense as well as both specialists. So there will be no excuse if they go splat against the Golden Gophers.
"We’ve just got to focus," running back Jahvid Best said. "We’re not going to have our crowd backing us, and it’s not going to be our atmosphere, but at the end of the day the only thing that matters is what happens on the field. It shouldn't be too much of a difference for us.”
Minnesota is an experienced team, too. It welcomes back 17 starters, including Eric Decker, who is one of the best receivers in the country.
Thompson figures to see plenty of Decker, who, at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, has a big size advantage on the 5-foot-9, 191-pound senior. In fact, Meachem and Decker are almost exactly the same size.
Hmm.
Thompson didn't seem too worked up.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge," he said.
Thompson, now a wily veteran, understands road woes. So do his veteran teammates. It remains to be seen whether they can avoid them and live up to the high expectations that surround their team.
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
As a UCLA observer wryly noted, ESPN.com has Bruins cornerback Alterraun Verner as a first-team All-American, while the Pac-10 blog had California's Syd'Quan Thompson and Oregon's Walter Thurmond III as the first-team All-Pac-10 corners.
Yes, there were coin flips involved. There are a lot of good cornerbacks in this conference.
Fact is, the guy who deserves to gripe the most is Arizona's underrated Devin Ross, who was second-team All-Pac-10 a year ago yet seems to be operating in the shadows.
- California: Might be the best pair in the nation. Two accomplished, full-time starting cornerbacks from 2008 -- senior Thompson (first-team All-Pac-10) and junior Darian Hagan -- return from a statistically impressive pass defense (24 Ints vs. 12 TD passes).
- USC: There are questions here -- is Shareece Wright going to be: 1. healthy; 2. eligible -- but even if Josh Pinkard has to move from safety back to corner, the Trojans are strong here based on pure athleticism.
- Arizona: We've mentioned Ross, but Trevin Wade, who steps in for the departed Marquis Hundley, tied Hundley for the team lead with four interceptions in 2008.
- UCLA: Verner is as good as anybody in the country, and expectations are high for redshirt freshman Aaron Hester.
- Oregon: Coach Chip Kelly tells anyone who will listen that Thurmond is the Ducks best player. Talmadge Jackson and Willie Glasper are 1A and 1B veterans on the opposite side.
- Arizona State: Omar Bolden expects to bounce back after a sub-par 2008 season. A troublesome back has returning starter Terell Carr now listed as second-team, with former walk-on Pierre Singfield now No. 1. Safety Clint Floyd might even see action at corner.
- Oregon State: The Beavers are replacing both cornerbacks but a strong preseason from Tim Clark and James Dockery ended a lot of hand-wringing over the issue. There's also solid depth.
- Washington State: The Cougars pass defense wasn't that bad last year, but that might have been because the run defense was horrible. Things are not completely set here. Brandon Jones will start if his ankle is OK, while Aire Justin is the frontrunner opposite him.
- Stanford: Richard Sherman and Corey Gatewood should upgrade the Cardinal's pass defense, but Sherman was a receiver in 2008 and Gatewood was injured. And Stanford was terrible against the pass last year.
- Washington: Speaking of terrible against the pass... the Huskies allowed opponents to complete 67 percent of their passes and surrendered 24 TD passes with just seven interceptions in 2008. Quinton Richardson will man one side while the uncertain health of redshirt freshman Justin Glenn means true freshman Desmond Trufant or junior Vonzell McDowell will start on the other side.
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
It's never easy to put a preseason all-conference list together. Should you project forward or look back? How do you choose between three A-list cornerbacks or leave off a couple of deserving defensive ends?
Perhaps this list will be much different by mid-December.
QB Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon
RB Jahvid Best, California
RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
WR Damian Williams, USC
WR James Rodgers, Oregon State
TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
C Kristofer O'Dowd, USC
OG Jeff Byers, USC
OG Colin Baxter, Arizona
OT Charles Brown, USC
OT Shawn Lauvao, Arizona State
K Kai Forbath, UCLA
DE Will Tukuafu, Oregon
DT Brian Price, UCLA
DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State
DE Dexter Davis, Arizona State
LB Keaton Kristick, Oregon State
LB Reggie Carter, UCLA
LB Mike Nixon, Arizona State
CB Walter Thurmond, Oregon
CB Syd'Quan Thompson, California
FS Taylor Mays, USC
SS Cam Nelson, Arizona
P Bryan Anger, California
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
We've discussed positions of concern a lot. But where are teams (almost) worry-free?
Here are some spots.
USC's offensive line: The Trojans welcome back all five starters, including the nation's best center, Kristofer O'Dowd. And, oh by the way, super-sophomore Tyron Smith might displace returning starter Butch Lewis at tackle. The Trojans averaged 195 yards rushing per game last year and surrendered only 18 sacks, fewest in the conference.
California's secondary: All four starters are back, including first-team All-Pac-10 cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson, from a unit that finished third in the nation with 24 interceptions and ranked sixth in pass efficiency defense. And the backups are so good that a couple of returning starters are hearing footsteps.
USC's secondary: Start with Taylor Mays and Josh Pinkard, the best safety combination in the nation -- though Pinkard played corner last year. Sure, two starters -- Kevin Ellison and Cary Harris -- are gone. But three players -- safety Will Harris and corners Shareece Wright and Kevin Thomas -- have starting experience. And a couple of the youngsters turned in impressive springs.
Oregon State's quarterbacks: The Beavers have two successful starting quarterbacks in Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao, though Moevao is coming back from shoulder surgery. They also have an impressive No. 3 in redshirt freshman Ryan Katz, and Virginia transfer Peter Lalich is a wildcard who had disappeared before coming up big in the spring game. His questionable attitude won't help him climb the depth chart, though.
UCLA's tight ends: Ryan Moya earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors last year, and he was Logan Paulsen's backup until Paulsen's season ended with a foot injury in the opener against Tennessee. The Bruins also like sophomore Cory Harkey, and then there's touted freshman Morrell Presley, who's more a hybrid receiver-tight end. Lots of options here. Just got to get them the ball.
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
Optimism is a powerful thing. And spring is a time for renewal. So this is a "Best of" list, without any of the "Negative Nellie" stuff.
Best spring game performance by a quarterback: Stanford redshirt freshman Andrew Luck all but won the starting quarterback job over incumbent Tavita Pritchard after completing 18 of 25 passes for 352 yards and five touchdowns to lead the White team to a 42-17 victory over the Cardinal.
Best spring game performance by a quarterback II: Washington quarterback Jake Locker seemed fine working in a pro-style offense after completing 16 of 18 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. The two incompletions, by the way, were drops.
Best spring game performance by two quarterbacks: Oregon's Jeremiah Masoli and Justin Roper combined to complete 37 of 56 passes for 516 yards and five touchdowns and neither threw an interception in the Ducks' spring game. Perhaps it was the rainy weather only fit for a Duck?
Best spring, overall, by a quarterback: Under intense, national scrutiny ,USC's Aaron Corp threw only one interception throughout spring practices and was consistently solid throughout the session, which earned him the nod as the Trojans No. 1 quarterback over spectacular freshman Matt Barkley entering the offseason. Under coach Pete Carroll, every previous Trojan quarterback who had been tapped No. 1 out of spring started the season opener.
Best performance by a true freshman: Barkley made the recruiting gurus who ranked him No. 1 look smart.
Best spring game on defense: Talk about a penetrating performance. USC's backup defensive end Nick Perry had six tackles for loss, including four sacks, among his seven tackles. Yeah, USC's defense is going to be hurting in 2009.
Best spring on defense: Six guys stood out: Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond III, UCLA's tackle Brian Price, Oregon State tackle Stephen Paea, Arizona State defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, Arizona linebacker Vuna Tuihalamaka and USC linebacker Malcolm Smith.
Best surprise: USC transfer and notorious underachiever Jamere Holland suddenly decided to become Oregon's best deep threat and turned in an outstanding spring. Golly, sometimes listening to your coaches helps.
Best breakout: While California has questions at receiver, the general feeling is sophomore Marvin Jones is almost certainly one of the answers.
Best 'it's about time' breakout: USC's Everson Griffen might be the nation's most talented pass-rusher, but his high-performance engine has also been a high-maintenance engine. Yet his effort and intensity were consistentthis spring, which meant no one could block him.
Best comeback: California offensive tackle Mike Tepper has been through a lot, but he's hoping his sixth year will just be about anchoring a line with a lot of upside. Read Tepper's story here.
Best comeback II: Got a funny -- mean, but funny -- note during the 2008 season that instructed the Pac-10 blog to refer to Oregon State receiver Darrell Catchings as Darrell Droppings. Can't do that now because Catchings lived up to his name -- the real one -- this spring.
Best position change: Arizona sophomore Robert Golden, a marquee 2008 recruit, switched from cornerback to strong safety this spring, and early word is he could become an All-Conference player at his new position. The move further allowed the Wildcats to switch Cam Nelson to free safety from strong and get Trevin Wade on the field to complement Devin Ross at corner.
Best coaching decision: Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh wants his best 11 on the field at any given time, and he's willing to get creative to do it. That's why he's got a handful of guys playing both ways, including Owen Marecic (fullback and middle linebacker), Michael Thomas (cornerback and receiver), Richard Sherman (cornerback and receiver) and Alex Debniak (linebacker and running back). Will it work? We'll see. But it's undoubtedly interesting.
Best candidate for a karmic change: No team had worse injury issues this spring than Washington State, which is clearly in the midst of a major rebuilding project. Then promising defensive end Cory Mackay, who'd impressed this spring, suffered a serious back injury after he fell asleep at the wheel of his car. The Cougars are overdue for some luck. Perhaps it arrives this fall?
Best catch of the spring: You may have already watched this grab. Watch Arizona State receiver Kerry Taylor one more time. It's worth it.
Best position in conference: The Pac-10 might have the nation's best collection of talent in the secondary, with USC and California boasting units that should rank among the nation's best. Consider: FS Taylor Mays (USC), SS T.J. Ward (Oregon), SS Josh Pinkard (USC), CB Walter Thurmond III (Oregon), CB Alterraun Verner (UCLA), CB Syd'Quan Thompson (California), CB Devin Ross (Arizona), CB Omar Bolden (Arizona State), FS Rahim Moore (UCLA), CB Shareece Wright (USC), among others.
Best position in conference II: Five running backs who eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2008 are back, led by California's Jahvid Best and Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers.
Best potentially surprising position: If you talked about good Pac-10 defensive linemen in recent years, you were basically talking about USC. Not in 2009. Nine of the Pac-10's top 30 players, at least by, er, one person's accounting, are defensive linemen, and that list included only one player from USC (Griffen, at No. 30) and didn't include Cal's Cameron Jordan.
Best quote: "How do we go from nine to one?" said Chip Kelly on what he believes are his marching orders as Oregon's new coach. "Nine" is where the Ducks finished last y
ear in the final coaches' poll.
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
No. 8
Syd'Quan Thompson, CB, California: Remember Thompson's dubious debut? In front of 107,000 hostiles at Tennessee. As a redshirt freshman. With a cast on his injured hand. Against future NFL first-round draft pick Robert Meachem. That just couldn't go well and it didn't. The spotlight shone bright and Thompson yielded two big-play touchdowns as Cal wilted. It could have crushed him. But, instead, Thompson, a budding four-year starter, came back strong and became a first-team All-Pac-10 cornerback as a junior after recording 70 tackles -- 7.5 for a loss -- with 14 passes broken up and four interceptions. He also ranked fourth in the conference in punt returns (12.3 yards per return), including a 73-yard jaunt for a score. He ain't big, at 5-foot-9, but he's a solid 191 pounds and he can flat cover. He'll be the anchor of one of the nation's top secondaries, which welcomes back all four starters from a unit that ranked third in the nation with 24 interceptions and ranked sixth in pass efficiency defense. Despite his lack of ideal height, he'll likely be a first-day NFL draft pick.
9. Jeremiah Masoli, QB, Oregon
10. Walter Thurmond, CB, Oregon
11. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
12. Joe McKnight, RB, USC
13. Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona State
14. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon
15. Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA
16. Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon
17. Charles Brown, OT, USC
18. Will Tukuafu, DE, Oregon
19. Josh Pinkard, DB, USC
20. Reggie Carter, LB, UCLA
21. Stafon Johnson, RB, USC
22. James Rodgers, WR, Oregon State
23. Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, DE, Washington
24. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State; Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
25. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
26. Tyson Alualu, DE, California
27. Devin Ross, CB, Arizona
28. Keaton Kristick, LB, Oregon State
29. Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona
30. Everson Griffen, DE, USC
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
And so it begins. Pause for a moment and imagine yourself 14 weeks hence. Are you smiling? Love the optimism!
- It's the worst-case scenario for Oregon QB Nate Costa -- knee injury ends his second-consecutive season. You may not like the Ducks, but it's hard to be unsympathetic to this guy -- a great talent who deserves a break. A look at those scheming coordinators. Three questions for Mike Bellotti -- with video!
- Don't Tase me, man! The 'Zona Zoo stadium policy for Arizona games hopefully will be clearer this season. The Wildcats new special-teams coach isn't new to the Wildcats. The offense is hoping for successful drives, but this guy knows a thing or two about doing those drives fast.
- Arizona State may sit starting TB Keegan Herring against Northern Arizona. Here's how to keep up with the progress of former Sun Devils coach (and all-around great guy) Bruce Snyder, who's battling cancer. Noting the Sun Devils. Hey, Coach, you guys need a long-snapper? Er, yeah.
- A California preview. Concerns from Wednesday's practice: Are CB Syd'Quan Thompson and WR Michael Calvin healthy? Ray Ratto takes a look at Bay Area college football and the types of faith on either side of the Bay Bridge.
- The Oregonian's College Football Preview. Oregon State QB Lyle Moevao is playing it cool. It's going to be hot at Stanford, perhaps in more ways than one, because the Beavers are hoping for a fast start.
- A Stanford preview. The Cardinal have some questions at WR. The keys to success. And 10 things to watch for in the Standford-OSU game.
- UCLA's Rick Neuheisel has a plan. Part of that plan is probably for DT Brian Price to terrorize offenses. Price suffered through a lot of pain before arriving in Westwood. It appears OT Micah Kia will be able to start against Tennessee with a cast on his injured hand. Here's how starting QB Kevin Craft ended up at UCLA. Practice notes.
- If USC QB Mark Sanchez goes down, it will be Aaron Corp coming in, not Mitch Mustain. Some reaction from Mustain. Checking in with Taylor Mays. And Virginia's 3-4 defense will be a good preview for California's new look.
- At Washington, a former walk-on will replace E.J. Savannah at LB. It's urgency time for Tyrone Willingham. A good way to improve: Stop the second-half meltdowns, which might happen with a more savvy, experienced Jake Locker. Noting Wednesday's practice. Success depends on a handful of freshmen growing up quickly.
- Bud Withers considers how long Washington State's Paul Wulff will need to adjust to Pac-10 football. He also looks at fifth-year senior QB Gary Rogers. T
he Cougars like playing a game in Seattle. From an unrecruited walk-on to Cougars OL starter, that's the short trip for local product Brian Danaher. - Will 2008 be nearly as nutty as 2007? We shall see. Jake Curtis previews the Pac-10. So does Jonathan Okanes here.
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