Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
Our final position ranking: punter.
Ranking the bottom guys was difficult because four teams have new punters and all four seemed to have had good camps.
Our final position ranking: punter.
Ranking the bottom guys was difficult because four teams have new punters and all four seemed to have had good camps.
- California: Bryan Anger is might be the nation's best punter. He's got a huge leg and did-you-see-that? hang time. He averaged 43.7 yards per punt and led the Pac-10 with 25 boots killed inside the 20.
- Arizona: Keenyn Crier actually averaged better than Anger: 44.0 yards per punt. He also could get some national recognition.
- Arizona State: Thomas Weber is not a great punter -- he's a kicker first -- but he's a good one and he's experienced.
- Washington State: Reid Forrest punted 77 times last year, so you know his 41.2-yard average was legit. Also: none were blocked.
- Oregon State: Johnny Hekker struggled during the regular season, ranking eighth in the conference with a 38.6 average, but he averaged 45 yards on 10 boots in the Sun Bowl.
- Stanford: David Green averaged just under 40 yards per boot in 2008, but he won the job again.
- UCLA: Redshirt freshman Jeff Locke was behind the outstanding Aaron Perez last year, and he looked like Perez during much of camp with 50-yard boots and great hang time.
- Oregon: Some recruiting services ranked Jackson Rice the No. 1 prep punter in the nation in 2008, and he beat out junior Tim Taylor with a solid camp performance.
- Washington: This ranking shouldn't disturb Huskies fans because Will Mahan evidently has lived up to his high billing as a touted JC transfer during camp. He likely will be an upgrade from Jared Ballman.
- USC: Junior Billy O'Malley beat out touted JC transfer Jacob Harfman because of his quick release. Harfman has a bigger foot. The problem here is O'Malley didn't previously beat out the departed Greg Woidneck, who ranked last in the conference with a 36.9 average in 2008.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Ted Miller
Miller has been covering college football since 1997, starting with Auburn and then heading West to Washington and the Pac-12. His columns for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer won first place in the 2007 APSE Best Writing contest. The Atlanta native and University of Richmond graduate presently lives with his wife in Scottsdale, Ariz.
PAC-12 SCOREBOARD
Saturday, 12/17
Final Temple 37 Wyoming 15 Final Ohio 24 Utah State 23 Final San Diego State 30 Louisiana-Lafayette 32
Tuesday, 12/20
Wednesday, 12/21
Final 18 TCU 31 Louisiana Tech 24
Thursday, 12/22
Saturday, 12/24
Final Nevada 17 21 Southern Miss 24
Monday, 12/26
Tuesday, 12/27
Final Western Michigan 32 Purdue 37 Final Louisville 24 North Carolina State 31
Wednesday, 12/28
Final Toledo 42 Air Force 41 Final California 10 24 Texas 21
Thursday, 12/29
Final Florida State 18 Notre Dame 14 Final Washington 56 12 Baylor 67
Friday, 12/30
Final Brigham Young 24 Tulsa 21 Final Rutgers 27 Iowa State 13 Final Mississippi State 23 Wake Forest 17 Final Iowa 14 14 Oklahoma 31
Saturday, 12/31
Final Texas A&M 33 Northwestern 22 Final/OT Georgia Tech 27 Utah 30 Final Illinois 20 UCLA 14 Final Cincinnati 31 Vanderbilt 24 Final Virginia 24 25 Auburn 43
Monday, 1/2
Final 19 Houston 30 22 Penn State 14 Final Ohio State 17 Florida 24 Final/3OT 17 Michigan State 33 16 Georgia 30 Final 20 Nebraska 13 9 South Carolina 30 Final 10 Wisconsin 38 5 Oregon 45 Final/OT 4 Stanford 38 3 Oklahoma State 41
Tuesday, 1/3
Final/OT 13 Michigan 23 11 Virginia Tech 20
Wednesday, 1/4
Final 23 West Virginia 70 15 Clemson 33
Friday, 1/6
Final 8 Kansas State 16 6 Arkansas 29
Saturday, 1/7
Sunday, 1/8
Monday, 1/9
PAC-12 TEAM COVERAGE
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