ESPN College Football

We continue our series taking a closer look at each Pac-12 team's nonconference schedule.

Arizona State

Sacramento State, Sept. 5

• Coach: Marshall Sperbeck (30-37), seventh year
• 2012 record: 6-5, 4-4 Big Sky
• Offensive headliner: Running back Ezekiel Graham is the top offensive threat, rushing for 861 yards and five touchdowns last season. Not huge numbers, but he also makes his mark as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 40 balls for 406 yards and two touchdowns last year.
• Defensive headliner: Linebacker Todd Davis has led the Hornets in tackles the past couple of seasons and there's little reason to think he won't again. He posted 103 tackles last year -- including an impressive 13.5 for a loss.
• The skinny: Not to worry. It's just an FCS team, right? Well, considering the Hornets have beaten Pac-12 teams in back-to-back years, that should at least perk the ears of ASU up a little bit. They topped Oregon State 29-28 in overtime in 2011 and then a year later beat Colorado, 30-28, on a walk-off field goal by a walk-on kicker. The chance of an upset isn't likely. But the history suggests enough to not sleepwalk through this game.

Wisconsin, Sept. 14

• Coach: Gary Andersen, first year
• Returning starters: eight offense, six defense
• 2012 record: 8-6, 4-4 Big Ten
• Offensive headliner: Wide receiver Jared Abbrederis headlines a pretty deep wide receiving corps. A first-team All Big Ten selection last year, he caught 49 balls for 837 yards and five touchdowns. The former walk-on QB is tops among all active FBS players with an average of 16.7 yards per catch. He's also a dangerous punt returner.
• Defensive headliner: Linebacker Chris Borland needs 144 tackles this season to become Wisconsin's all-time leader. He's forced 14 career fumbles -- the most in school history and most among active NCAA players.
• The skinny: Andersen was a hot name among potential Pac-12 coaching vacancies, but last year's WAC coach of the year instead ended up in the land of cheese. Last year the Badgers became the third Big Ten team to play in three consecutive Rose Bowls -- though they lost all three, including to Stanford last season and Oregon in 2011-2012. New offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig also has strong ties to the Pac-12, having worked at Cal, Utah and Oregon.

Notre Dame, Oct. 5 (In Arlington, Texas)

• Coach: Brian Kelly (28-10), fourth year
• Returning starters: six offense, eight defense
• 2012 record: 12-1 Independent
• Offensive headliner: Skill position players are more fun to talk about, but left tackle Zack Martin will be starting for the fourth straight year and he's a captain. Watching him against ASU's defensive front will be a great game within the game.
• Defensive headliner: Take your pick between defensive end Stephon Tuitt or noseguard Louis Nix. Both are elite playmakers and present a defensive front that rivals the talent and athleticism of ASU's.
• The skinny: The last time we saw Notre Dame, it was getting run up and down the field by Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. But before that, the Irish were perfect -- including wins over Stanford and USC. Though they tiptoed through quite a few rain drops along the way -- and haven't had the quietest of offseasons -- this should be a game of national interest. Both teams will have already played tough games (ASU: Wisconsin, at Stanford, USC; Notre Dame: at Michigan, Oklahoma) but a potential meeting of Top-25 teams on a neutral site will draw plenty of intrigue.

Thoughts: No, I don't think Sacramento State will make it three in a row. ASU should out-distance and out-muscle the FCS squad fairly early. But the rest of the nonconference slate will get the Sun Devils some national attention. The Wisconsin game is intriguing. But because what the Sun Devils bring to the table -- that's a very winnable game. Notre Dame is the really interesting one. Not only because of the little bit of nastiness that's built up between the programs in recent weeks, but because it's on a neutral site and it comes after three straight games against Wisconsin, at Stanford and home to USC. That's a brutal gauntlet that could either propel ASU into the national spotlight or leave them scrambling to pick up the pieces. A 3-0 record is very possible. Going 2-1 is probable and 1-2 is the worst-case scenario (we're not even putting 0-3 on the table).

More lists. More fun. More fodder. More debate.

Sporting News has released its list of the top 25 players in college football -- and the Pac-12 is well-represented.

The SEC boasts nine of the top 25, with the Pac-12 right behind with seven of the 25.

Their methodology is based on college performance and pro potential -- not just potential draft stock.

Here are the Pac-12 players along with their rankings.

No. 2: Marqise Lee, WR, USC

No. 6: Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State

No. 8: Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA

No. 14: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

No. 20: Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona

No. 22: De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon

No. 23: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

Thoughts

Later this summer the Pac-12 blog will release its annual preseason Top 25 of the players in the conference. It's safe to assume all seven of these players will be on that list. But there are a few absent from their list that -- I would hope -- received a lot of consideration. Among them, Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (there are no tight ends on their list, but he's tops at his position), Stanford guard David Yankey (no guards on their list, but he's tops at his position) and Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.

Top 25 lists are hard to make -- and everyone has their own units of measurement. There never will be a perfect list -- except for the one in our minds. With that said, the Sporting News list has two cornerbacks listed -- and neither of them are Ekpre-Olomu. Watch Rod Gilmore's take and you'll see he rates the Oregon cornerback above No. 19 Florida's Loucheiz Purifoy (who doesn't even make Gilmore's top five list of cornerbacks) and No. 25 Ohio State's Bradley Roby -- who Gilmore ranks second among the cornerbacks.

I can buy not including ASJ and Yankey -- since they didn't include either position on the list. And yes, left tackle is obviously the premier position on the offensive line. But they missed on Ekpre-Olomu. And as many have pointed out, he splits the field with Terrance Mitchell -- which was part of the reason Ekpre-Olomu had such huge numbers last season. If you missed this in April, here's Ekpre-Olomu's take on the Oregon secondary.

As for the actual rankings -- more minor gripes about the Oregon players. Don't see how you don't have Mariota in the top 10 and Thomas in at least the top 15. I even think Lee might be a little too high. As they state in their methodology, it isn't just about the pro potential. If it were, then I think Lee could be No. 1. But until we know how the USC offense is going to play out with a new quarterback, I think No. 2 is a tad generous. But he clearly belongs in the top five. Barr and Sutton could be flip-flopped -- based on personal preference -- and I don't have an issue either way. Carey feels about right -- though I think Hundley probably deserves to be in the top 20.

The rumored series between Washington State and Rutgers is now official.

WSU athletic director Bill Moos announced Wednesday that the teams will meet twice beginning next year.

Rutgers will travel to Seattle's CenturyLink Field on Aug. 29, 2014 (not the home of Washington State). The Cougars will make the return trip Sept. 12, 2015 at Rutgers.

The move forces Washington State and Wisconsin to reschedule their series -- which was originally scheduled for 2014 and 2015.

Both schools agreed to push that series back. Washington State will travel to Madison in 2022 and Wisconsin will come to WSU's Martin Stadium in Pullman in 2023.

Washington State and Rutgers have never met, while Wisconsin is 2-0 all-time against the Cougars. The last meeting was in 2007 in Madison, with Wisconsin winning 42-21.

"Adding two BCS opponents to those already on future nonconference schedules benefits our program and is sure to be appealing to our fans,” Moos said in a statement. “Our 2014 schedule also allows us to bring five quality Pac-12 games (Arizona, USC, Cal, Oregon and Washington) to Pullman to showcase our newly completed facilities."

All right now, for all you boppers out there in the big city, all you street people with an ear for the action, I've been asked to relay a request from the Grammercy Riffs. It's a special for the Warriors, that real live bunch from Coney, and I do mean the Warriors. Here's a hit with them in mind.

• Arizona's facility upgrades are almost complete.
• How many picks from Alden Darby in 2013?
• The Bears picked up a running back commit from Texas.
• The Buffs received a quarterback commit.
• A breakdown of Oregon commit Morgan Mahalak.
• Jordan Poyer (and Zach Ertz) are playing catch-up with the Eagles after attending graduation.
• Part 3 of a series looking at the rise of Stanford football.
• Via Twitter, UCLA stakes its claim as Linebacker "U." (Thinking there's a bit of double entendre there).
• An early look at USC's game against Hawaii.
• The Utes, still adjusting to life in the Pac-12, are restructuring their athletic department.
• Three keys to success for the Huskies (and all the other teams in the North).
• Athlon picks Washington State as one of 10 teams likely to improve in 2013 (along with Colorado and USC).

On Monday we looked at what each team in the Pac-12 had returning in terms of the rushing game. Here's the breakdown for the South and the North.

Today we turn our attention to the wide receivers. We're looking at returning receiving yards, returning receptions and returning receiving touchdowns. First up is the South.

As a reminder, here's how the teams ranked last year in passing offense:

1. Washington State
2. Oregon State
3. Arizona
4. USC
5. UCLA
6. Arizona State
7. Oregon
8. Washington
9. California
10. Stanford
11. Colorado
12. Utah

Here's what the teams in the Pac-12 South have coming back.

Arizona

• Receiving yards in 2012: 3,879
• Receptions in 2012: 326
• Receiving touchdowns in 2012: 30
• Returning yards: 2,984
• Returning receptions: 252
• Returning touchdowns: 23
• Percentage of yards returning: 76 percent
• Percentage of catches returning: 77 percent
• Percentage of touchdowns returning: 76 percent
• Biggest statistical returner: Austin Hill, 1,364 yards, 81 catches, 11 touchdowns
• Biggest statistical loss: Dan Buckner, 773 yards, 61 catches, five touchdowns

Note: Was torn on whether or not to include Austin Hill. Technically, he's not off the team and he's a returning player. But it's also unlikely he'll play in 2012. So above are his the numbers -- since he's still on the team. Without him, the numbers obviously dip significantly: 41 percent yards returning; 52 percent catches returning; 40 percent touchdowns returning.

Arizona State

• Receiving yards in 2012: 3,369
• Receptions in 2012: 275
• Receiving touchdowns in 2012: 33
• Returning yards: 2,271
• Returning receptions: 186
• Returning touchdowns: 26
• Percentage of yards returning: 67 percent
• Percentage of catches returning: 67 percent
• Percentage of touchdowns returning: 78 percent
• Biggest statistical returner: Chris Coyle, 696 yards, 57 catches, five touchdowns
• Biggest statistical loss: Rashad Ross, 610 yards, 41 catches, six touchdowns

Colorado

• Receiving yards in 2012: 2,310
• Receptions in 2012: 222
• Receiving touchdowns in 2012: 11
• Returning yards: 1,730
• Returning receptions: 180
• Returning touchdowns: 7
• Percentage of yards returning: 74 percent
• Percentage of catches returning: 81 percent
• Percentage of touchdowns returning: 63 percent
• Biggest statistical returner: Nelson Spruce, 446 yards, 44 catches, three touchdowns
• Biggest statistical loss: Nick Kasa, 391 yards, 25 catches, three touchdowns

UCLA

• Receiving yards in 2012: 3,860
• Receptions in 2012: 324
• Receiving touchdowns in 2012: 29
• Returning yards: 2,395
• Returning receptions: 203
• Returning touchdowns: 13
• Percentage of yards returning: 62 percent
• Percentage of catches returning: 62 percent
• Percentage of touchdowns returning: 44 percent
• Biggest statistical returner: Shaq Evans, 877 yards, 60 catches, three touchdowns
• Biggest statistical loss: Joseph Fauria, 637 yards, 46 catches, 12 touchdowns

USC

• Receiving yards in 2012: 3,670
• Receptions in 2012: 284
• Receiving touchdowns in 2012: 39
• Returning yards: 2,713
• Returning receptions: 201
• Returning touchdowns: 27
• Percentage of yards returning: 73 percent
• Percentage of catches returning: 70 percent
• Percentage of touchdowns returning: 69 percent
• Biggest statistical returner: Marqise Lee, 1,721 yards, 118 catches, 14 touchdowns
• Biggest statistical loss: Robert Woods, 846 yards, 76 catches, 11 touchdowns

Note: Like Austin Hill, I included George Farmer's numbers. Though he's expected to miss the year, he's still technically a "returning" player. Though his numbers, one catch for 7 yards, don't alter the landscape like they do with Hill.

Utah

• Receiving yards in 2012: 2,288
• Receptions in 2012: 220
• Receiving touchdowns in 2012: 16
• Returning yards: 1,421
• Returning receptions: 134
• Returning touchdowns: 12
• Percentage of yards returning: 62 percent
• Percentage of catches returning: 60 percent
• Percentage of touchdowns returning: 75 percent
• Biggest statistical returner: Dres Anderson, 365 yards, 36 catches, three touchdowns
• Biggest statistical loss: DeVonte Christopher, 301 yards, 22 catches, two touchdowns

When Stanford coach David Shaw went looking for an offensive coordinator, he didn't look far, promoting Mike Bloomgren a couple of weeks after Pep Hamilton left for that role with the Indianapolis Colts. No other candidates were interviewed. Bloomgren, who was previously the Cardinal's offensive-line coach and run-game coordinator, took some time this week to chat with the Pac-12 blog about his expectations for this season (realistic or otherwise), the competition at running back and how his time in the NFL translates to the college game.

What would you like to see out of the offense in your first year as coordinator?

Mike Bloomgren: Well, probably average between eight or nine yards per carry, have zero incompletions and win every game we play.

Well played. What would you realistically like to see?

MB: I just want to see us keep getting better as a football team. I love the steps we've taken. I'm so proud of the way our guys work and how they fight and fight and fight. I want to keep seeing that mentality and hopefully they keep seeing that in the way we play. From an efficiency standpoint, protect the football and do all the things we talk about being the core of this offense.

What goes into game planning at Stanford? I know there were times when coach Shaw would call the plays and Pep would call plays and you'd call the plays. How much collaboration really goes into it?

MB: A lot. It was as segmented of a deal as I've ever been a part of when I first got here. And from what I understand, it was worse before I got here. Last year, it was segmented, but it worked out so freaking good. So much better than I thought possible. The reasons are very simple. We're experts in our field. There wasn't much that surprised me run-game-wise from the fronts and the defensive structure. I felt like I had a good beat on teams. I thought Pep and David and (running-backs coach) Mike Sanford had a good understanding for what the defense was going to do. David was all in on third down. He's so great at calling that. Pep in the red zone has been lights-out the last few years. It's great. It's a different system. The way I understand is it stems from coach Shaw working with Jon Gruden and Bill Callahan and how they did things when they came over to Oakland from Philly together. Jon was involved in calling the plays, but when he wanted to run, he asked coach Callahan. Hopefully I was able to be that for Dave the last few years.

There's so much NFL influence on this coaching staff -- you included from your time with the Jets. How much of the NFL game translates to what you guys want to do?

MB: It's unbelievable how much translates, in terms of the volume of the system and that it's done in a West Coast terminology. Bill Walsh called plays in this system -- so much of it stems from what he came up with. And it's probably the same system that's used in more than half of the teams in the NFL. That's why our free agents do so well. They are plug-and-play guys. They show up to camp and already know the terminology. The NFL influence is real. It's real on who we are and the mark that's left on this system.

Having already served as the run-game coordinator, how much does that help as you transition into the offensive coordinator job?

MB: Hopefully a lot. I'll be frank with you. I'll still be really involved in the run game and I was an offensive coordinator before at Delta State. Obviously, a smaller level of football, but it's still played on a field that's 100 yards long and the football still had air in it. And then my time in New York with Bill Callahan and Brian Schottenheimer was incredible in helping me understand what goes into make a game plan and calling a game on game day. Plus coach Shaw isn't going anywhere, so we'll continue to have that great communication.

Coach Shaw -- unfairly, as I've written many times -- gets a lot of criticism for being too conservative of a playcaller. What do you bring as a playcaller?

MB: I'm not going to be great at talking about that because I don't think he's conservative at all. He's so well thought-out. People think he's emotionless on the sidelines. But he's not! I think back at some of the calls we had over the last few years. I remember my time with Jimmy Raye in New York, he used to talk about "Diet Coke calls." I asked him one day, "Jimmy, what in the heck are Diet Coke calls?" He said, "You call it, you grab your Diet Coke and take a sip. Sometimes you watch what happens. Sometimes you don't. And you can tell by the crowd whether it's good or bad." We had a bunch of those. The halfback flip against USC to basically end the game. Critical calls on fourth-and-1. The wildcat calls we do. Reverses. I don't see the conservative approach. I don't get it.

What about you?

MB: I hope I bring something that is well thought-out and gives our kids answers. So no matter what we call from the sideline, we'll have programmed the quarterback and the offensive linemen with ways to solve whatever problems they have. We have a solid system. It's more than just being a playcaller on game day. We want our kids to have answers to whatever the defense gives them.

Now that you've been through spring, what's your take on the running backs?

MB: It's an exciting group. We were just watching some of Stepfan (Taylor's) highlights and we were like, "Dang, that guy was good." We won't have a guy that carried the load like Stepfan did the last few years -- especially last season. We've got six guys who could probably start at most schools in America and they are going to share the load. They probably could be every-down backs. But they have specialties. You look at how big Gaff (Tyler Gaffney) is right now, and oh my goodness. The way (Anthony) Wilkerson ran downhill in the Rose Bowl. The zone-running gurus are Ricky Seale and Barry (Sanders) and how they run outside and read things. You see that instinctive cut. The truth is those guys have such a good feel. Remound Wright and Jackson Cummings. If Jackson went to an Ivy League school, he'd probably be the league's all-time leading rusher by now. And he had a great spring. Those guys run the gap schemes, the who-we-are-Stanford-football plays, so well. It's going to be interesting to see where they put themselves after training camp. Who has a defined role? Who is going to snatch a job and say "Hey, I'm the third-down back. I'm going to catch it out of the backfield. I'm going to hit linebackers in their face when they try to pressure our quarterback." Who is going to win that role? Who is going to be the first- and second-down back that gets the most carries that game? And will it change from game to game?

Obviously the passing game has been catered to tight ends the last few years. How much do you need the wide receivers to be more involved?

MB: An absolute ton. Because they can handle it. You watch what Ty Montgomery did this spring and he was absolutely dominant. It's what we hoped to see last year because he was great his freshman year. We need him to not try to be any more than he is. He doesn't have to press. He doesn't have to feel any pressure. Because he is big-time good. He just needs to play his game. If he does that, we could see something that we haven't seen here in a while -- at least as long as I've been here. Then there are other guys with world-class speed. Michael Rector had a great spring. Kelsey Young is dynamic. We don't know what position he plays yet. We just call him a football player.

Finally, coach Shaw didn't interview anyone else for the offensive coordinator job. Humbling and flattering, I'm sure. But is there some pressure that goes with that?

MB: I don't know. I don't feel the pressure, to be honest. But it is remarkably humbling. When things are in the works you get calls from friends wondering if you'll get the interview. For David to say what he said within the press release was absolutely humbling. I love working for him and continuing to learn this game from him. We're all just trying to get better and be as good as we can be.

Arizona's defense, led by coordinator Jeff Casteel, is on the spot in 2013.

Today we start a new series looking at each team's nonconference opponents in 2013.

ARIZONA

Northern Arizona, Aug. 30

• Coach: Jerome Souers (84-85), 16th year
• 2012 record: 8-3, 6-2 Big Sky
• Returning starters: nine offense, nine defense
• Offensive headliner: Running back Zach Bauman rushed for 1,182 yards (5.3 YPC) with nine touchdowns. He also caught 34 balls for 216 yards.
• Defensive headliner: Cornerback Anders Battle broke up six passes, had one interception and notched 64 tackles.
• The skinny: The Lumberjacks have to break in a new quarterback after the departure of two-year starter Cary Grossart, who threw for 221.9 yards per game and tossed 17 touchdowns. Head coach Jerome Souers thinks this might be the best secondary the school has ever had. They were pasted by ASU last season, 63-6, but they did beat UNLV -- which also appears on the Wildcats' nonconference slate.

at UNLV, Sept. 7

• Coach: Bobby Hauck (6-32), fourth year
• 2012 record: 2-11, 2-6 Mountain West
• Returning starters: nine offense, nine defense
• Offensive headliner: Running back Tim Cornett is the first UNLV player to lead the Rebels in rushing for three straight years since the 70s. Last year he ran for 1,232 yards and seven touchdowns.
• Defensive headliner: Linebacker Tim Hasson was second on the team last year with 76 stops and five tackles for a loss.
• The skinny: The Rebels boast more returners than any team in the Mountain West and have a combined 250 starts -- more than any team in college football. Sophomore quarterback Nick Sherry was off to a promising start before injuries slowed him in 2012. Though still short on seniors, Hauck has his most experienced squad since taking over.

UTSA, Sept. 14

• Coach: Larry Coker (12-10), third year
• 2012 record: 8-4, 3-3 WAC (10/8)
• Offensive headliner: With the exception of missing two games because of injury, dual-threat quarterback Eric Soza has been the only QB UTSA has ever known. He tossed 20 touchdowns last year to just three interceptions, averaging 208.5 yards in the air while also rushing for 364 yards and six scores.
• Defensive headliner: Linebacker Steven Kurfehs is a hybrid player who also saw time at safety last season. He can stop the run, defend the pass and he led the team in sacks last season.
• The skinny: In just its third year of existence, UTSA's football program has exceeded expectations. The Roadrunners were one-and-done in the WAC, moving to Conference USA this year. They have one more season of transition into NCAA Division I and will be full-fledged (including bowl eligibility) in 2014. The 2013 schedule is very ambitious for a program still in its infancy.

Thoughts

Arizona has one of the softest (perhaps the softest) nonconference schedule in college football. The only potential threat here is UTSA. Don't be fooled by its youth as a program. Coker obviously knows what he's doing and there is a bunch of continuity on this team. The Wildcats are the superior team -- however UTSA shouldn't be overlooked. NAU and UNLV should be good test cases as Rich Rodriguez is expected to substitute quarterbacks liberally while he tries to settle on his starter. And with all of that said, there is absolutely no reason why Arizona shouldn't start the season 3-0 before going into its bye week and then a trip to Washington to kick off league play.

Rod Gilmore counts down the top five cornerbacks in college football, including Oregon's Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.

For all the gamers out there eagerly awaiting the release of EA's NCAA Football 14, there's good news.

The team ratings are out!

For those in the gaming world, I'm assuming this is huge news. I haven't gamed in a while -- I'm assuming it's still pretty much like Tecmo Bowl, right? Who didn't love playing as Bo Jackson.

Fortunately, Evan Webeck of the Husky Haul seems like he knows what he's talking about, and he was gracious enough to post the team ratings for the whole conference. The ratings are broken up into: Overall, offense and defense.

Here's how the Pac-12 stacks up (and since it's a Washington site, you can see which Washington players are rated).

1. Oregon: 95 (overall), 99 (offense), 92 (defense)
2. USC: 91, 95, 90
3. Stanford: 91, 91, 93
4. Washington: 91, 91, 90
5. UCLA: 88, 88, 87
6. Arizona: 86, 86, 88
7. Utah: 86, 84, 87
8. Arizona State: 84, 86, 83
9. Oregon State: 84, 86, 83
10. Cal: 84, 86, 83
11. Washington State: 81, 83, 80
12. Colorado: 79, 81, 78

Webeck also tosses in what his own ratings would look like (I'm guessing Arizona State and Oregon State fans prefer his rankings to the game's) and he also makes a declaration about avenging the Apple Cup "a couple dozen times." Andrew Furney's ears just perked up.

Unfortunately, as a famous philosopher never said, history isn't written by those with the controller.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go take out Mike Tyson (007-373-5963) before I hit up some Contra (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right B, A, start).

Dinner Out is a go.

• Arizona's "Hard Edge" video has gone viral.
• ASU coaches weigh in on what makes a good recruiter.
• Cal is scrambling to pay off stadium debts.
• Should Colorado look in state for the model of a good AD?
• There weren't many, but here are a few of the gut-wrenching moments of the Chip Kelly era.
• Athlon's take on Oregon State.
• A case for Stanford to win the BCS championship.
• The Big Ten Network is pumped for UCLA vs. Nebraska in Week 3.
• Matt Barkley gets sassy with his tweets.
• Some audio on Utah recruiting.
• Washington-Boise State is a big game to watch in Week 1.
• Washington State and Rutgers are close to finalizing a home-and-home series.

Last week, Ted gave you the rundown of which Pac-12 players will be attending media day on July 26. Now the on-stage lineup has been set.

We'll be there to bring you each team's summary "On stage..." post like we did last year, as well as "Seen and Heard" posts, a multi-story notebook and plenty of videos.

We can't make any promises that the entire Google-web won't collapse and Utah's "On Stage" post won't disappear like it did last year (Ted still feels really bad about that one), but he told me he's going to slip the IT guy at Sony Studios a $20 just in case. (Anyone needing a refresher on that story can check out the final question from this mailbag last year.)

Here's the lineup so you can start planning ahead.

9 a.m. Larry Scott, Pac-12 Commissioner

9:15 a.m. Washington State - Coach Mike Leach, Elliott Bosch (OL), Deone Bucannon (DB)

9:30 a.m. California - Coach Sonny Dykes, Bryce Treggs (WR), Nick Forbes (LB)

9:45 a.m. Washington - Coach Steve Sarkisian, Keith Price (QB), Sean Parker (DB)

10:00 a.m. Oregon State - Coach Mike Riley, Brandin Cooks (WR), Rashaad Reynolds (DB)

10:15 a.m. Oregon - Coach Mark Helfrich, Marcus Mariota (QB), Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB)

10:30 a.m. Stanford - Coach David Shaw, David Yankey (OL), Shayne Skov (LB)

10:45 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. Colorado - Coach Mike MacIntyre, Paul Richardson (WR), Chidera Uzo-Diribe (DE)

11:15 a.m. Utah - Coach Kyle Whittingham, Jake Murphy (TE), Trevor Reilly (DE)

11:30 a.m. Arizona - Coach Rich Rodriguez, Terrence Miller (WR), Jake Fischer (LB)

11:45 a.m. USC - Coach Lane Kiffin, Marqise Lee (WR), Hayes Pullard (LB)

12:00 p.m. Arizona State - Coach Todd Graham, Taylor Kelly (QB), Alden Darby (S)

12:15 p.m. UCLA - Coach Jim Mora, Xavier Su’a Filo (OL), Anthony Barr (LB)

It's getting to be that time when we can officially start transitioning from the offseason to the preseason.

And with the preseason comes preseason teams. Or in the case of Athlon Sports, the projection of the 2013 all-league team. You can be sure Ted and I will put our colossal melons together at some point and put out a preseason team. But we like to keep you waiting.

In the meantime, Athlon released all three levels of its 2013 All-Pac-12 projected team. A couple of minor disagreements here and there -- but mostly a strong list with the usual suspects you'd expect to earn preseason honors.

They also break down how many players from each team made each squad -- which is always fun. Oregon leads the way with 13 players, followed by Stanford (10) and Oregon State and USC (9). The Ducks have the most first-teamers (6) followed by USC (5).

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

QB Marcus Mariota
RB Ka’Deem Carey, Arizona
RB Bishop Sankey, Washington
WR Brandin Cooks, Oregon State
WR Marqise Lee, USC
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington
C Hroniss Grasu, Oregon
OG Xavier Su’a-Filo, UCLA
OG David Yankey, Stanford
OT Jake Fisher, Oregon
OT Tyler Johnstone, Oregon
AP De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

DE Scott Crichton, Oregon State
DE Morgan Breslin, USC
DT Will Sutton, Arizona State
DT Leonard Williams, USC
LB Anthony Barr, UCLA
LB Trent Murphy, Stanford
LB Shayne Skov, Stanford
CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon
CB Rashaad Reynolds, Oregon State
S Dion Bailey, USC
S Ed Reynolds, Stanford

FIRST-TEAM SPECIALISTS

K Trevor Romaine, Oregon State
P Darragh O’Neill, Colorado
KR Marqise Lee, USC
PR Shaquelle Evans, UCLA

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

QB Brett Hundley, UCLA
RB Marion Grice, Arizona State
RB Silas Redd, USC
WR Shaquelle Evans, UCLA
WR Kasen Williams, Washington
TE Chris Coyle, Arizona State
C Isaac Seumalo, Oregon State
OG Kevin Danser, Stanford
OG Max Tuerk, USC
OT Cameron Fleming, Stanford
OT Michael Philipp, Oregon State

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

DE Ben Gardner, Stanford
DE Taylor Hart, Oregon
DT Deandre Coleman, California
DT George Uko, USC
LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA
LB Hayes Pullard, USC
LB Shaq Thompson, Washington
CB Alex Carter, Stanford
CB Terrance Mitchell, Oregon
S Deone Bucannon, Washington State
S Alden Darby, Arizona State

SECOND-TEAM SPECIALISTS

K Vince D’Amato, California
P Keith Kostol, Oregon State
KR De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon
PR Richard Morrison, Arizona

THIRD-TEAM OFFENSE

QB Taylor Kelly, Arizona State
RB Brendan Bigelow, California
RB Storm Woods, Oregon State
WR Josh Huff, Oregon
WR Paul Richardson, Colorado
TE Colt Lyerla, Oregon
C Jake Brendel, UCLA
OG Daniel Munyer, Colorado
OG Grant Enger, Oregon State
OT Evan Finkenberg, Arizona State
OT Jeremiah Poutasi, Utah

THIRD-TEAM DEFENSE

DE Henry Anderson, Stanford
DE Cassius Marsh, UCLA
DT Wade Keliikipi, Oregon
DT Danny Shelton, Washington
LB Brian Blechen, Utah
LB Carl Bradford, Arizona State
LB Jake Fischer, Arizona
CB Osahon Irabor, Arizona State
CB Jonathan McKnight, Arizona
S Sean Parker, Washington
S Jordan Richards, Stanford

THIRD-TEAM SPECIALISTS

K Andrew Furney, Washington State
P Michael Bowlin, Washington State
KR Teondray Caldwell, Washington State
PR Bralon Addison, Oregon

A boost in wide receiver play could add an explosive dimension to Arizona State's offense.

The debate rages. Who is No. 2?

We know who the real No. 2 is, but we're just looking at college football (and yes, I realize that is the second Austin Powers reference of the day).

If you believe Phil Steele, then it's the Big 12. If you believe the majority of the folks who leave their comments below, it's the Pac-12.

Any argument that doesn't have the SEC No. 1 simply isn't valid. For all the ribbing and schadenfreude that occurs on this blog in regards to the SEC, it is still the elite conference in college football until proven otherwise.

Steele has the Pac-12 at No. 3 behind the SEC and Big 12 in his preseason conference rankings. Do you concur?

Here are his thoughts on the league:

"The Pac-12 was the only conference last year to have two teams win a BCS bowl in Stanford and Oregon, and both programs have made a BCS bowl in each of the past three years. The Ducks and Cardinals figure to be in the preseason AP top 10, and I have both in my top 15 this year. The surprise in this league could be USC, which I have rated at No. 6, giving the conference three legitimate national title contenders. Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington and UCLA all made my top 40. The only thing holding the Pac-12 down in my rankings is its nonconference record, which was only 17-11 last year (61 percent) after removing wins over Football Championship Subdivision teams."

When you think of the Pac-12 vs. the Big 12, do you think of UCLA getting pushed around by Baylor? Oregon State coughing it up against Texas? Or Oregon running crazy around Kansas State? That's probably a measuring stick for how you will vote.

Of course, that was last year. And as a reminder, here's the final conference power rankings from last season.

As Ted noted earlier this month, the upgraded Alamo Bowl will certainly provide a little more kindling to the argument in years to come.

Most agree the Pac-12 is more top heavy -- as evidenced by both Stanford and Oregon winning their BCS bowl games and the fact that both will start the year highly ranked. And looking ahead to 2013, Washington, Arizona State, UCLA and Oregon State should get some preseason love as well. And, as Steele notes, it's never a good idea to sleep on USC. If Washington beats Boise State -- they'll for sure be ranked and if ASU can make some noise in the early part of the season against some difficult foes, they too will be ranked favorably.

So, if we're able to put the 2012 season in the rear view mirror and look solely at 2013, which is the No. 2 conference behind the SEC? We'll include the Big Ten, which some are predicting to enjoy a resurgence this year, and the ACC since Steele has them tied with the Big Ten. (And yes, a vote for the Pac-12 counts as a vote for Oregon).