ESPN College Football

Every game counts. But some games count more. Or tell us more.

We're going through the Pac-12 and picking out one game that seems most important -- or potentially most revealing -- for each team from our vantage point today.

We're going in alphabetical order.

Stanford

Most important game: at California, Oct. 20

Why it's important: Well, for one, it's the Big Game, even if it's been dumped into the middle of the season.

There are games that would resonate more nationally for the Cardinal. Beat USC on Sept. 15, and everyone immediately forgets Andrew Luck. Win at Oregon on Nov. 17, and pack up for a special season as Stanford unloads two years of frustration. But Stanford will be substantial underdogs in both games. If things go as most will project, Stanford will lose both games. So, sure, either would be a big win for the program, particularly post Luck, but they would be fairly shocking.

The visit to Cal feels important because it something more approximating a "must-win." Start with the fact that Stanford, Washington and California seem like a troika that falls together -- in that order -- below Oregon in the Pac-12 North Division pecking order. This could serve as a separation game for the Cardinal, which will have already visited Washington on Sept. 27. Stanford has dominated the Huskies lately, so a win over Cal may be enough to ensure at least a second place finish in the North -- with a puncher's shot still remaining in Autzen Stadium. So this is a rivalry game with significant North Division ramifications.

But it's even more than that. Stanford has won two Big Games in a row and played in two consecutive BCS bowl games. It has taken over the Bay Area after years of struggling versus Jeff Tedford and the Bears. Some Cal fans might try to write off the Cardinal surge as something produced by a serendipitous aligning of the college football planets. As in by the flash-across-the-sky tenures of charismatic former coach Jim Harbaugh and a once-in-a-generation quarterback. If Cal wins this game, it could claim exactly that with justification. "Ah, the Bay Area pecking order has been righted," Bears fans might say. "Stanford's reign of terror is at an end. Ad perpetuam memoriam! Or not. And ad victoriam!"

But if Stanford were to win a third Big Game in a row -- inside the newly remodeled Memorial Stadium no less -- it would send a simple message: With or without Luck, the Cardinal own the Bay Area.

California might be able to do more this offseason to improve than any other Pac-12 team.

Happy Friday.

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To the notes.

Dave from Birmingham writes: Not sure I get you. Why would you not want the four best teams to play in a playoff? That's what a playoff is about. I know there's a subjective part to this but that's inevitable. Is everyone that afraid of a consensus favoring the SEC because the SEC is the best conference?

Ted Miller: In a word, yes. And no matter how you frame it, that so-called consensus remains subjective. And I know this from experience.

In 1996, I worked at the Mobile Register and I was arguing with Mike Griffith, who then covered Alabama for the Register and voted in the AP poll. Now, everybody argues with Mike, but I thought he was being particularly obtuse this particular afternoon because he was touting Arizona State. I was blathering that Arizona State would have four losses if it played in the SEC.

Yes, I once was one of them. Why? Because that was the way I was raised. Football in the south, as writer Rick Bragg once ostentatiously pandered, is like a "knife fight in a ditch"! That's a bunch of silliness, but such sentiments nonetheless are inculcated into fans and they seep into the media coverage -- in the Southeast as well as other parts of the country where fetishizing the peculiarity of the South is embraced. So I understand the roots of the "just because" reaction of so many SEC fans. And I experienced its power as a sportswriter.

When I moved out to Seattle to cover Washington, I still had a "just because" feeling about West Coast vs. Southeast football. When Miami came to Husky Stadium in 2000, I thought the Hurricanes would blast the Huskies. Ergo, my initial transformative moment was watching Washington physically manhandle the Hurricanes. Don't be fooled by the final score: The Huskies owned Miami that day.

My point: Regional biases are strong and they cloud thinking, even when they feel rational. That's why there needs to be a safeguard in our new four-team playoff system for some degree of objectivity, which prioritizing conference champions provides.

I know any questions about SEC super-awesomeness make SEC folks angry. I know: Six crystal footballs. No one is doubting the SEC's ability to dominate the BCS system. And I have no doubt that dominance of a subjective system -- a beauty contest, really -- has helped push the SEC closer to something that can be judged as a more objective superiority (read: self-fulfilling prophecy).

But if we're going to have a national college football playoff, we need to create a selection process that doesn't leave open the possibility of a tag always going to a runner from a certain conference, just because.

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Edward from Atlanta writes: Do you think USC coach Lane Kiffin and his staff are better at recruiting than Pete Carroll and his staff? I look at the fact that Lane Kiffin is only working with 15 scholarships and he is still bringing in top recruits after everything that has taking placed. Just imagine if he did had all his scholarships he would probably have a top 3 or top 5 recruiting class every year.

Ted Miller: No.

Kiffin and his staff are recruiting very well, but they can't do much better than Pete Carroll and his staff did from 2002-2009. You say top-three to -five each year? Carroll landed the No. 1 class multiple times. Any rare rating outside the top five was deemed an off-year. Carroll's recruiting run rates among the best run a program has produced -- think Bobby Bowden in the glory years at Florida State.

It's also worth noting that Carroll and Kiffin share two ace recruiters: Kiffin and Ed Orgeron.

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Jeff from Tempe, Ariz., writes: Who do you think is going to be the starting quarterback for ASU to begin the season?

Ted Miller: That's a tough one. When I watched practice, I thought Mike Bercovici was so much better as a passer that he should be the guy. But then you have to realize that new coach Todd Graham wants to run some spread option, and that requires the quarterback to be a running threat. Bercovici is no running threat, while 6-foot-5, 242-pound Michael Eubank is. And Eubank has potential as a passer, though at present he's raw.

The easy answer is start Bercovici but use some packages with Eubank. But that's sort of a fan answer. Most coaches don't like playing two quarterbacks. They'll tell you if you play two, it means you don't have any. And QBs are not big fans of sharing the job.

I used to be a Bercovici lean, but now I'm leaning toward Eubank. Here's why: This team is much better at running back than at receiver. Even with Bercovici's live arm, this probably is going to be a run-first offense, and it makes things much more difficult for a defense if it must account for the QB as a runner. Eubank can become at least an adequate passer. Bercovici is unlikely to do the same as a runner.

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Mark from Garden Grove, Calif., writes: If you could play matchmaker, which Big Ten/Pac-12 schools would you pair for the 2017 season -- and why?

Ted Miller: OK, I'll bite, basing things on where the college football world is today.

• Oregon-Ohio State: Urban Meyer vs. Chip Kelly. 'Nuff said.
• Arizona-Michigan: The Rich Rodriguez Bowl.
• Stanford-Wisconsin: Two really good schools that play smashmouth football.
• Oregon State-Michigan State: All that green would have the Beavers feeling like they're play Oregon.
• USC-Penn State: Two old-school powers whose uniforms are among the most recognizable.
• Nebraska-Arizona State: Any Sun Devils recall 1996?
• Northwestern-California: Two elite academic universities.
• Washington-Iowa: A rematch of the 1982, 1991 Rose Bowls, both won by the Huskies.
• Colorado-Purdue: Two great mascots. (Colorado would have been a good one for Nebraska, too.)
• Utah-Illinois: Utes vs. Fighting Illini.
• Washington State-Minnesota: The Cold Bowl.
• UCLA-Indiana: Two old-school basketball powers playing football.

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Rapsai from Eugene, Ore., writes: Ted, with Oregon's lack of depth at RB, do you see Josh Huff maybe sliding into the backfield to play some RB for the Ducks next season?

Ted Miller: A perfectly reasonable solution if there are injury issues in the backfield.

Does it make me a bad person that I don't think the Ducks are going to hurting at running back? I just think with Chip Kelly's emphasis on speed in recruiting that the Ducks will pretty much have an answer at RB, no matter how many guys get hurt. Recall that Kenjon Barner started out as a defensive back.

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John from Los Angeles writes: I guess this falls into my "you know your old when you have a story for everything" file. In reading the post about Jonathan Ogden going into the HOF, I noticed your comment on his massive size. My buddies and I take a football road trip every year. We used to include the Baltimore Ravens in the trip because Will Demps (former Ravens safety) played at the high school where my buddy is the AD and he would get us tickets. Anyway, after a game against the Bengals at Cincinnati we are standing next to the Ravens team bus talking to Demps, Ogden and his people come up next to us - and he literally blocks out the sun!! You truly cannot appreciate how BIG the guy is until you stand right next to him. My buddy is wearing his USC cap (he is a big fan), so to amuse myself I keep whispering "Jack, show Ogden your hat." My friend kept his back to Ogden the entire time.

Ted Miller: I remember covering the 1996 Citrus Bowl between Ohio State and Tennessee -- which was cool because both were ranked No. 4 entering the game -- and walking up to the Ohio State bus. I saw No. 75 horsing around around this itty-bitty guy with a bald head who was No. 27.

The itty bitty guy was 6-foot-3, 240-pound, Heisman Trophy-winning running back Eddie George, and No. 75 was 6-foot-7, 325-pound Orlando Pace, who at that moment was the biggest dude I'd ever seen.

And Ogden -- at 6-foot-9, 345 -- darn near dwarfs Pace.

Only guy who ever impressed me as more spectacularly large was Shaquille O'Neal.

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In case you haven't noticed, we've got a bit of a theme going on this week -- important games in the Pac-12. Obviously, everyone is circling the Nov. 3 showdown between USC and Oregon in Los Angeles. But there are other games to enjoy along the way. So this week we're looking at games we're most excited about.

Ted Miller: I like measuring-stick games, games that perhaps reveal the talent and heart of a team, as well as, of course, where they rank in the Pac-12 pecking order. We have a perfect example Sept. 27 (a Thursday) in Seattle: Stanford's visit to Washington, which will be played in CenturyLink Field, the Seahawks' stadium.

The obvious measure of this game's importance is this: The winner steps up in the Pac-12 North Division pecking order, the loser steps back. The winner can imagine challenging Oregon for the division title, while the loser's attention likely turns to more attainable quarry. But it's more than that. For one, it's likely both teams already will have suffered a defeat. The Huskies visit LSU on Sept. 8, while Stanford hosts USC on Sept. 15. Those opponents likely will rank Nos. 1 and 2 in the nation. This game, therefore, can serve to redirect one team's early-season trajectory. It's much better to head into October with one loss than with two.

For Stanford, this is about announcing the program's health in the post-Andrew Luck Era. Beating the Huskies on the road likely would re-establish the Cardinal as a top-25 team, where, based on the schedule, they could remain all season.

But, really, the weight falls more heavily on Washington. Why? For one, Stanford has beaten the Huskies four games in a row. But that's not the biggest issue. It's not even that the three most recent games have been blowouts. It's the nature of those blowouts. Stanford has unmanned Washington during that winning streak. Huskies fans, cover your eyes. You don't want to read this. Stanford has averaged 322 yards rushing in those four victories. 322! Last year, the Cardinal set a school record with 446 yards rushing in a 65-21 victory. The Cardinal only had 278 in 2010, but, of course, the final count was 41-zip. At Husky Stadium!

It hurts to lose no matter what. And it hurts to get blown out. But for a football team to get physically manhandled ... that's humiliation. It's hard to describe the recent turn in this series any other way. The Huskies' pride is on the line. New defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox was brought in to make sure no opponent rushes for 322 yards against Washington. It will be interesting to see if he can deliver in this early conference test. Or if post-Luck Stanford keeps churning along, winning with character and cruelty.

Kevin Gemmell: I too enjoy a good measuring-stick game -- and I don't think there is a bigger one early in the season than USC's trip to Utah on Oct. 4. First, it's a Thursday night game, which means a national TV audience. It's at Rice-Eccles Stadium -- one of my favorite venues -- and the place should be going crazy.

For the sake of argument, I'm going to work off the assumption that both USC and Utah are 4-0 heading into this game. If any Hawaii, Syracuse, Stanford, Cal, Northern Colorado, Utah State, Brigham Young or Arizona State fans take exception to that argument, I know Ted would love to hear about it in his mailbag.

In terms of measuring-stick games, there is none bigger on the 2012 schedule than this one for Utah -- which is desperate to find its way into the conversation as one of the Pac-12's elite. A victory over the Trojans -- who presumably will be one of the top-ranked teams in the country (if not No. 1) on Oct. 4 -- would go a long way toward achieving that.

Both teams will be coming off a bye week, so there is a good chance they will be rested and healthy. But the Trojans have the tougher road through the first four weeks. USC will have been put through the meat grinder against two top-rated defenses in Stanford and Cal before their bye. Then they come to Salt Lake City against -- arguably -- the best defensive front in the conference.

That makes this a pretty significant measuring-stick game for the Trojans, too. Three consecutive wins over three of the top front-sevens in the Pac-12 will likely answer any questions about the Trojans' toughness. By the way, they're on the road again the following week at Washington. This is just step three in an awfully difficult four-game stretch.

USC has the stronger offense -- even Utah fans won't dispute what the Trojans bring to the table with Matt Barkley and Co.-- but Utah's defensive line is as good as it gets. And one cannot throw the ball if one's face is buried in the turf.

This projects to be a brutal, physical game with the winner taking decisive command of the Pac-12 South.

A victory for Utah would catapult the Utes into conference legitimacy and mark that they have arrived. A USC victory re-affirms its status as the team to beat in the South and will likely leave the rest of us licking our chops for Nov. 3.

Every game counts. But some games count more. Or tell us more.

We're going through the Pac-12 and picking out one game that seems most important -- or potentially most revealing -- for each team from our vantage point today.

We're going in alphabetical order.

California

Most important game: at Ohio State, Sept. 15

Why it's important: While a midseason Big Game against Bay Area rival Stanford would be the obvious choice -- particularly one in newly remodeled Memorial Stadium -- we're going to be contrarian. Our starting point is this: When was the last time the Bears won an, er, big game on the road? You could say perhaps the win at Stanford in 2009 counts, but driving an hour or so south hardly qualifies as a road trip. By our calculations, it was 2007, when the Bears nipped Oregon 31-24 in an Autzen Stadium thriller (a really, really entertaining game). That was back when everyone thought Jeff Tedford was one of the nation's best coaches and Nate Longshore was a sure-thing NFL prospect. Do Cal fans recall what happened next? I'm a little fuzzy. Ranked No. 2, about to jump to No. 1 after LSU lost. Oregon State in Strawberry Canyon. Kevin Riley's scramble. Tedford's infuriated stomp! OK, no need to go on (losing six of seven!). You could make the case that victory in Eugene hardly served a positive purpose, seeing what happened thereafter, but sometimes big wins are springboards into someplace other than the abyss. You know: Like a good season. Winning at the Horseshoe, one of the toughest places to play in the nation, would make a significant statement, nationally as well as within the Pac-12. If the Bears are able to beat a vulnerable but likely nationally ranked Ohio State squad, they almost certainly would take a 3-0 record and their own national ranking to USC the next weekend. The Bears would start the Pac-12 schedule with confidence. Quarterback Zach Maynard would have a marquee road win under his belt. The fanbase would stop wringing its hands over Tedford's hotseat and start imagining the program getting back on track. Even if the Bears lost to the Trojans, three winnable conference games follow before Stanford comes to town. Facing the Cardinal at 6-1 would make the Big Game worthy of its name. But a loss at Ohio State, particularly a lopsided one -- think horrible trips east against Tennessee and Maryland -- would add pressure to the visit to the Coliseum, where good things have not happened for the Bears of late. At 2-2, the leading topic among Bears fans would be Tedford's future. That would not be the case at 3-1 with a win over Urban Meyer.

Steve Bartkowski, owner of one of the great arms in college football history, spent much of his early career at California struggling in the shadows. First, he shared the starting job with Vince Ferragamo for two years. Then, in 1973, he suffered through a miserable season as the starter.

But in 1974 he put it all together.

Bartkowski earned consensus All-American honors and finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy vote after leading the nation in passing with 2,580 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Bears finished 7-3-1 as Bartkowski, despite a shoulder injury, four times topped 300 yards passing.

Bartkowski then became the top overall pick in the 1975 draft, going to the Atlanta Falcons. He still is the only Golden Bear to earn that honor. He played for the Falcons from 1975-1985 and then one season for the Los Angeles Rams (1986).

He earned NFL Rookie of the Year honors in 1975 but knee injuries bogged down his early career. He and the Falcons bounced back in the early 1980s. He led the NFL in touchdown passes in 1980 with 31 and was selected for the Pro Bowl in both 1980 and 1981. He led the Falcons to their first three playoff appearances in 1978, 1980 and 1982. The Falcons won the NFC West Division in 1980, going 12-4 in the regular season.

Bartkowski continues to be the Falcons all-time leader in passing yards with 23,470. His No. 10 jersey has been retired by the franchise.

Before knee injuries slowed him down, Bartkowski was known as an exceptional all-around athlete. He also was an All-American first baseman for the Bears baseball team in 1973.

Another claim to fame: He was the first client of sports agent Leigh Steinberg.

2011 overall record: 7-6
2011 conference record: 4-5 (4th, North)
Returning starters: offense: 6; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 0

Top returners
WR Keenan Allen, QB Zach Maynard, RB Isi Sofele, CB Marc Anthony, LB Chris McCain, CB Steve Williams

Key Losses
OT Mitchell Schwartz, WR Marvin Jones, LB Mychal Kendricks, LB D.J. Holt, S Sean Cattouse

2011 statistical leaders (*returner)

Rushing: Isi Sofele* (1,322 yards)
Passing: Zach Maynard* (2,990 yards)
Receiving: Keenan Allen* (1,343 yards)
Tackles: Mychal Kendricks (107)
Sacks: Trevor Guyton (5)
Interceptions: Kendricks, Sean Cattouse, D.J. Campbell, Josh Hill*, Steve Williams* (2)

Spring answers

1. Maynard is better: Quarterback Zach Maynard was inconsistent last year. Though he finished the regular season strong, he faltered in the Holiday Bowl loss to Texas. Some thought he might get challenged this spring, but it never happened. The good news is that it didn't happen because Maynard played better. He seemed more comfortable and in control. That's a big plus to take into the summer.

2. Young promise on D: Cal took some hits on its defense, losing six starters, including linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who was only the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. So why no panic? Well, the young talent on the Bears defense, collected from consecutive strong recruiting classes on that side of the ball, might be the best in the conference. The post-spring two-deep included 11 players who were sophomores or younger, and that doesn't include some guys who are certain to help, such as noseguard Viliami Moala.

3. Backfield is deep: The Bears get 1,300-yard rusher Isi Sofele back, but he's going to be in a battle with C.J. Anderson to retain his starting job this fall. Behind them are speedy Brendan Bigelow, Daniel Lasco and Darren Ervin. There is not shortage of guys to help maintain balance on offense.

Fall questions

1. Who's to receive? The post-spring depth chart didn't even bother to list backup receivers. There was Keenan Allen on one side and there was Maurice Harris on the other and that was it. The incoming class of receivers is strong. That's fortunate. The Bears need at least two or three of them to be ready to contribute immediately.

2. LB pecking order? At the beginning of spring, the two inside linebackers were seniors Robert Mullins and J.P. Hurrell. At the end, Hurrell was listed behind Mullins and sophomore Nick Forbes was the second starting inside linebackerB. Sophomore David Wilkerson is behind Forbes, and he was moved from the outside, where he started last year. It didn't seem like he was moved in order to become a backup. Senior Dan Camporeale is No. 1 at one outside linebacker, but he'll have to hold off a charge from the youngsters, such as redshirt freshman Nathan Broussard. In fact, there are a lot of young guys who could make a move this fall, displacing older players.

3. Specialists? The Bears are replacing both punter Bryan Anger, who was good enough to get picked in the third round of the NFL draft, and kicker Giorgia Tavecchio. Junior Vince D'Amato may have the edge at kicker, while incoming freshman Cole Leininger already is listed as the punter. Still, replacing both specialists can sometimes prove frustrating.

Any doubt about California coach Jeff Tedford's spring claim that three or four incoming freshmen receivers will get immediate playing time was dispelled by the release of a post-spring two-deep depth chart.

It's two-deep everywhere -- other than receiver, which features just Keenan Allen on one side (duh) and Maurice Harris on the other.

Here's a nice breakdown of the Bears depth chart.

And here are our thoughts.

• Nick Forbes broke through at one inside linebacker spot opposite Robert Mullins, who held onto his spot and is now backed up by J.P. Hurrell. Forbes is backed up by David Wilkerson, a starter at outside linebacker last year.
• Kendrick Payne is No. 1 at nose guard and Aaron Tipoti, who saw action at end this spring, is No. 2. The news there is that Viliami Moala didn't break through -- yet.
• Wilkerson's former backup, Dan Camporeale, is No. 1 at one OLB, ahead of Nathan Broussard. It will be interesting to see if that holds this fall. Cecil Whiteside is the backup to Chris McCain on the other side.
• The backup DEs behind Deandre Coleman and Mustafa Jalil are Todd Barr and Keni Kaufusi, respectively.
• The big news on offense is Dominic Galas, the starting center last year, being No. 1 at right guard. He missed the spring due to injury and he struggled with shotgun snaps last year. Brian Schwenke, a starter at guard last year, is No. 1 at center.
• The left side of the line will belong to the Rigsbee brothers, senior Tyler at tackle and promising redshirt freshman Jordan at guard.
• Richard Rodgers, one of the stars of spring practices, is No. 1 at TE.
• Things held steady at running back with Isi Sofele No. 1 and C.J. Anderson No. 2. That's a nice combo, but it's possible Brendan Bigelow and Daniel Lasco also will get touches this fall. Both looked good this spring.
• As of this moment, Vincenzo D'Amato is the kicker and Cole Leininger is the punter.
• Keenan Allen is listed as returning punts, and Bigelow as returning kicks with Mike Manuel.

A so-called "breakout" player can be a solid player who becomes very good or a guy who comes from nowhere to fill a critical role.

It's not a one-size-fits-all deal. Which makes it perfect for our weekly Take 2: Who is a potential breakout player in the Pac-12 this year?

Kevin Gemmell: I talked with Mike Riley earlier this week and mentioned to him I was thinking of picking Brandin Cooks as my potential breakout candidate in the conference this year. I could almost see his eyes light up over the phone lines. Riley loves this guy, and said he's going to play a big role in the OSU offense.

There are a few factors that led me to picking Cooks even before I talked with Riley.

First, he has the one thing that, as the old cliché goes, you can't teach. And that's speed. He's incredibly fast -- maybe even faster than the guy who starts opposite him, Markus Wheaton. He doesn't have the size of Wheaton (Cooks is 5-foot-9, Wheaton is 6-foot) but he makes up for it in quickness.

Riley even went so far as to compare the two -- noting that Cooks is a lot like Wheaton was two years ago. Lots of speed, but needs to become more polished on his route-running.

And that leads me to point No. 2. He's had an entire offseason to work with quarterback Sean Mannion. Last year, neither of them knew if they were going to play, so the chemistry wasn't always there. This season, Mannion knows he's the guy, and he knows who his receivers are going to be, and they've all been working out, developing their timing.

Third, he's learning from one of the best receivers in the conference. Cooks, who caught 31 balls for 391 yards and three scores last year, can use the veteran Wheaton as a sounding board, and also a measuring stick. Talking with Wheaton earlier this week, there is a friendly rivalry going on between the two -- which will likely equal more production for them both.

Also, Cooks is likely to see more one-on-one coverage as Wheaton ascends to the top of the Pac-12 receiving hierarchy. The veteran will probably draw more help over the top, leaving the other safety to handle the third receiver. If Cooks gets into a one-on-one footrace with a cornerback, chances are he's going to win it.

Finally, the Beavers have re-committed themselves to the running game. Whether it actually produces is another question. But if it does (and there are still concerns on the offensive line to consider), then Wheaton and Cooks will both enjoy a boost in their numbers.

I'd put Cooks on pace for about 55-60 catches, about six or seven touchdowns and around 800-900 yards receiving. If he hits those numbers, that strikes me as a pretty good breakout year.

Ted Miller: Kevin went with offense, I'm going with defense. And I'm going big. As in 6-foot-5, 311 pounds.

Those are the dimensions of California's junior defensive end Deandre Coleman, who was a beast this spring and could play his way onto the All-Pac-12 team by season's end.

Those who regularly read the blog know I've already crossed this road with Coleman. After an early April visit to Berkeley, I wrote this about the reloading Bears defense, which contained plenty of input from coach Jeff Tedford and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.

Start up front, where Pendergast and Tedford are practically giddy over the maturation of 6-foot-5, 311-pound end Deandre Coleman. Said Tedford: "He may be one of the best that we've ever had." Keep in mind that Bears have produced two first-round NFL draft choices at end -- Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan -- over the past three seasons.

"Best we've ever had?" That's high praise for a player who had only 19 tackles last year. But inside that tepid number is this: six tackles for a loss and two sacks (sure three tackles for a loss were against lowly Presbyterian, but work with me here).

Here's how you extrapolate a breakout. You take a guy with impressive physical talent who saw regular action behind good players as a redshirt freshman and sophomore, and then toss in his better play over the final third of last season. Then you watch him push people around this spring and record five tackles in the spring game. Then you just, well, look at the dude. Let's just say he carries his 311 pounds well.

Further, the supporting cast on the Bears D-line is strong. Folks aren't going to be able to commit two guys to Coleman and not pay for it.

Bottom line: Coleman, with his size, should be able to hold up well versus the run, and, with his athletic ability, could record eight or so sacks.

The bad news for Cal fans is that if he has the sort of season that Tedford and Pendergast believe he can, he might not return for his senior year.

Ohio State is becoming... Oregon Midwest?

That's what Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg noted on Wednesday, getting such analysis straight from the new mouth of the Horseshoe, Urban Meyer.

"All you've got to do is look at Oregon," Meyer told Rittenberg. "We're committed to it. We're still going to pop a huddle once in a while, but we're committed to it."

That sounds like bad news for the rest of the Big Ten, but perhaps not for one of the Buckeyes nonconference foes in 2012: California.

While no defense has had consistent success stopping Oregon -- LSU even had its moments of failure in the 2011 opener -- the Bears have produced more stops against the Ducks than most, most notably the 2010 nailbiter that Oregon won just 15-13.

That's Chip Kelly's fourth-lowest point total since he's been in Eugene, including his two years as offensive coordinator (and that includes the shutout the Ducks suffered at UCLA the week after QB Dennis Dixon blew out his knee in 2007). The Ducks also scored only 16 points at Cal in 2008, but that predates coordinator Clancy Pendergast and the Bears' 3-4 look.

Last year, Cal led the Ducks 15-14 at halftime, shutting Oregon out in the second quarter. What happened after the break doesn't support our point, so we will ignore it.

Here's something Cal fans might not be entertaining but perhaps should: Cal can win in Columbus on Sept. 15.

Seriously.

Yes, the Bears tend to go rear-end-over-tea-kettle on the road, particularly when they travel east.

Yes, the Horseshoe is a brutal venue in which to play, one of the nation's toughest.

Yes, Ohio State is still Ohio State, one of the nation's elite programs.

And, yes, Meyer is a feared strategist.

But there's no escaping this: California will go to Ohio State with perhaps the biggest and most athletic front seven the Buckeyes will face in 2012. And the Bears line up against a highly questionable offensive line, one that welcomes back just two starters from a unit that yielded 46 sacks -- 118th in the nation -- on just 245 pass attempts.

For comparison: Arizona, with four new starters on its offensive line in 2011, gave up 23 sacks on 577 passes. Washington State gave up 40 on 492 passes.

The Ohio State offense in 2011 was QB Braxton Miller, who led the Buckeyes in rushing (715 yards with seven touchdowns) and passing (1,159 yards with 13 touchdowns) as a freshman. He's a major talent, but he certainly won't be the first dual-option QB the Bears defense has seen.

I know Cal fans don't want to hear any optimism from the Pac-12 blog because they well know that is typically the program's ineluctable KISS OF DEATH.

So I won't mention the plausibility of the Bears visiting USC on Sept. 22 at 3-0 and nationally ranked.

The linebacker discusses the Bears' young defense, and the improvement of quarterback Zach Maynard.

BERKELEY, Calf. -- California's defense needs to replace both starting defensive ends from 2011. And both safeties. And both inside linebackers, including Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Mychal Kendricks.

Looks like the Bears won't have much of a chance to lead the conference in total defense a third consecutive season, right?

Looks, however, can be deceiving. And, in fact, looks are also a good reason to suspect the Bears are going to be pretty salty on defense this fall. During a scrimmage-heavy and rare open practice last weekend, they looked big up front, fast in the back half and athletic everywhere. This is a young but fairly experienced unit with plenty of upside. It would be surprising if it doesn't rank near the top of the Pac-12 in most categories in 2012.

"I see us playing faster and faster every practice," coordinator Clancy Pendergast said.

Young? Based on conversations with Pendergast and head coach Jeff Tedford, the Pac-12 blog has calculated that about 28 guys are in line for action next fall. Six are seniors and 17 are sophomores or younger.

Experienced? Eight of those youngsters saw significant action in 2011. Five started games.

Further, this will be the Bears' third year using Pendergast's 3-4 scheme. Unlike the previous two seasons, the Bears have mostly grown up with this system while landing three consecutive top-25 recruiting classes that were particularly strong on defense.

"The biggest thing to me is this is the third year in the system," Pendergast said. "These guys know a lot more about this system than they did two years ago and even a year ago. We've got it built here now where as guys come up through the program, they are learning the defense, and when it's their time, they understand what they are supposed to do by learning from guys ahead of them."

Start up front, where Pendergast and Tedford are practically giddy over the maturation of 6-foot-5, 311-pound end Deandre Coleman. Said Tedford: "He may be one of the best that we've ever had." Keep in mind that Bears have produced two first-round NFL draft choices at end -- Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan -- over the past three seasons.

At the other end is true sophomore Mustafa Jalil, who surged late last season. Kendrick Payne and 347-pound sophomore Viliami Moala give the Bears a good combo at noseguard, while 2011 noseguard starter Aaron Tipoti is playing nose and end.

While this line might not have a dominant edge pass-rusher, it's deep with guys who will be difficult to account for with just one blocker, which should make things much easier for the linebackers.

As for replacing Kendricks and D.J. Holt at inside linebackers, veterans Robert Mullins and J.P. Hurrell, both seniors, are battling to hold off a youth movement that includes David Wilkerson, Nick Forbes, Jalen Jefferson and Jason Gibson, who are all sophomores or younger. This is the most competitive spot on the defense.

"It's not really like the well is empty there, but it's which guy or two is going to step up," Tedford said.

At outside linebacker, Chris McCain had six tackles for loss as a six-game starter in 2011. Returning starter Dan Camporeale holds down the opposite side, but true sophomore Brennan Scarlett could make a move when he returns in the fall from a knee injury. Scarlett's potential as a pass-rusher should get him on the field, and the same can be said for Cecil Whiteside, who started three games in 2011 and recorded three sacks.

Finally, there's also talent, depth and experience in the secondary, even with two 2011 safety starters to replace. Pendergast is particularly high on Josh Hill, who moves to free safety from corner. Alex Logan leads the competition at strong safety, but Avery Sebastian (who changed his last name from Walls) and the injured Michael Lowe (who changed his last name from Coley) saw action last year and could push for starting jobs.

There are three experienced, top-flight corners in Marc Anthony, Steve Williams and Stefan McClure, who is sitting out spring practices with a knee injury.

Of all these guys, only Payne, Tipoti, Hurrell, Mullens, Anthony and Hill are seniors. So the future looks perhaps even brighter than the intriguing 2012 present. For one, Coleman, Moala and Jalil across the defensive front look like a troika of potential All-Pac-12 performers in 2013, if Coleman opts to return for his senior season.

This depth and veterans vs. youth dynamic can be constructive, too. The fluidity of the depth chart ensures players take competition seriously this spring and into fall camp. Serious competition means quality reps in practice, which means you have a two-deep full of guys who are ready to play because they were forced to practice hard in order to stay in the mix.

Or as Sebastian, a true sophomore, explained it: "We want to come out and be better than the people who are in front of us. We want to take their spots. That's our mentality."

In 2010, Pendergast and then-Stanford defensive coordinator Vic Fangio brought 3-4 schemes from the NFL to the Pac-12 when everyone else was running a 4-3. It's meaningful that six conference teams will be base 3-4 in 2012 (including Arizona with its 3-3-5) and a couple of others will extensively use odd-front looks. The 3-4 seems to work well against the proliferation of spread teams in the conference, and it's easier on the West Coast to find linebacker recruits than defensive tackles.

But no matter how many teams adopt the scheme, it's reasonable to project that this Cal defense will remain atop the conference pecking order.

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California offensive coordinator Jim Michalczik talks about QB Zach Maynard, the competition behind him and his receivers and offensive line.

California QB Zach Maynard talks about his growth from 2011 to this year and who's stepping up this spring for the Bears.