ESPN College Football

Lighten up while you still can
Don't even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand
and take it easy.

• Mike Stoops isn't thrilled with Arizona's defense so far.
• Arizona State's QB decision is coming Monday, and it looks like it will be Steven Threet. This video will move you.
• California's competition at cornerback may be about to end. The depth chart is close to being finalized.
• Hopes are high at Colorado, which won't get financial assistance from the Pac-10 if it bolts the Big 12 in 2011 instead of 2012.
• Oregon is tinkering with its offensive line. Brandon Williams has looked good at tight end for Oregon.
• Oregon State's depth at running back takes a hit. A Beavers notebook.
• Stanford doesn't embrace the media. Alex Loukas is the backup QB, so he may not moonlight at safety.
• Injuries mean another chance for Darius Savage on UCLA's offensive line. QB Kevin Prince is still out.
• Again: What exactly has Lane Kiffin done to deserve all the hate? Jon Wilner looks at the "USC factor" (Great minds think alike, Jon).
• Washington coach Steve Sarkisian and QB Jake Locker speak. Former UW tight end Kavario Middleton isn't transferring to Nebraska.
• Really, it all comes down to Washington State's offensive line, which didn't get it done last year.

Happy Friday.

• If Travis Cobb is healthy, he's a dangerous weapon for Arizona. But that remains an "if." Checking in with ex-Wildcats in the NFL.
• Here are 10 guys who have stood out for Arizona State. Eddie Elder is still trying to break through at safety.
• California is having more fun. Turns out, there's a good reason that cornerback Darian Hagan struggled to stay focused last year.
• Oregon is still looking for a cornerback. The Ducks' "other" running back is pretty special, too.
• Both Oregon State's quarterbacks looked sharp in a scrimmage. Another report with video and stats.
• Alex Loukas looks like he's Stanford's backup quarterback, which means his reps free safety might be limited. A Q&A with Loukas.
• It's still not clear who UCLA's starting middle linebacker will be. The Bruins' defense was in control on Thursday.
• USC linebacker Malcolm Smith is hungry, but he's got a problem eating. Kristofer O'Dowd isn't paying attention to preseason hype.
• Washington has a couple of more major recruiting targets its looking to land. Kearse vs. Trufant: A spirited battle.
• Washington State linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis has turned his life around. The Cougars feel good about the depth at running back.
• Fifteen Pac-10 players representing eight schools have been named to the Rivals.com preseason All-America team, the most of any conference in the country.

Stanford opens preseason camp today. Here's a quick look.

Who's back: Eight starters on offense, seven on defense and both specialists

Big names: QB Andrew Luck, FB-LB Owen Marecic, C Chase Beeler, WR Ryan Whalen, KR Chris Owusu, DT Sione Fua

What's new: A lot. Vic Fangio is the Cardinal's new defensive coordinator after spending the previous 24 years coaching in the NFL, including the last four with the Baltimore Ravens. Pep Hamilton is the new receivers coach after spending the last three seasons as quarterbacks coach of the Chicago Bears. The highly respected Randy Hart takes over the defensive line after a year at Notre Dame (his tenure at Washington started with Gil Dobie and lasted through Tyrone Willingham). Derek Mason takes over the secondary after three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Brian Polian will coach special teams after spending the previous five campaigns at Notre Dame. Lance Anderson has switched from coaching defensive tackles to LBs.

Key competition: Other than CB Richard Sherman and SS Delano Howell, things are fluid in the secondary. The competition over the lone void on the offensive line -- right tackle -- includes fifth-year senior, Derek Hall, and a sixth-year senior, James McGillicuddy. Coby Fleener and Konrad Reuland will compete at tight end. As for backup QB, redshirt freshmen Robbie Picazo and Josh Nunes are battling, but the athletic Alex Loukas, who's been doubling as a safety, might get the call, if needed.

Breaking out: Owusu seems primed to transform from a fast guy to a deep threat. LB Shayne Skov should take a step forward after an impressive debut as a true freshman. The TE position is stacked, with four guys 6-foot-6 or taller who could do damage. LT Jonathan Martin and RG David DeCastro, both sophomores, are two of the conference's most promising linemen.

Quote: Coach Jim Harbaugh on Luck: “You look at Andrew and you wonder what makes a youngster that good. You know it has some to do with mom, dad, God; he has such talent. He has tremendous arm strength. He is as accurate as any quarterback I’ve seen. He is athletic and can run with the football. He rushed for 400 yards last year. He is a brilliant kid, not just book smart, but also with football."

Notes: The Cardinal has switched to a 3-4 defense, with Thomas Keiser and Chase Thomas switching from defensive end to outside linebackers. ... Marecic will go both ways. He will start at inside linebacker and also see significant action at fullback, his position last year. ... Harbaugh said that senior Jeremy Stewart, though listed second on the depth chart behind Stepfan Taylor, is the top candidate to replace Toby Gerhart at running back. ... Four-time Pro Bowl selection Chester McGlockton will serve as a defensive assistant.

Happy media day.

• Arizona, picked eighth in the Pac-10 a year ago, finished second. How wrong will reporters be this year?
• California's season-opener vs. UC Davis will start at 1 p.m. California Golden Blogs goes national just like the Pac-10.
• Oregon all-decade team: offensive line. It appears former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will end up at Ole Miss. The Ducks get a commitment from a speedy receiver.
• Oregon State all-decade team: offensive line. Some prognosticator love for the Beavers.
• It appears Alex Loukas will be Stanford's backup quarterback despite playing safety in spring practices. A look at Stanford's competition at receiver.
• USC-UCLA: Who will win?
• Rating the Pac-10 receivers.

ESPN's "College Football Live" is running down its list of the most irreplaceable players for the 2010 season. So we thought we'd take a stab at it for every Pac-10 team, including a different take for USC.

Arizona: C Colin Baxter. Centers are the quarterbacks of the offensive line, and Baxter is a good O-line QB. He earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2009 and his backup, sophomore Kyle Quinn, has little experience. With Baxter, the Wildcats should be strong up front. Without him, the line would be a question.

Arizona State: K Thomas Weber. Weber, the 2007 Lou Groza Award winner, is a weapon when healthy. While his backup, sophomore Bobby Wenzig, didn't do a terrible job filling in for a hurt Weber last year -- he made 3 of 4 field goals and 10 of 12 PATs -- he's no Weber, who's 11-for-15 from 40 or more yards during his career. The Sun Devils may struggle again on offense next fall, which means that Weber's range will be critical for getting points on the board.

California: LB Mike Mohamed. Mohamed earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2009 after leading the conference with 112 tackles, 16 more than any other defender. The Bears are replacing two of their four starting linebackers and, oh by the way, they didn't play the position terribly well last fall. It would be a big hit to lose both Mohamed's skill as well as his experience and leadership.

Oregon: WR Jeff Maehl. With the demise of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, the Ducks likely will be a little more pass-happy next fall. That makes Maehl, the Ducks' best receiver, critical. He caught 53 passes for 696 yards and six touchdowns in 2009 and steadily improved throughout the season. The Ducks' next two returning receivers, D.J. Davis and Lavasier Tuinei, combined to catch 47 passes for 450 yards and two TDs.

Oregon State: RB Jacquizz Rodgers. It's not just that Rodgers is the conference's leading Heisman Trophy candidate. It's also about the Beavers' uncertain depth at the position. Jovan Stevenson and Ryan McCants combined for 164 yards rushing in 2009. Rodgers had 1,440. McCants turned in his best work yet this spring and the running game had its moments even without Rodgers, but let's just say the ground production likely would suffer -- big -- if Rodgers went down.

Stanford: QB Andrew Luck. Pretty obvious, eh? The Cardinal's offense is already replacing Toby Gerhart. It can't afford to lose Luck also and expect to compete in the top half of the Pac-10. Backups Josh Nunes and Robbie Picazo are both redshirt freshmen, though if Luck went down, it's possible senior Alex Loukas could move from safety back to QB, where he started one game in 2008.

UCLA: LB Akeem Ayers. Ayers is an All-America candidate who has a knack for making big plays. If the Bruins' already-rebuilding defense lost him, it would then be replacing all three starting linebackers from 2009. His backup, Isaiah Bowens, is a redshirt freshman.

USC: CB Shareece Wright. Michael Lev of The Orange County Register already beat me to this one in his list of indispensable Trojans. Wright's career has been riddled by injuries and he was academically ineligible last year, but he's long been considered the Trojans' best cover corner. USC is replacing all four starters in its secondary. Wright has four career starts and was a standout this spring. If he went down, the Trojans would have one career start returning in the secondary. That is not a good thing.

Washington: QB Jake Locker. Locker is the Huskies' best player and their unquestioned leader. He's likely going to be a high first-round NFL draft pick next spring. But it's not just how important Locker is. Because last year's backup, Ronnie Fouch, opted to transfer, Locker's backup in 2010 will be either redshirt freshman Keith Price or true freshman Nick Montana. Neither, obviously, has any playing experience.

Washington State: DE Travis Long. Long, though just a sophomore, is the Cougars' best pass-rusher and best overall defensive lineman. After a year of getting bigger and stronger, he's expected to be much better in 2010. The Cougars' defensive line already lost tackles Toby Turpin, who was kicked out of school for an academic incident, and Josh Luapo (academic ineligibility) and is waiting to find out the academic status of tackle Bernard Wolfgramm. They are not deep enough up front to recover from the loss of Long. His backup, sophomore Adam Coerper, has no experience.

Read Part I here.

Which players stood out for you in the early-going of spring practices?

VF: It's too early to tell you but I was pleased with [Richard] Sherman and what he did for us at corner. Shayne Skov did a nice job at linebacker. We've made a move with [fullback] Owen Marecic. He's going to spend the entire spring with us at inside linebacker and see if he can play there for us and potentially be a two-way player this coming season. I was pleased with the front guys, the way they battled and adjusted to some of the new techniques we're trying to teach them. We're trying to be physical up front and play more a physical NFL style and they did a good job adjusting to that.

How did Alex Loukas look moving over to safety from quarterback?

VF: For a guy who's never played any defense in his career, high school or college, I thought he did extremely well over the five days. I'm anxious to see if he can continue to make progress in these next 10 practices because he may have a future there. He's got good size. He's got football awareness from having been a quarterback. I was pleasantly surprise with what he was able to show for such a short stay there and no background playing defense. Hopefully, he won't flatten out and he'll continue to improve.

Stanford is one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country. As a defensive coordinator, can you take advantage of having a group of guys who are probably smarter than may of their opponents? Can they digest more scheme?

VF: Hopefully they can but it's been my experience that just because someone is book smart doesn't mean they are football smart. It's two different types of mechanisms that need to work. They are not sitting down and analyzing things. They've got to be able to react, key and diagnose in split-second times and execute those assignments they are learning. We'll see. I'm hopeful that won't be an issue for us and that will allow us to overcome some of the shortcomings we may have by being a little bit more complex in our scheme. I don't have a great feel for that yet. We'll see where that leads us.

There's not much of a defensive tradition at Stanford. How do you build up that tradition on defense and try to get guys to play with the physicalness and aggressiveness that are parts of the culture at schools known for defense?

VF: You've got to recruit and get talented enough players in here to do it. No matter what your scheme is or how physical or tough you're playing, if you don't have a certain degree of talent, it won't work in the final analysis. But I think we've got the attitude here and the makings with what we've got in place here now, personnel-wise, to kind of lay the foundation for that. Hopefully, we'll be able to show that and it will appeal to the upcoming recruits that Stanford is a place where you can go and play top-flight defense and have an edge on the other colleges in that you're being prepared in an NFL system to potentially continue your career at the next level.

Obviously, you're just getting your toe wet in college football. But when you made the move to Stanford in football, were you anticipating this as a long-term career change, where you want to go forward as a college coach? Or is the door still open for a return to the NFL?

VF: I've learned in the coaching profession you never know what's going to happen, good or bad. I've come here with an open mind of staying here and hopefully enjoying it and staying here for a good long period. I didn't come here under the pretense that it would be a stop-gap year for me to see whether I like it or not. Although you don't coach college football, you always stay in touch with it both because you know people who have coached it and because you get exposed to it every year in the NFL when it comes to the draft and you're watching a lot of college tape. It's not like you didn't know what was going on here or what college life is about for a coach. I come here with an open mind about having a long stay.

After an 8-5 season and the program's first bowl game since 2001, it's clear Stanford is on an uptick under fourth-year coach Jim Harbaugh.

So how far will that next step take the program in 2010?

Spring practices began Monday -- the Cardinal split up their spring into two sessions or "mini-camps" -- with 17 starters back and a number of young players from nationally rated recruiting classes expected to compete for playing time.

But there are issues. Harbaugh has been trying to fill five voids on his coaching staff during the offseason, a task that appeared over until quarterbacks-receivers coach Ron Turner bolted for the Indianapolis Colts.

Moreover, the Cardinal will be breaking in a new 3-4 defensive scheme, not to mention trying to replace Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart.

That's a lot of change.

Harbaugh, however, seems to enjoy change. Consider that offensive players Alex Loukas and Owen Marecic will both change positions to defense (at least this spring). Loukas from quarterback to safety; Marecic from fullback to linebacker.

So what's up with the House of Harbaugh as spring starts? Seemed like a good moment to check in.

Part I today, Part II tomorrow.

So, the smoke has cleared after recruiting, give me the state of the Stanford Cardinal?

Jim Harbaugh: Every year is a new year. The team is going to find its identity. First and foremost going into spring ball is evaluating the players and finding their roles, whether they are starters or contributors. Anybody who could fill a role for us this season, we want to give him the license and opportunity to show that, show themselves.

You've had some fairly significant staff turnover: Tell me about the new guys, starting with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

JH: Vic Fangio has a pretty well-known reputation in football. You come across people in your career in football, whether it's as a player or coach, and you think they are really damn good at what they do. Vic is one of the people I've been most impressed with, whom I've met associated with football.

And defensive line coach Randy Hart?

JH: We really felt when we played Notre Dame last year that his was the best coached defensive line that we played against or saw on tape. When he was available, that was the first call I made. From the first conversation I had with him, I knew he was the right fit here for us. Tremendous enthusiasm and energy and character.

And special teams coordinator Brian Polian?

JH: Like Randy, I didn't know Brian but I was always impressed with him when we played against his special teams units for three years -- Stanford vs. Notre Dame. They were good battles but I kind of felt they got the better of it. And the footprint he's always left in recruiting, we have not been able to match. So if you cannot beat 'em, join 'em.

And how about secondary coach Derek Mason?

JH: Derek is good. [Defensive tackles/outside linebackers coach Lance Anderson] had worked with Derek, and I'm very good friends with Leslie Frazier [the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator] and Brad Childress [the Vikings head coach] and all those people had great things to say about Derek. I had never met Derek before but he is really, really good. I'm really impressed with him as a teacher. He's got an eye for football. Just impressive to watch him coach. A solid technician and teacher who has an excellent way about him.

Now I know that Ron Turner, who was hired to coach quarterbacks and receivers, left for the Indianapolis Colts.

JH: He left for the Colts. He viewed that as a better job. What more can you say?

How does a 3-4 base scheme make you guys better vs. the 4-3?

JH: It's base out of a 3-4 but that could still have some principles out of a 4-3. The evaluation of our personnel has never been more important than it is this spring, with new coaches and a new scheme. Even if that's the base, we'll do whatever is best to stop people. Vic's got experience in both of them -- in just about any defense that's ever been run.

How will you use Owen Marecic this year: Is he two-way, or his he now mostly an inside linebacker?

JH: He's a starting fullback on our team and a two-way player. At this point right now, it's too early to say who the starters are. We're evaluating. But he's running with the ones on defense and he's the starting fullback on our offense.

Part II on Wednesday: Replacing Toby Gerhart, Andrew Luck's increased role and Harbaugh talking about whether Stanford fans should fret about him leaving.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Lining up this week's action.

No. 6 USC (4-1) at No. 25 Notre Dame (4-1)

USC beat Notre Dame 38-3 last year ... Notre Dame leads the series 42-33-5 ... USC leads the series 22-17-3 since 1967 and has won seven in a row ... The Trojans are tied for No. 1 in the nation with 21 sacks ....Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen is No. 1 in the nation in passing efficiency ... USC has yet to surrendered a touchdown pass this year ... Notre Dame ranks 100th in the nation in total defense (403.2 yards per game), but is 59th in scoring defense (23.8 points per game) ... USC ranks fourth in the nation in scoring defense (8.6 ppg) and sixth in total defense (221.8 ypg) ... The Fighting Irish rank 10th in the nation in total offense (470 ypg) ... The Trojans rank 113th in the nation in third-down conversion percentage (28.8 percent) ... Notre Dame is plus-four in turnover margin .... The Trojans are minus-1 in turnover margin.

Stanford (4-2, 3-1) at Arizona (3-2, 1-1)

Stanford beat Arizona 24-23 last year ... Arizona leads the series 13-11-0 ... In last year's game, Toby Gerhart scored the winning touchdown with 25 seconds left on a 1-yard plunge. The 66-yard scoring drive was engineered by then-No. 3 quarterback Alex Loukas ... After playing three consecutive games on the road, the Wildcats will play three in a row at home, where it has won nine of its last 11 -- the two losses coming to ranked teams ... Gerhart leads the Pac-10 with 124.3 yards rushing per game ... Arizona leads the conference in time of possession (33:15) ... Stanford and Arizona have allowed the fewest sacks (four) in the Pac-10 ... Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles leads the Pac-10 in passing efficiency ... The Cardinal rank No. 1 in the Pac-10 in rushing offense and passing efficiency ... The Cardinal rank last in the conference in turnover margin (minus-4) in large part because they have only forced five turnovers.

California (3-2, 0-2) at UCLA (3-2, 0-2)

California beat UCLA 41-20 last year ... UCLA leads the series 49-28-1 .... Cal ranks second in the Pac-10 with 15 sacks ... UCLA kicker Kai Forbath has connected on 13 of 14 field goal attempts ... Cal is second in the conference in turnovers margin (plus-six) and is the conference's least penalized team ... Bruins defensive tackle Brian Price ranks second in the conference with nine tackles for a loss. No other interior defensive lineman ranks among the top-9 ... Bears linebackers Mychal Kendricks and Mike Mohamed combine for 17.4 tackles per game, making them the conference's top tackling tandem ... Bruins safety Rahim Moore ranks No. 1 in the nation with five interceptions ... Cal and UCLA rank seventh and eight in the conference in pass efficiency ... Bruins punter Jeff Locke leads the Pac-10 -- and ranks fifth in the nation -- with an average of 46.3 yards per boot ... Bears punter Bryan Anger ranks eighth with 39.3 yards per kick.

Washington (3-3, 2-1) at Arizona State (3-2, 1-1)

Arizona State beat Washington 39-19 last year .... Washington leads the series 15-13-0 ... Arizona State ranks No. 3 in the nation in total defense (221.8 ypg) and 19th in scoring defense (15.8 ppg) ... Washington ranks ninth in the Pac-10 in run and scoring defense and eighth in passing and total defense, but the Huskies also have surrendered just 11 touchdown on 30 opponents' red zone penetrations. Only USC -- at three touchdowns in 13 red zone possessions -- owns a better percentage ... Arizona State is No. 1 in the conference in turnover margin at plus-seven. The Sun Devils rank third in the nation with 11 interceptions ... Washington ranks first in the conference and fifth in the nation in third-down conversions (53.3 percent) ... The Sun Devils are the conference's most penalized team, averaging 82.6 penalty ypg ... Huskies quarterback Jake Locker ranks first in the conference in total offense (270.3 ypg) ... The Sun Devils rank ninth in the conference in passing efficiency.

Oregon (5-1, 3-0), Oregon State (4-2, 2-1) and Washington State (1-5, 0-4) are off this week. Oregon is at Washington; Oregon State is at USC; and Washington State is at California on Oct. 24.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

The 2006 recruiting class members are either seniors or redshirt juniors this fall, so they should be the backbones of most Pac-10 team's starting lineups.

Therefore, it seems like a reasonable moment to look back and review some recruiting hits and misses.

In the big picture, USC ranked No. 2 in the nation, according to ESPN.com's Scouts Inc., behind No. 1 Florida (sorta makes sense, eh?). UCLA, at No. 19, was the only other Pac-10 team in the Scouts Inc., top-25.

Scout.com ranked USC No. 1 in the nation, Arizona 19th, UCLA 20th and California 23rd. The rest of the Pac-10 went, in order, Arizona State (32nd in nation), Washington (35th), Stanford (38), Oregon State (41), Washington State (45) and Oregon (52).

Oregon last? Hmm.

Anyway... here's an overview

Arizona

Class: 24

ESPNU top 150 players: 2

How many are expected to start in 2009: Nine (CB Devin Ross, DT Earl Mitchell, FS Cam Nelson, WR Terrell Turner, DE Brooks Reed, DE Ricky Elmore, WR Delashaun Dean, OG Conan Amituanai, C Colin Baxter)

Misses: QB Tyler Lyon, RB Derke Robinson

Verdict: This is an underrated class -- even guys who aren't listed as starters are projected to contribute in 2009. It's also notable that the few who didn't pan out -- or were problems, such as DE Louis Holmes -- were the big names.

Arizona State

Class: 24

ESPNU top 150 players: 0

How many are expected to start in 2009: Seven (SS Ryan McFoy, RB Dimitri Nance, OG Jon Hargis, WR Kyle Williams, DT Saia Falahola, QB Danny Sullivan, LB Travis Goethel OR LB Gerald Munns)

Misses: DE Jermaine Williams, RB Rodney Glass

Verdict: A solid class when you consider that nine of the 24 signees were JC players who have already moved on -- a group that included RB Ryan Torain and S Troy Nolan, who were the class's most elite performers.

California

Class: 20

ESPNU top 150 players: 2

How many are expected to start in 2009: Six (CB Darian Hagan, DT Derrick Hill, QB Kevin Riley, C Chris Guarnero, DE Tyson Alualu, LB Mike Mohamed)

Misses: RB James Montgomery, RB Tracy Slocum, DT Justin Prueitt

Verdict: Ratings, smatings. Montgomery, Slocum and Prueitt were highly rated, Alualu and Mohamed barely registered. Overall, a solid class.

Oregon

Class: 20

ESPNU top 150 players: 0

How many are expected to start in 2009: Five (C Jordan Holmes, LT Bo Thran, RT C.E. Kaiser, DT Brandon Bair, LB Spenser Paysinger)

Misses: The class included three quarterbacks: Cody Kempt, Justin Roper and Nate Costa. Kempt and Roper have transferred, Costa has been riddled by injuries.

Verdict: Decidedly mixed. One thing is for sure: This class bolstered the Ducks offensive line. Also interesting, Bair and Paysinger transitioned to their current positions from tight end and receiver, respectively.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Now, I owe it to myself to tell you, Mr. Griswold, that if you are thinking of taking the tribe cross-country, this is your automobile. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster. You think you hate it now, but wait till you drive it.

• Injury issues aren't helping Arizona State rebuild its offensive line. 
• Spring practice No. 9 was a kick for California, and it also had some hurry-up.
• Who is Oregon State's quarterback of the future? And this coach used to co-star in a popular soap opera.
• Missed this the other day: Stanford's No. 3 quarterback, Alex Loukas, a guy who'd see some action at receiver in 2009, is out six months with a torn ACL.
• Kevin Prince is the leading candidate to be UCLA's 2009 quarterback, but his shoulder is bothering him. How do the Bruins' running backs stack up?
• Is Mitch Mustain out of the USC quarterback race? His new coach says no. It might be a good sign for him that the practice plan will be less conservative during upcoming practices. It looks like Armond Armstead's move from defensive tackle to end is going to stick.
• Open it and they shall come: The energy at Washington's freshly opened practices is paying off in recruiting. And one gets a feeling linebacker E.J. Savannah won't be opening a chapter of the Tyrone Willingham Fan Club.
• Injuries are giving Washington State's Kevin Lopina a chance at quarterback.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Wanted to go back and look at the 2006 recruiting classes and see which players were overrated and which were underrated.

Why 2006?

Two reasons: 1. It allows enough time for the player to break through while still being on the roster heading into 2009; 2. It's as far back as the ESPNU Scouts Inc., ratings go back.

Also, sometimes "overrated" doesn't translate to "actually pretty mediocre to bad." It can mean that the touted player didn't qualify academically or transferred.

This is about recruiting, so the "overrated" is about how a player bolstered recruiting rankings but then didn't contribute to the team.

And, of course, overrated today doesn't mean overrated tomorrow.

This is in the order of finish in the 2006 conference recruiting rankings (note how things have changed for Stanford this season).

The number in parentheses is the player's rating on a scale of 100 to 40.

1. USC
Over
S Antwine Perez (91): He was rated the nation's No. 3 safety right behind Taylor Mays. Transfered to Maryland, where he started two games and had 24 tackles after sitting out a year.

Under
FB Stanley Havili (71): One of Pete Carroll's favorite players, he's been a key contributor on offense.

2. UCLA
Over
C Andy Keane (79): Rated the nation's No. 1 center, he's bounced between offensive and defensive lines and hasn't contributed.

Under
OG Darius Savage (69): Sure, he's still figuring some things out, but he started seven games last year and he's got good upside.

3. California
Over
RB James Montgomery (77): He likely would have been No. 2 behind Jahvid Best last year but he opted to transfer to Washington State, where he likely will start this fall.

Under
DL Tyson Alualu & LB Mike Mohamed (both 40): Neither was a hot recruit but both started last year and received All-Pac-10 recognition -- Alualu as second-team.

4. Arizona
Over
RB Derke Robinson (78): Had academic issues, left the program.

Under
C Colin Baxter (40): He's made 23 starts at guard and center.

5. Washington
Over
S/RB Leilyon Myers (77): Failed to qualify academically, headed to junior college.

Under
WR D'Andre Goodwin (40): Huskies leading receiver in 2008, catching 60 passes for 692 yards.

6. Arizona State
Over
DE Jermaine Williams (80): Nation's No. 14 DE failed to qualify academically.

Under
WR Kyle Williams: (70): Tied for team lead with four touchdown receptions. His 17 yards per punt return led the conference.

7. Oregon State
Over
TE Joe Halahuni (77): No. 3 on depth chart in 2008 and caught only one pass -- though it went for a touchdown.

Under
TE Howard Croom (40): Starting tight end, he caught six passes for 37 yards.

8. Oregon
Over
QB Cody Kempt (77): Completed 6 of 26 passes with two interceptions before transferring to Montana State.

OL C.E. Kaiser (40): Started 10 games last year and will be one of the leaders on the line in 2009.

9. Washington State
Over
WR Anthony Houston (78): Didn't catch a pass last year after being suspended from the team.

Under
LB Andy Mattingly (40): Didn't have a great 2008 season for a variety of reasons but he was the Cougars second-leading tackler in 2007, leading the team in tackles for a loss and sacks.

10. Stanford
Over
QB Alex Loukas (74): Saw only spot playing time last year -- used mostly as a runner -- and he appears to be the odd man out in the quarterback competition between returning starter Tavita Pritchard and touted redshirt freshman Andrew Luck.

Under
S Austin Yancy (40): A hamstring injury killed his 2008 season, but he started 12 games in 2007.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Considering that Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh was a longtime NFL quarterback, you'd think he might be impatient with inefficiency at the position.

	Mark J. Rebilas/US PRESSWIRE
	Coach Jim Harbaugh has stuck with struggling QB Tavita Pritchard.

So far, Harbaugh is showing a lot of patience with Tavita Pritchard, who has been decidedly more cold than hot this season.

He ranks eighth in the Pac-10 in pass efficiency, with nine interceptions vs. seven touchdown passes. His 130 yards passing per game also ranks eighth.

And when he completed just 5 of 12 passes for 51 yards with an interception in the loss two weeks ago to UCLA, it looked like Harbaugh's patience might run out.

Nope.

"We've got a consistent starter in Tavita Pritchard," said Harbaugh, when asked to assess his quarterback situation.

That doesn't mean Harbaugh won't turn to Alex Loukas or Jason Forcier on Saturday against woeful Washington State. But Pritchard remains the first guy in line. And it's a near-certainty that touted freshman Andrew Luck will redshirt.

"We worked a lot on our passing game [during the bye] week," Harbaugh said. "I thought that was a real area of emphasis that we needed to improve in."

Harbaugh spreads the blame for the passing woes, too. And, in fairness, Pritchard is working with a very young receiving corps. The five receivers on the depth chart are sophomores (three) and freshmen.

With veteran Richard Sherman out for the year with a knee injury, the goal is to build a comfort level between Pritchard and his young receivers.

"We need more work on our timing throwing the football -- the timing with the quarterbacks and receivers," Harbaugh said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Getting deep into this week's games.

California won't run over Arizona: In Arizona's two losses, its defense got run over by a big back -- New Mexico's Rodney Ferguson and Stanford's Toby Gerhart, a pair of 230-pound bruisers. California is not a power-rushing team with Jahvid Best, who's expected to return after dislocating his elbow on Sept. 27, and Shane Vereen, neither of whom pushes the scale past 200 pounds. Moreover, the Bears have two injured starting linemen, tackle Mike Tepper and guard Chris Guarnero. Without Best, the Bears rushed for just 79 yards at home against Arizona State, and playing on the road makes it harder to use a variety of run audibles. Best and Vereen can hit home runs, but they don't grind out four yards and a cloud of dust. Cal will need balance to win, and the Bears passing game has not clicked this season. Meanwhile, the Wildcats pass defense is holding opponents to just a 55.3 completion percentage and has grabbed eight interceptions. Hmm.

A two-quarterback system might work for Stanford: Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard has steadily improved this year and was 13-of-17 for 113 yards and a touchdown before he was knocked out against Arizona with a concussion. He's likely to start against UCLA on Saturday. But Alex Loukas' running ability off the bench confused the Wildcats defense and was the key component of the 11-play, 60-yard game-winning drive. Loukas completed a 21-yard pass and ran four times for 32 yards, and apparently earned more playing time, according to coach Jim Harbaugh. Loukas not only adds a nice change of pace, but he also forces a defense to use valuable practice time preparing for a running quarterback and some spread-option plays.

Washington State's goal is to protect quarterback Kevin Lopina: If you read a week's worth of stories on Washington State, you can't help but wince. Two of the Cougars top three quarterbacks are done for the year. Kevin Lopina, who took over the starting job two games into the season, will return to face USC's fearsome defense after missing the past three games with a fractured vertebrae. If the Trojans knock Lopina out, the Cougars must turn to either walk-on freshman Daniel Wagner or burn the redshirt of true freshman J.T. Levenseller, with coach Paul Wulff suggesting this week he'd have no alternative but to go with Levenseller because there's half a season remaining. That means the Cougars figure to try to run the ball and use a lot of quick-hit passes to minimize the hits on Lopina, a strategy that isn't likely to put many points on the board. Of course, as a 43-point underdog, don't expect the Cougars to give the Trojans a scare. In fact, don't be shocked if USC coach Pete Carroll, who's team isn't exactly healthy, calls off the dogs fairly early and doesn't try to become the fourth Pac-10 team to score 60-plus on the Cougs.

UCLA may be able to force Stanford to pass: Sure, UCLA's rushing defense ranks eighth in the Pac-10 (171.3), which would seem to bode well for Stanford's potent ground game. But the Bruins have faced the nation's No. 6 (Oregon) and No. 16 (Fresno State) rushing attacks in recent weeks. Moreover, Stanford's more conventional power-running scheme matches strength-on-strength as the Bruins defensive tackle combo of Brian Price and Brigham Harwell is as good as any in the conference. It's almost certain that defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker will try to force Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard to throw the ball. The Bruins secondary has been terribly inconsistent this year -- strong safety Bret Lockett is fighting to hold onto his job this week -- but Pritchard, while improving, has a tendency to force passes into coverage, see eight interceptions vs. seven touchdowns. The Bruins secondary has only four interceptions this season, but that has been a point of emphasis in practices this week. Stanford beat Arizona despite losing the turnover battle, 0-3. It will be harder to do that on the road.

Beavers should be on upset alert: There is absolutely no logical reason to believe that Washington can upset Oregon State. The Huskies are winless, beaten up and about to fire head coach Tyrone Willingham. Oregon State has won three of four and is in the middle of the Pac-10 race. The Beavers are superior in just about every area and should be highly motivated. Yet this is college football, and only twice since 1999 has a Pac-10 team gone winless in the conference (though Washington did it in 2004). Moreover, the Huskies' loss last year at Oregon State was hotly contested and bitterly lost, including a controversial knock-out hit on quarterback Jake Locker by Beavers safety Al Afalava, which has been a hot topic this week (though let's be clear that the hit was legal). The Beavers won 19 games over the previous two seasons, but managed to get drubbed both years by inferior UCLA teams, so it's not inconceivable that the Beavers could come out flat with overconfidence.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said on the Pac-10 conference call Tuesday that quarterback Tavita Pritchard is "likely" to play at UCLA on Saturday.

Pritchard suffered a concussion late in the second quarter against Arizona.

Harbaugh said the concussion has been determined to be "light," and Pritchard would practice Tuesday, albeit with no contact.

If Pritchard can't go, it's likely his replacement with be Alex Loukas, who led the game-winning drive against Arizona.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

This week on Worlds Most Dangerous Jobs... Pac-10 quarterback!

• UCLA released this to the media about wide receiver Terrence Austin, who was injured in the fourth quarter at Oregon.

"[Austin] was fitted for a neck collar, placed on a board and transported from the field to RiverBend Hospital. While on the field, he was conscious and able to move his arms and legs.

Tests at the hospital were negative. He was diagnosed with a neck strain and a mild concussion and released from the hospital in time to fly home to Los Angeles with the UCLA football team late Saturday night.

• Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter appears to have been playing on a broken ankle against USC, according to the East Valley Tribune. The Sun Devils have a bye before Oregon comes to town. Wonder if Carpenter can make consecutive start No. 38?
• Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard suffered a concussion against Arizona and is questionable for the for Saturday's game at UCLA. If he can't go, his likely replacement is Alex Loukas, who led the game-winning drive vs. the Wildcats.
• Washington State fans.... all I can say is at some point you guys are due some serious luck. No. 3 quarterback Marshall Lobbestael is apparently out two to four weeks with a knee sprain. There is good news, though. It  appears that No. 2 Kevin Lopina will be ready to play at USC on Saturday. Sure, Lopina can't wait to face the USC defense with his patchwork offensive line.
• I agree with this column: USC quarterback Mark Sanchez looks far from 100 percent to me, too.
• Moving from quarterback, here's an injury note on Oregon State's beaten up secondary, courtesy of The Oregonian: "OSU played without safety Al Afalava (groin injury) and cornerback Brandon Hughes (hamstring). ... When cornerback Keenan Lewis went out with a turf toe in the second half, the Beavers were missing three-fourths of their starting secondary." The good news is those injuries won't likely matter at Washington, and after that the Beavers have a bye.