ESPN College Football

Every team has hope heading into the offseason. And every team has concerns.

Ergo, we're going to run through the conference and look at the chief matters -- on the up and downside -- for each Pac-12 team.

Next up:

Utah

Biggest reason for hope: The program knows how to win.

The biggest preseason story for Utah's first go-round in the Pac-12 won't be about individual players or player groups. It will be about how well the Utes will do in their first experience competing in an AQ conference, where the depth of talent should be superior to the Mountain West. So forget about Utah's overall talent and positions of strength and concern for a moment, though the Utes' 31 NFL draft picks since 2000 speak for themselves. Utah is a well-coached team that has won 33 games over the past three years as well as two BCS bowl games since 2004. How many teams can match that? This is a confident program that won't be awed by Pac-12 membership. And for good reason: The Utes own bowl victories against Georgia Tech, Alabama, California and Pittsburgh in recent years. In the regular season, they've bounced Michigan, Oregon State, UCLA, Louisville, Arizona, Oregon and Texas A&M. My impression of the Utes during a spring visit is they mostly are amused by the notion they'll get humbled in Pac-12 play. They seemed genuinely baffled by the idea. That confidence borne of having done it before matters.

Biggest reason for concern: Is the secondary ready for a steady diet of NFL quarterbacks?

Utah faced some good quarterbacks last season: TCU's Andy Dalton, San Diego State's Ryan Lindley and Boise State's Kellen Moore. But that troika doesn't match the overall talent and sophistication the Utes will face in 2011, even though their schedule includes misses of Stanford and quarterback Andrew Luck and Oregon and quarterback Darron Thomas (at least, until a potential date in the Pac-12 title game). Toss in receivers such as Arizona's Juron Criner, USC's Robert Woods, Washington State's Marquess Wilson, Washington's Jermaine Kearse, California's Keenan Allen and Oregon State's James Rodgers (cross your fingers, Beavers fans), and the Utes' pass defense will be stressed this fall far beyond what it faced in 2010. Further, Utah is replacing all four starters from a secondary that ranked 88th in the nation in pass efficiency defense -- or ninth in the Pac-10. (Lindley completed 36 of 54 passes for a career-high 528 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-34 defeat to the Utes; Dalton completed 21 of 26 for 355 yards and three TDs in a 47-7 win; Moore was 28 of 38 for 339 yards and two TDs in a 26-3 win). The preliminary returns on the secondary from spring practices were hopeful: There's nice young talent across the board. But if you're looking for an area where the Utes will most feel an uptick in competition in the Pac-12, it's defending sophisticated passing games led by future NFL quarterbacks on a week-to-week basis.

Stanford's Andrew Luck and Oregon's Darron Thomas are among 10 finalists for this year's Manning Award.

The winner will be announced after the bowl games on Jan. 19 and will be honored at a ceremony in New Orleans. The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes the candidates’ bowl performances into consideration in its balloting.

The finalists are:
Andy Dalton, TCU
Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
Andrew Luck, Stanford
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
Kellen Moore, Boise State
Cameron Newton, Auburn
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State
Denard Robinson, Michigan
Darron Thomas, Oregon
Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

Oregon running back LaMichael James and Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck are two of the "Players to Watch” for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, the fourth-oldest college football award in the nation.

A list of five finalists will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

The 2010 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is voted on by the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be presented live on Dec. 9 during the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter."

Here's the complete list.

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Da’Quan Bowers, DL, Clemson
Andy Dalton, QB, TCU
LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
Nick Fairley, DL, Auburn
Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut

Oregon State's defense had mixed results against TCU in a 30-21 defeat last weekend.

The Beavers muted the Horned Frogs passing game and picked off two passes. They also were pretty good on first and second down.

But the run defense yielded 278 yards, and the Horned Frogs were 11 of 17 on third down, which is back-breaking. TCU was particularly effective running quarterback Andy Dalton and attacking the perimeter of the Beavers defense.

With a bye week to review the film before playing host to Louisville on Sept. 18, it seemed like a good time to check in with defensive coordinator Mark Banker and hear his thoughts on how things went.

Tell me your general impressions after reviewing game tape from TCU.

Mark Banker: From an alignment side of it, communication side of it, the basic things, we were pretty good. We were pleased. Tackling, for a first game, was probably a B+. That has been something that has been a concern over the last few years, and we worked hard on that in the spring and in summer camp to remedy that. From the standpoint of the technical aspect of the game itself, we were really disappointed in our perimeter defense. If you would have told me they were going to run the ball outside on us, I would have been really happy and would have welcomed that. But that's where we broke down. We struggled to get into good leverage positions to turn the ball back into our pursuit. Our pursuit and our effort to the ball all night was excellent. That's a starting point for us and an emphasis for us. The guys really did a good job of executing their primary assignment and going to the ball. The other thing that was interesting in the game was we got them into 17 third-down situations. Over the course of the 2009 season, they probably only averaged maybe eight a game. Unfortunately, we didn't do a good job of getting off the field. Traditionally, situations of third-and-5 or more, you normally see the ball in the air. But they felt they could run the quarterback on the perimeter, as well as his ability to scramble. We fell short in that area. There were some good moments for us. The game was definitely winnable. There wasn't anything we felt, physically, athletically, that our team couldn't handle. We just didn't execute well enough to put our team in a winning situation. But the game is over, we can't do much about it now, other than we took some time during this bye week to make some corrections. We're looking forward to the Louisville game.

Any specific concerns about the run defense?

MB: The understand of everybody's responsibility. In some cases it didn't look like that. Like I said, in some cases we didn't get the positions and leverage we needed to. In some cases, they were able to beat the safeties to the corners, the outside linebacker in some fit positions, where they spill the ball. Those hurt us. It's not so much a concern as it is about correcting it and making sure we understand how it all fits together. Initially, we were concerned about their inside run game. But we feel good about our tackles, specifically Stephen Paea being such a force. At the same time, we're trying to replace a starting middle linebacker [David Pa'aluhi] who we thought we'd have for two more years. So this summer, we were really working on the interior of our defense. But we seemed to play well vs. their inside running game. The breakdowns occurred on the perimeter. It wasn't a physical thing; it was more about an understanding of how to get your fits on the outside perimeter game.

Who had a good game?

MB: A lot of players. You start up front. I think the three tackles -- Paea, Kevin Frahm and Brennan Olander -- consistently played well. I thought DE Gabe Miller played pretty well. DE Taylor Henry in his first full game starting. He did some nice things. I thought that OLB Dwight Roberson showed up and did some good things. He knows that had he made maybe four more plays and finished on some tackles by being in better position, he could have made an impact on the game. But he played pretty well. I thought the two safeties -- Lance Mitchell and Suaesi Tuimaunei -- played well. At the same time, Mitchell, just like Roberson, he had some situations where if he made four more plays in third down situations out on the perimeter, it changes third-down situations. He and Tuimaunei showed up with a lot of tackles, the reason being they ran outside quite a bit. Yet there were still some plays to be made.

How about the pass rush in general: It was a struggle last year. Did you see grounds for hope in 2010?

MB: Absolutely. When you play a game when the quarterback is like a running back and the ends have to be responsible to the end of the line of scrimmage on the QB, but at the same transfer to a pass rush, they did a good job. The ball was out quick, quite often. A couple of times the interior, Stephen Paea, got loose inside and chased Andy Dalton off his set-up point. Very encouraging from that standpoint.

Any personnel changes coming out of Week 1?

MB: We're still looking at the middle linebacker position, who starts the game [between Rueben Robinson and Tony Wilson]. The combination of plays they get. We've got to get deeper on our rotation on the outside. We know who our starters are, but we've got to continue to improve some of our younger players there. We had a position change at the end of summer camp when Cameron Collins, who started for us at safety last year, has moved to outside linebacker. If we thought he was one of the best 11 guys last year, we still feel he's one of the better players on our team. We've got to figure out a way to get him moving along at that position. From a starting standpoint, the only starter I can see at this point in time, possible change, might be inside. But that would just be who starts the game. The same guys will rotate that position. It looks like Kevin Unga, who's been our third [MLB] in camp so far, will push for more playing time.

What about Louisville: Give me a preview of the Cardinals, who lost 23-16 to Kentucky in their opener.

MB: They operate under center and out of the gun. Their base run plays are the zone, the stretch and the counter. They roll with two backs who are a little different in stature. One guy is a 6-1 kid who seems to be 215 pounds and is a very strong runner. He also had a breakaway run and has some good speed. They have another guy who looks to be more of an outside guy. He's a big-time cut-back runner. They are going to possess the ball. I thought the QB would be more of a runner -- like TCU -- we thought we'd see more read-zone option concepts. We saw some from a structure standpoint when they operate out of the gun with an off-set back, but the QB only ran with the ball one time with a designed play. But we still have to be cognizant of that. In the passing game, because of their run game, they are going to use play-action passes, where it's protection first, then pass. They are not a team that sends five people out into the route. They haven't shown empty a lot either. More possession type passes. They took a couple of shots downfield last week, just trying to get positive plays. The drop-back pass game only appeared on obvious passing downs -- third down or second and long. It seems like they are structured to try to have positive plays and then turn things over to their defense to manage the game.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- TCU pushed Oregon State around inside palatial Cowboys Stadium. No getting around that. The sixth-ranked Horned Frogs rushed for 278 yards, which is more than the Beavers 255 total yards. Oregon State ran just 51 plays; TCU 81.

"Still," the glum head shakes from the Beavers said afterwards. They had the ball and a chance with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter, but they made their biggest error of the evening. A miscommunication on a shotgun snap from senior center Alex Linnenkohl to sophomore quarterback Ryan Katz, who was making his first career start, sailed over a surprised Katz's shoulder, which forced Katz to kick the ball through the end zone for a safety.

Those would be the final points -- and the last time the Beavers touched the ball -- in a 30-21 defeat.

"I'm disappointed that we didn't give ourselves a chance on the drive at the end," Beavers coach Mike Riley said.

What happened was this: Oregon State, down seven, had a first down on its 18-yard line. A draw play was called. Katz saw something he didn't like. He tried to change the play. Linnenkohl didn't get the message and snapped the ball.

The Horned Frogs got two points and the ball and they didn't give it back.

"The safety was a big deal," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "You go up by nine and you play the game a lot different."

The biggest deal was TCU's running game and the Beavers lack of one. While Jacquizz Rodgers gained a tough 75 yards on 18 carries, the Beavers finished with just 73 yards on the ground. Three TCU runners gained at least 64 yards, topped by Ed Wesley with 134 on just 17 carries, which works out to a crisp 7.9 per rush.

Suffice it to say, the Horned Frogs option worked even though the Beavers knew it was coming.

"We just couldn't get off a block to make a play," Riley said.

Oregon State was still in the game in the fourth because of two interceptions of TCU quarterback Andy Dalton -- one by Lance Mitchell and the other by Dwight Roberson -- and a well-executed fake punt that netted 23 yards on a fourth-and-1. The fake punt set up the second of Katz's two touchdown passes, which gave the Beavers a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

Katz made some nice throws -- his TDs covered 30 and 34 yards -- but he only completed 9 of 25 passes for 159 yards. Nonetheless, it was a solid first start on the road. He didn't throw an interception and was mistake-free until the muddled shotgun snap.

The only plus coming from that play was Katz taking responsibility for the miscue, just like a veteran quarterback would.

"We should have just stayed with the [called] play," he said. "That's on me."

Riley agreed, by the way: "He didn't have to get out of it."

As for TCU, it got another win over a BCS conference foe. In the constant fight for respect, this was another notch on the musket. Seeing that the Horned Frogs are 14-3 in their past 17 games against teams from BCS automatic-qualifying conferences, they might need another musket.

"The national spotlight and national attention I think will pick up," Dalton said. "I think a lot of people will watch the game tonight and see how we play football."

One thing is for sure: TCU still enjoys seeing itself as an underdog. It didn't escape detection that ESPN GameDay analyst Lee Corso picked the Frogs to go down by "three touchdowns."

"I did text [Corso]," Patterson said. "You guys thought that was a bogus text. That was me. I asked Chris Fowler, 'Lee: Three touchdowns?'"

Big week for the Mountain West Conference, too. Utah beat Pittsburgh, the Big East favorite, on Thursday, and BYU's win over Washington -- along with Oregon's 72-0 win over New Mexico -- gave the conference a 2-1 Saturday vs. the Pac-10. Why is the conference in turmoil when it's so darn good?

Perhaps the most disappointed Beavers were the Rodgers brothers, who were playing their first -- and likely only -- game together in the state of Texas. Both turned in solid performances -- James Rodgers caught four passes for 75 yards and a TD -- but both only saw what they didn't do.

"We left a lot of plays out there," James Rodgers said.

For both programs, this big stage was an opportunity. Both are nationally respected -- see national rankings -- but both want to take the next step. TCU knows only perfection will get it into the national championship conversation -- or even BCS bowl contention -- while the Beavers want to climb toward the top-10 while they make a run at their first Rose Bowl since 1965.

For TCU, mission accomplished. For Oregon State, it's another nonconference loss to start the season, which fits into a pattern: The Beavers started 2-3 in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and 2-2 in 2009.

Of course, if any team knows that an early loss doesn't end the season, it's the Beavers.

"It's very frustrating, but we can't let that get to us," James Rodgers said. "We've got 11 more games."

That's 11 more games, including a date with Boise State on Sept. 25, in which to make a statement.

But on this night, TCU made the statement: Count us in the mix in the national championship chase.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- TCU leads 28-21 heading into the fourth quarter.

This one feels like it might be simple.

Oregon State can't stop the Horned Frogs ground game, which has piled up 214 yards.

The Beavers are in the game because of two interceptions from TCU quarterback Andy Dalton. So much for having a veteran quarterback: Ryan Katz hasn't thrown any.

The Beavers have to figure out how to stop the option. Their linebackers have to get off blocks. If they don't, TCU will run the option until the clock strikes zero.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- TCU leads Oregon State 21-14 at the half.

A well-played first half. This one feels like it might be in question until the fourth quarter.

Turning point: Oregon State went three-and-out and punted from its 22 late in the second quarter. A short punt from Johnny Hekker and a 35-yard return from Jeremy Kerley gave the Horned Frogs the ball on the Beavers 23. Four plays later, TCU took its first lead.

Stat of the half: Oregon State has just 33 yards rushing. TCU has 125.

Best call: On a fourth and 1 from its 43, Oregon State ran a fake punt, and Hekker threw for 23 yards to Jordan Poyer. The next play, Ryan Katz connected with Jordan Bishop for a 34-yard TD and a 14-7 lead.

What Oregon State needs to do: It's all about the running game. Oregon State needs one, and it needs to stop the Horned Frogs on the ground. It particularly needs to spy on Dalton, whose scrambles for much of the half were the Horned Frogs best play.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Questions about how sophomore quarterback Ryan Katz would handle his first career start for Oregon State have been answered.

Just fine.

Katz is 3-of-6 for 59 yards with a 30-yard touchdown after one quarter. He doesn't looked overwhelmed in the least. In fact, his fifth-year senior counterpart had a bad interception, which set up Oregon State's score.

The biggest issues at present for the Beavers? Stopping Andy Dalton as a runner (he leads all rushers with 26 yards) and is getting the ground game going. The Beaver rushed for just 3 yards in the first quarter.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- At some point tonight, Ryan Katz will look up at the world largest video screen that hangs over the Cowboys Stadium field and he will watch a replay of himself.

Wonder what he will see? A pretty TD pass. Or a wobbly interception. Maybe a little of both.

No matter what a young quarterback looks like during fall camp, you just don't know how he will perform when the lights go on and the game counts. And this is a heck of a "bright lights, big city" venue.

If Katz keeps his cool and plays like the guy who's raised more than a few impressed eyebrows in Corvallis, the Beavers have a good chance to upset No. 6 TCU tonight.

If he gets rattled, throws late or early or off target, then it could be a long night.

While playing TCU in Texas operates as a road game, noise probably won't be an issue. No more than 40,000 folks will be here and that will not fill up half of this HUGE stadium, and there's a good contingent of Orange-clad Beavers down here anyway.

Nor will the Texas humidity be an issue. The roof is closed.

So it's going to be all about, as coaches say, execution. Who's going to make plays?

TCU counters the green Katz with 29-game winner Andy Dalton, an efficient, athletic quarterback who's trying to put a bad night in the Fiesta Bowl behind him.

Dalton's supporting skill, however, won't be as good as Katz's. The Rodgers brothers, running back Jacquizz Rodgers and receiver James Rodgers, are the two best places for Katz to look for help. Both can turn a modest-looking play into something full of sound and fury signifying a TD.

The Beavers have some defensive questions. For one, they struggled to pressure opposing QBs last year. Dalton's too good to be allowed to feel comfortable in the pocket.

Then there's the run defense. The Beavers are breaking in a new middle linebacker -- Rueben Robinson probably gets the first snap but Tony Wilson likely will split time with him -- and end Taylor Henry is trying to play through a sprained ankle. The Horned Frogs top-two running backs, Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker, combined for 1,300 yards last year and both averaged over six yards per carry. Four starting offensive linemen from 2009 are back.

If Katz is as cool as advertised, and the defense can get to Dalton, the Beavers could do something they rarely do: Start a season fast.

A win also would send a message that the Beavers are eyeballing their first Rose Bowl since 1965.

Pressure? Pressure is your first career start at quarterback -- your first meaningful action, in fact -- coming against the nation's No. 6 team, one that's known for forcing quarterbacks to their backs, where they can look up at the lights and wonder if it's worth it to get up. And that pressure twists even tighter when it's not just a road game against that powerful foe, but it's also inside the palatial Cowboys Stadium, a$1.3 billion, look-at-me showcase of excess from Jerry Jones.

That's what Oregon State quarterback Ryan Katz will face on Saturday when his 24th-ranked Beavers try to take down a TCU team with 27 seniors -- tied for most in the nation -- including a fifth-year quarterback, Andy Dalton, who's triumph in 29 career games means his next victory will push him past the legendary Slingin' Sammy Baugh on the Horned Frogs list.

Katz spent his first game week answering redundant questions about whether he was excited or nervous -- nervous or excited -- about making his first start (answers: yes to excited, no to the other). While he clearly seems ready to be done with the hype portion of preparation, he diplomatically insists "it wasn't that bad."

"I'm just going to play it cool and stay focused," Katz said.

We shall see. The biggest difference between these two teams, who are similar in that they are consistently successful without ever signing nationally-touted recruiting classes, is quarterback. Dalton has thrown more than 1,000 career passes and could become a Heisman Trophy candidate. Katz at this point is all projection, though his powerful arm has elicited more than a few "yowzas" during practices.

The good news for Katz is he won't be facing end Jerry Hughes and linebacker Daryl Washington, 2009 All-Americans who were picked in the first two rounds of NFL draft. Dalton and the offense have often had their way during preseason practices, so perhaps the Horned Frogs defense will take a step back this fall.

"Well, a little bit of it has to do with our offense -- they've really got things going with a senior quarterback," TCU coach Gary Patterson said.

Patterson's most obvious strategy is to gang up on Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers and then blitz Katz relentlessly, daring the sophomore to maintain his poise and find an open guy. It would be fair to say that the Beavers -- aware of the obvious -- have thrown every blitz package they can think of at their offense in order to get them ready.

"We've got to stay poised to pick up the right guy and then physically do the job so our quarterback can function," coach Mike Riley said. "But there is no way we can play this game without some balance."

Which means Rodgers gets -- or creates -- space to run. Recall that he did that with great fanfare versus USC in 2008, gaining 186 yards against what is widely considered the best defense of the past decade.

But the other Rodgers -- receiver James Rodgers -- has a secret: Katz seems comfortable with pressure and is capable of punishing a blitzing defense.

"Now, he can throw the deep ball," James Rodgers said. "Whenever we do pressure periods, he gets rid of the ball fast. I think his confidence has really gotten high. It will be pick your poison. You want to stop the run and load up the box, we have a lot of guys at receiver who can make plays. And vice versa if you want to double-up on the receivers. We have a running back who can make plays."

Katz is surprisingly breezy when talking about what he might face.

"The quickest way to get a defense to stop blitzing is to convert some big plays," he said. "There are some really big spaces there when a defense blitzes. There are going to be a lot of open throws downfield, I think."

Those are the basic Xs and Os. But other numbers stack up against the Beavers. For one, TCU regularly takes foes from the marquee conferences to the woodshed. It's 13-3 in its past 16 games against BCS conference teams. Moreover, Oregon State rarely posts Septembers to remember. It won 28 games from 2006-2008, but it started all three seasons 2-3. In 2009, the Beavers went 8-5 after a 2-2 start.

The slow starts have long been a source of "what might have been?" in Corvallis. To cure the ailment, Riley increased the intensity during spring practices and fall camp. There was a lot more full-contact work (though star players, such as the Rodgers brothers and defensive tackle Stephen Paea often took the scrimmages off). Further, other than Katz, this is a veteran team. It shouldn't need a few games to find itself.

All the talk is at an end, though. Katz said he expects to feel some butterflies when he first takes the field and early in the game. And he knows that TCU's vaunted defense is eyeballing him with all sorts of bad intentions.

"We just need to weather the storm and get past those first few plays," he said. "It's Cowboys Stadium, but after that first play, it just becomes football."

And it seems the Beavers coaches and players feel pretty confident that Katz will be just fine handling the football part of the evening.

There's a full slate of 10 nonconference games this week, so there's a lot to watch.

1. How will Katz react when the lights go on at Cowboys Stadium? Oregon State's Ryan Katz has done everything well since he quickly took control of the quarterback job during spring practices. He's got the arm, head and athletic ability to become an All-Conference QB. But no one really knows how he will react to the big-stage pressure of his first career start. Many great QBs played like a squirrel darting across a highway in their first start. Others did just fine.

2. Time for Locker to step up: It's no longer about Jake Locker's extraordinary potential, which has NFL scouts salivating. Now it's about Locker performing. It's about him becoming the QB he is projected to be but hasn't yet been. That means completing 60-65 percent of his passes with few mistakes and converting big play after big play with both his arm and his feet. The visions of Locker now need to match the reality of him. Otherwise, a season of great hope for the Huskies won't get out of the starting gate.

3. Is Prince ready? what about his line? UCLA QB Kevin Prince has missed almost all of fall camp with a back problem. Sure, he's a returning starter, but the Bruins are adopting -- at least parts of -- a new "pistol" offense, which he inconsistently ran during the spring. You would think Prince, at the very least, will be a bit rusty at Kansas State. Also, it won't help much that the line he played behind in the spring doesn't look much like the makeshift unit that will be protecting him Saturday.

4. USC can make a statement: Everybody is curious how motivated the Trojans will be in 2010 when they aren't eligible for the postseason due to NCAA sanctions. If they deliver an angry beatdown at Hawaii, some of that curiosity will be answered. And it wouldn't hurt Lane Kiffin for his squad to be sharp in his first game as head coach.

5. Oregon QB Darron Thomas needs to get his starters legs under him: Oregon is going to whip New Mexico, no matter how Thomas does in his first start at quarterback. But Thomas needs to push through those inevitable first-game jitters and find a comfort level on the big stage. Because next weekend he's going to be playing at Tennessee in front of 105,000 folks who will be slightly less supportive than the crowd Saturday at Autzen Stadium.

6. Can Oregon State get pressure on TCU QB Andy Dalton? While much of the pre-game attention with the Beavers showdown with TCU is focused on how Katz will react to the Horned Frogs' relentless blitzes, the Beavers own pass rush is almost as big a question. Recall that last year Oregon State, typically an attacking defense, struggled to get much pressure on opposing QBs, registering just 17 sacks, which ranked ninth in the conference and was just four more than poor ole Washington State. The hope is tackle Stephen Paea will be such a distraction inside that ends Gabe Miller and Taylor Henry will be able to beat one-on-one blocks with their athletic ability. But if the Beavers can't get to the underrated Dalton, it could be a long evening.

7. Are Arizona's three new LBs still thinking too much? The chatter started in spring and lasted through much of fall camp: The Wildcats new linebackers were thinking too much and therefore not playing with the right amount of aggressiveness. And then when they attacked, they often made the wrong fit or ended up in the wrong place. Toledo plays well at home and runs a productive spread offense. They will challenge Derek Earls, Jake Fischer and Paul Vassallo, who are each making their first career start. The Rockets will try to confuse them and get them out of position. There's inevitably going to be a growth process for the new LBs. The question is how slowly that process will progress.

8. How much better is Washington State? Few folks believe the Cougars are going to win many games this season, but there are good reasons for cautious optimism, starting with a more experienced -- and healthier -- lineup. It's certainly not helpful, however, to open at Oklahoma State, even if the Cowboys are rebuilding. Still, if the Cougs make this one competitive heading into the second half, they likely will have already exceeded some expectations. The key here is for WSU to walk away from Stillwater thinking, "We can win some games this year." Conversely, a blowout loss could prove catastrophic to the program's fragile confidence.

9. Will anyone produce a Heisman moment? Locker at BYU? Jacquizz Rodgers versus TCU in his home state? Will Arizona's Nick Foles or USC's Matt Barkley roll up big numbers? There are many potential Heisman Trophy candidates in the conference in 2010. Will any make a statement with a SportsCenter performance in week one?

10. Cal, Stanford and Arizona State just need to avoid injuries, not embarrass themselves: All three take on FCS foes -- UC Davis, Sacramento State and Portland State, respectively -- which means they are going to win easily (or become national laughingstocks). The key thing is to start fast and then get the starters safely to the bench.

The post-spring power rankings are out, which means it's a good time to see where the A-list Pac-10 nonconference foes rank.

Arizona

Sept. 18 vs. Iowa

Adam Rittenberg ranks the Hawkeyes second in the Big Ten. He writes: "A very good defensive line got better, players stepped up at linebacker, quarterback Ricky Stanzi worked on his interceptions and the offensive line saw some separation occur."

Arizona State

Sept. 18 at Wisconsin

Boy, Sept. 18 will be a Big Ten vs. state of Arizona challenge, eh? Rittenberg has the Badgers third in the Big Ten. Interesting note from Rittenberg here: "Injuries prevented the offensive line from truly coming together." Might this be a low scoring game because the Sun Devils should be pretty salty up front on D?

California

Sept. 11 vs. Colorado

Big 12 blogger David Ubben ranks the Buffaloes last in the Big 12, writing "... the defense gave up the second-most points in the conference last season, and there’s little reason to think they’ll be a lot better in 2010."

Sept. 17 at Nevada

The Bears better take the Wolf Pack seriously. First, it's not easy to win anywhere on the road. Second, Graham Watson ranks Nevada as the 10th-best non-AQ team in the nation. She writes, "... the defense still has a ways to go, but if the Wolf Pack can catch its defense up with its offense, it will be a tough team to beat this year."

Oregon

Sept. 11 at Tennessee

This isn't your father's Volunteers. Chris Low dumps Tennessee into the 10th spot in the SEC, concluding "even getting to .500 next season will be a challenge for the Vols, who will have five new starters on the offensive line, a first-year starter at quarterback and no depth at defensive tackle."

Oregon State

Sept. 4 vs. TCU (Dallas Cowboys Stadium)

Welcome to the nation's toughest nonconference schedule. The Horned Frogs rank second in the non-AQ power rankings and sixth overall in the nation, according to Mark Schlabach, who writes, "Quarterback Andy Dalton and running backs Matthew Tucker and Ed Wesley lead what should be a very potent running attack."

Sept. 11 vs. Louisville

Brian Bennett dumps Louisville into the cellar of the Big East: "The team got better and tougher this spring under Charlie Strong but still has a long way to go," he writes.

Sept. 25 at Boise State

Boise State is this season's likely BCS buster but on a grander scale than previous versions, considering they almost certainly will start the season ranked among the top-five. Schlabach has the Broncos second and notes, "Boise State could very well be in the BCS title game hunt at season's end. The Broncos return 23 of 24 players who started against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl."

Stanford*

Sept. 18 vs. Wake Forest

The Cardinal will want to take revenge for their loss at Wake Forest a year ago. Heather Dinich has the Demon Deacons ranked ninth in the ACC, noting "The Deacs will reveal a more run-based, option offense under their new quarterback. The interior defensive line remains a concern. "

*The Cardinal also play at Notre Dame, which wasn't ranked by Schlabach.

UCLA

Sept. 4 at Kansas State

Another "what were they thinking?" nonconference schedule. Ubben has the improving Wildcats sixth in the Big 12. He writes, "The Wildcats aren’t built to win 10 games just yet, but if Nebraska and Missouri stumble, they’ll be there to slip into the North conversation just like last season."

Sept. 18 vs. Houston

Watson has the Cougars seventh among non-AQ schools. She writes, "[New defensive coordinator Brian] Stewart’s work paid dividends during the spring game when his defense had 12 sacks, three interceptions and one fumble recovery."

Sept. 25 at Texas

Schlabach ranks the Longhorns No. 4 in the nation. He writes, "The Longhorns have several pieces to replace from the team that lost to Alabama in the BCS Championship Game, but replacing quarterback Colt McCoy doesn't seem as daunting after Garrett Gilbert's performance this spring."

USC

Sept. 11 vs. Virginia

This shouldn't be much of a challenge for the Trojans, but it figures to be more of a challenge than it was in 2008, when they rolled 52-7 in Charlottesville. Dinich has the Cavaliers 12th in the ACC: "This will be a transition year with a new staff, new philosophies and possibly a new quarterback."

Sept. 18 at Minnesota

Rittenberg rates the Golden Gophers ninth in the Big Ten, and he suggests that Matt Barkley should be eager for this road game: "The Gophers had some setbacks on defense, including safety Kim Royston's broken leg, and still have to replace a whopping nine starters."

Washington

Sept. 4 at BYU

Is BYU rebuilding? That seems to be what Watson thinks, writing, "The Cougars had a lot of questions to answer this spring and they seemed to come out with more questions."

Sept. 11 vs. Syracuse

Huskies quarterback Jake Locker made an impressive debut three years ago at Syracuse. Bennett ranks the Orange seventh in the Big East, and his praise is faint: "Syracuse still should show improvement based simply on having more healthy bodies."

Sept. 18 vs. Nebraska

This should be a great matchup of Locker and a talented Huskies offense vs. a rugged Nebraska defense. Ubben ranks the Cornhuskers third in the Big 12, though with one reservation, "... don’t count on another 10-win season if the offense doesn’t improve."

Washington State

Sept. 4 at Oklahoma State

The Cowboys lose a lot of key pieces from their 2009 team, which is why they are rated eighth in the Big 12. Writes Ubben, "Oklahoma State should have an impact player at each level of the defense in defensive end Ugo Chinasa, safety Markelle Martin and linebacker Orie Lemon, but they’ll need the rest of the D to solidify for the Cowboys to climb to a higher rung of the South ladder."

Sept. 18 at SMU

The Mustangs are on the rise under coach June Jones, even though they gave -- literally, gave, see four interceptions, two of which were returned for TDs -- Washington State its only win last year. Watson rates SMU fourth among non-AQ teams: "The Mustangs will be young for the second consecutive season, but a lot of that youth has experience."