ESPN College Football

Happy Friday.

• Former Arizona defensive end Ricky Elmore awaits a call from the NFL.
• Once a touted recruit, now a backup, Arizona State offensive lineman Brice Schwab is motivated by his detractors.
• Some thoughts on why former California defensive end Cameron Jordan slid to the bottom half of the first round. And some thoughts on quarterback Beau Sweeney's transfer.
• Former Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith went to the Baltimore Ravens.
• Information on Oregon's spring game Saturday.
• Checking in with injured Oregon State quarterback Ryan Katz. And the Beavers new coaches fly through their first spring.
• Some draft projections for some former Stanford players.
• UCLA has added an incoming freshman to its 2011 recruiting class. A depth-chart projection for the Bruins.
• More on former USC assistant coach Todd McNair losing his appeal to the NCAA. And here. Thoughts on quarterback Matt Barkley's mobility.
• An update at Block U. Jon Wilner is not impressed with Utah.
• It all worked out in the end for Jake Locker.
• Recalling former Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf and considering how he has changed.

Is man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou owest the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the cat no perfume. Ha! here's three on 's are sophisticated; thou art the thing itself; unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art.

• Former Arizona DE Brooks Reed eyeballs the first round of the NFL draft.
• Where will former Arizona State DT Lawrence Guy get drafted? Relive an ASU football chat!
• QB Beau Sweeney is transferring from California. It seems the Bears' offense is still a work in progress.
• Colorado players, including likely first-round picks OT Nate Solder and CB Jimmy Smith, get ready for the NFL draft. Solder is ready for whatever the draft brings.
• The big goal for Oregon's spring game? Stay healthy. What does Chip Kelly have to say?
• Oregon State QB Ryan Katz could only watch this spring. The Beavers' starting TE is out and needs shoulder surgery.
• A look at UCLA's NFL draft prospects.
• USC depth-chart analysis.
• Former Utah CB Brandon Burton leads the Utes' draft hopefuls.
• Former Washington LB Mason Foster's stock is rising. A look at the Huskies' draft history.
• Is 2011 the breakthrough year for Washington State? Or 2012?
• A look at Pac-12 NFL draft prospects. Prediction: Former Stanford DT Sione Fua will go higher than you think.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- California lost a receiver and cut its quarterback competition from five candidates to three Thursday.

Coach Jeff Tedford said that that senior Brock Mansion, junior Zach Maynard and sophomore Allan Bridgford are the finalist for the starting job. He said redshirt freshman Austin Hinder was fourth and had impressed him but his chances were hurt by his youth. Junior Beau Sweeney, who was Kevin Riley's backup over the early portion of the 2010 season, ended up No. 5.

"We're really going to find with those practice reps if somebody can separate themselves," Tedford said.

Tedford, however, said the competition figures to continue well into preseason camp.

Whoever wins the job will have one less speedy receiver. Tevin Carter, a redshirt freshman from Los Angeles, has quit the team. Carter didn't ask for a release so he could transfer.

"He's finished here, which is unfortunate," Tedford said. "I don't know if he had a passion to play football anymore... he doesn't know if he wants to play football."

Will have a lot more from my visits to to Stanford and Cal over the next week. So stay tuned.

There's lots of change going on at California this spring, starting with the Bears becoming nomadic.

Cal will practice at six different sites due to renovations at Memorial Stadium and problems with the team's temporary practice facility on Witter Rugby Field. And, of course, home games this fall will be played in AT&T Park, not in Memorial Stadium, the team's home for the past 88 seasons.

Beyond the grass under their feet, the Bears have plenty of issues. Most folks know there's as wide open a competition at quarterback between Brock Mansion, Beau Sweeney, Zach Maynard, Allan Bridgford and Austin Hinder. But that's not the only question.

The offensive line underachieved in 2010 and now must replace two starters. What's the pecking order at tailback (and, by the way, who's healthy enough to compete)? There are four voids on the defensive front seven -- two on the line, two at linebacker -- and two in the secondary. And what about improving the special teams?

Further, coach Jeff Tedford is taking a bigger role with the offense, though that role hasn't been defined, other than him coaching quarterbacks. It seemed he said he was going to call plays this fall, but then he apparently backtracked on the first day of spring practices Tuesday.

There are a lot of chefs in the offensive kitchen. In addition to Tedford, who is looking to reclaim his title as quarterback guru, there's offensive coordinator/line coach Jim Michalczik, passing game coordinator/receivers coach Eric Kiesau and running game coordinator/running backs coach Ron Gould. While they are all familiar with each other -- Michalczik and Kiesau are returning to Berkeley after stints elsewhere -- those lines of communication will need to be worked out.

Further, in terms of personnel, the Bears have recruited well the past two years. It's likely a number of younger players -- redshirt freshmen, sophomores as well as incoming players this fall -- will immediately compete for playing time.

So Cal's spring practices are as much about transition as they are renewal after a disappointing 5-7 season.

Some notes:

Injuries: This is fresh from Jonathan Okanes of the Contra Costa Times after the first practice:

Several players will practice only in limited fashion this spring because of injuries/surgeries: Among them are left tackle Mitchell Schwartz (back), center Dominic Galas (shoulder), fullback Will Kapp (shoulder) and nose tackles Kendrick Payne (shoulder) and Aaron Tipoti (shoulder). All of these players were there and in their gear today doing individual drills. But they won’t be involved in team drills.

Running back pecking order? Also out is running back Dasarte Yarnway (knee), and fellow running backs Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson and Trajuan Briggs are coming back from injuries -- though both are reportedly ready to go -- so it's difficult to project how the competition will go with Isi Sofele, whom Tedford designated as the No. 1 guy before spring practices. Brandon Bigelow, Daniel Lasco and junior college transfer C.J. Anderson join the fray in the fall. It's more than likely that the ultimate depth chart at the position won't be resolved until mid-to-late August.

As for the QBs: Tedford almost certainly won't name a starter after spring practices, though he would like to narrow the field of five (or so) to three. If you were a betting Pac-12 blog reader -- and you probably are -- you should put your money on Brock Mansion, junior Zach Maynard and sophomore Allan Bridgford being the top troika heading into the offseason. The basis of that, it must be noted, is pure hunch -- Tedford's veneer of vague has been admirably tenacious on the matter. It's possible he truly doesn't have much sense of a pecking order in his own head at this point.

Youngsters to watch: Youngsters and new players who might challenge for starting or key roles include wide receivers Tevin Carter and Kaelin Clay; linebackers Nick Forbes, Dave Wilkerson, Chris McCain and Cecil Whiteside; defensive end Gabe King; O-linemen Mark Brazinski and Matt Williams; and safety Avery Walls.

Every Pac-12 team has issues, even the ones that played in BCS bowl games last January.

We touched on a number of these in our spring preview as well as our team-by-team breakdowns of the North and South divisions.

But what are the five biggest issues in the conference this spring?

Hey, thanks for asking!

1. Quarterback competitions: No other conference even compares to the Pac-12 in terms of top-to-bottom quality of quarterbacks. Seven teams welcome back their 2010 starter and four are All-American candidates: Stanford's Andrew Luck, Oregon's Darron Thomas, USC's Matt Barkley and Arizona's Nick Foles. Arizona State and Colorado, with Brock Osweiler and Tyler Hansen, respectively, have QBs with starting experience who are favorites to win the starting job. But three teams are wide open at the most important position: California, UCLA and Washington. For the Huskies, it's fairly simple: Keith Price or Nick Montana will replace Jake Locker. For Cal, it's wildly complicated, with five in the mix: senior Brock Mansion, sophomore Allan Bridgford, redshirt freshman Austin Hinder, junior Zach Maynard and junior Beau Sweeney. For UCLA, it's critical and uncertain, with coach Rick Neuheisel's job security likely hanging on getting at least adequate play at the position from Kevin Prince, Richard Brehaut or true freshman Brett Hundley.

2. Where's the beef? No team in the conference appears set on both lines. Arizona State's offensive line welcomes back all five starters, but it's got two voids at DT. The Washington D-line in 2011 figures to look a lot like the unit that played in 2010 due to injuries, but the O-line must replace two starters. Oregon State and Colorado are only replacing one offensive lineman, and the Buffaloes' depth chart on defense returns mostly intact. But how well did those lines play in 2010? Arizona has the most questions: All five spots are open on the O-line and three on the D-line. Oregon must replace three starters on both lines. Stanford, UCLA and USC must replace three starters on offense, while Cal, Oregon State, Stanford, Utah and Washington State have at least two vacancies on defense. If, as coaches say," it all starts up front," then there will be a lot of fronting this spring.

3. Secondary issues at Utah, Colorado: The Utes and Buffaloes will be facing all those new, NFL-ready QBs with big questions in their secondaries. Utah must replace all four starters, while the Buffaloes lose a pair of cornerbacks, Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown, who are top NFL prospects, from a secondary that wasn't very good in 2010. Injuries were an issue in Boulder last year, particularly at safety, but with a new coaching staff in town this will be an area of hot competition.

4. Getting coordinated: There will be a fair amount of "getting to know you" -- and your schemes -- this spring in the conference. Colorado and Stanford have new head coaches, though Stanford promoted David Shaw from within, so change won't be terribly dramatic in terms of scheme from Jim Harbaugh. UCLA has two new coordinators. California shook up its offensive staff. Utah brought in Norm Chow after he was pushed out at UCLA. Arizona had significant staff changes, though one-half of 2010's co-coordinators stayed in Tucson. New coaches bring in new ideas and new terms. And they may promote different players past incumbent starters.

5. Details, details in Eugene and Palo Alto: Oregon and Stanford are both sure preseason top-10 teams, in large part because they welcome back elite skill position players, such as Luck, Thomas and Ducks running back LaMichael James. But both teams have issues. Both have vacancies on both lines. Both are replacing their top receivers. Both have voids at linebacker. Both have an open spot at cornerback. Stanford needs a kicker. While a quick look at the depth chart suggests the reinforcements will be solid, spring ball is about walking the walk.

Bruce Feldman ranked the top-10 quarterback competitions in the country, and four involve Pac-12 teams: No. 4 UCLA, No. 7 Washington, No. 9 Arizona State and No. 10 California.

He also predicts whom he believes will win the job.

Here are some of his thoughts. And, of course, mine.

UCLA Bruins -- Kevin Prince vs. Richard Brehaut vs. Brett Hundley

Feldman: The offense has been Neuheisel's biggest issue, and if he can't get the passing game cranked up, he's probably not going to keep his job past 2011... The hope of most Bruins fans is that Hundley, the No. 5 QB in the 2011 class, will be mature enough to take this job. He is the most dangerous runner of the trio and might have the strongest arm. This is a program that desperately needs a spark, and perhaps Hundley has, as they say, "It." Folks around Westwood have already started calling him 'the savior.'

Feldman's prediction: Hundley.

My take: I promise I am not related to Kevin Prince, nor am I an investor in Kevin Prince. I may be the last one holding this position, but I think Prince is a pretty good QB, if healthy. That's a big "if," though. If I were a betting man, I'd take Hundley, too, but just don't count Prince out.

Washington Huskies -- Keith Price vs. Nick Montana

Feldman: Sophomore Price, Locker's understudy this past fall, has the experience edge, having played in eight games in 2010. His athleticism also will help his cause. His challenger is redshirt freshman Montana... is said to be very poised, and he throws well on the run despite a decent but not powerful arm, which sounds a lot like his dad. Montana could be the type of guy who doesn't wow anyone in practice but would be very tough to unseat if he won the job.

Feldman's prediction: Price.

My take: I'd pick Price, too, but just based on experience. Guessing the competition will continue well into the fall, though.

Arizona State Sun Devils -- Steven Threet vs. Brock Osweiler vs. Michael Bercovici

Feldman: It remains to be seen how much action Threet will see during the spring. Six-foot-8 Osweiler, a former Gonzaga hoops recruit, did a lot of good things when he was in the lineup last year. In his two starts at the end of the regular season, both wins, he threw for 647 yards, five touchdowns and zero picks, also running for 91 yards. His ability to be consistent is the real question with Osweiler.

Feldman's prediction: Osweiler.

My take: Ditto. The most important thing I saw from Osweiler was the proverbial "tale of two halves" he produced at Arizona. He was awful in the first half, which made his strong play in the second half even more impressive. You can't underestimate the value resiliency in QBs, particularly in a rivalry game on the road.

California Golden Bears -- Brock Mansion vs. Allan Bridgford vs. Austin Hinder vs. Zach Maynard vs. Beau Sweeney

Feldman: In this quintet, there are guys with strong arms, great size, intelligence and athleticism, but is there one who is able to display several of those attributes on the field all at once? At the very least, the bloodlines here are noteworthy: Hinder's grandfather is former NFL coach Jim Hanifan; Sweeney's granddad is former Fresno State coach Jim Sweeney; and Maynard's half-brother is budding Cal wide receiver standout Keenan Allen. Maynard, the most athletic of the group, is also the most intriguing. He started 12 games at Buffalo, throwing for almost 2,700 yards with 18 TDs and 15 INTs. He is a playmaker, but the question will be whether he can avoid big mistakes and be a guy Tedford can count on

Feldman's prediction: Maynard.

My take: If I were going to be honest, I'd repeat what Tedford is saying publicly and told me on signing day in a casual telephone conversation: "I have no idea." If Tedford doesn't, then I certainly don't. Feldman is correct that many are intrigued by Maynard's experience and athleticism, but he doesn't fit in with the typical profile of a Tedford QB -- read: pro-style pocket passer.

I'm going off the grid here and tapping Bridgford. Why? Why not! If I'm right, I will hound Feldman about it. If I'm wrong, Feldman probably will be too busy writing a book to remember.

Though there are notable exceptions -- Oregon last year, for one -- it's typically better to have a returning starter at quarterback than to have questions at the position heading into spring practices.

The Pac-12 will boast the best collection of quarterbacks in the country next fall. In fact, no other conference is even remotely close. Seven teams welcome back quality starters, and four of them -- Stanford's Andrew Luck, Oregon's Darron Thomas, USC's Matt Barkley and Arizona's Nick Foles -- are legitimate All-American candidates.

On the flip side, five teams have questions at the position, though just three competitions appear wide open: California, UCLA and Washington.

Here's a quick look at where each team stands.

Who's set?

Arizona: While Nick Foles had some downs in 2010, he's still one of the premier quarterbacks in the country. The more interesting story is the Wildcats would like to redshirt capable backup Matt Scott so he can take over in 2012.

Oregon: Darron Thomas greatly exceeded expectations as a sophomore starter in 2010. What will he do for an encore?

Oregon State: Ryan Katz had his ups and downs last fall but his ups suggested tremendous upside. He might have the best arm in the conference. And history shows Beavers quarterbacks get better with age.

Stanford: Andrew Luck likely would have been the top pick in this spring's NFL draft. Suffice it to say, the Cardinal are set at the position.

USC: Junior Matt Barkley has been a starter since his true freshman season and he made a significant jump forward in 2010. He's expected to do so again this fall and then jump into the NFL draft.

Utah: Jordan Wynn will sit out spring practices after shoulder surgery, but there is no question he's the Utes starter.

Washington State: Jeff Tuel started as a true freshman in 2009 and took some knocks. He made a huge leap forward with a better supporting cast in 2010. And if he duplicates that improvement as a junior, the Cougars will start to win a few games.

Who's not set (working down to most uncertain)

Arizona State: The biggest uncertainty here is Steven Threet's status after suffering three concussions in 2010. He has not been cleared to participate in spring practices. But the expectation around the program is that Brock Osweiler will be the starter this fall.

Colorado: Experienced senior Tyler Hansen is the decided frontrunner, but there's a new scheme and coaching staff and he's coming back from a ruptured spleen. JC transfer Brent Burnette and redshirt freshman Nick Hirschman are the competition.

Washington: The Huskies competition to replace Jake Locker is fairly straight-forward: sophomore Keith Price vs. redshirt freshman Nick Montana. Though Price, the 2010 backup, has a slight edge, in large part due to a solid start at Oregon last year, expect the battle to last into preseason camp.

UCLA: Kevin Prince would be the slight favorite due to experience, but he's coming back from a knee injury and it is questionable how much he'll be able to do this spring. Where does Richard Brehaut stand, seeing he's playing baseball? And might Rick Neuheisel and new offensive coordinator Mike Johnson decide to go with touted true freshman Brett Hundley?

California: This one is completely up in the air, though Brock Mansion likely takes the first snaps since he started the final four games of 2010 after Kevin Riley went down. The candidates after him include: sophomore Allen Bridgford, redshirt freshman Austin Hinder, junior Zach Maynard and junior Beau Sweeney. Spring figures to winnow the field to two, maybe three, candidates.

It hasn't been easy for Brock Mansion to be patient. He's been thinking about being California's quarterback since his redshirt freshman season. He's seen the Bears' offense frequently struggle with Kevin Riley running things, and he's heard fans griping and wanting a change at the position. But he never got the call from coach Jeff Tedford.

Until now.

Now the junior has been handed the keys to the offense. Riley's career is done after a knee injury suffered last weekend at Oregon State. Mansion can practically end a spring QB competition before it begins by salvaging the Bears' season with strong performances that produce some wins down the season's final stretch.

What does Mansion want to accomplish? Seemingly everything.

"I want to cut it loose and play football," he said. "I want to put some points on the board. I want to be consistent through every single series. I don't want to have any three-and-outs. I want to move the ball down the field, and I want a lot of first downs."

If he does that, Cal will win Saturday at Washington State and probably win a few more, or at least enough -- two of the final four -- required to become bowl eligible.

The first task is avoiding making big mistakes that could cause the Bears to become the first Pac-10 team to lose to the Cougars in 16 games. If Mansion is nervous or uncomfortable making his first start on the road, early mistakes could be catastrophic, particularly in view of Cal's poor performances on the road this season.

"Well, he better be comfortable," running back Shane Vereen said. "He better be ready to go. I know he will be. I have full, complete confidence."

Mansion is a big, strapping Texan -- 6-foot-5, 232 pounds -- with good athletic ability. He can move in the pocket. Two years ago in spring practice, he was expected to challenge Riley for the starting job. But he lost out, and then went back-and-forth with Beau Sweeney for the backup job before re-taking it this fall.

If Mansion struggles, however, it's not likely that Tedford would wait long to go with Sweeney.

"Anytime you go into a game, and it's your first start, there's going to be the natural anxiety of starting your first college football game," Tedford said. "But Brock has a very good mindset. He's confident. He'll be prepared to play."

Mansion said he's kept "grinding and grinding" believing there would be a payoff at the end. And so here it is. What happens going forward is up to him.

Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson was doing what most coaches do during his news conference Monday: Praising his opponent, which in this instance was California. He ticked off a list of the Bears better known players: running back Shane Vereen, receiver Marvin Jones, defensive end Cameron Jordan and linebacker Mike Mohamed.

Had a nice thing to say about each. And not without reason.

He also mentioned Cal quarterback Kevin Riley: "Riley has been playing for a long time."

When you can't say something nice about someone, just say something neutral. And accurate: Riley, a senior, has started 29 games and has 18 career victories, more than any active Pac-10 quarterback.

But he has yet to become a consistent performer, and the same can be said about the Bears as a team. It's also likely those two impressions are not unrelated.

When Riley is on target, the Bears roll. In the victories against UC Davis, Colorado and UCLA, he completed 63 percent of his passes for 538 yards, with eight touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer efficiency rating of 182.65. In three losses to Nevada, Arizona and USC, Riley completed 55.4 percent of his throws for 586 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions for a passer efficiency rating of 106.66.

Key note: Those wins were all at home. The losses on the road. And the Bears are at home on Saturday. Not to mention that Arizona State hasn't won in Berkeley since 1997, or that Cal has won six of seven in the series as well as four in a row.

Moreover, Riley posted one of his best career games at Arizona State in 2009, passing for 351 yards -- his second-best single game total -- and two TDs in a 23-21 victory that featured a late drive for the game-winning field goal.

That's positive stuff for Bears fans to lean on because coach Jeff Tedford made it clear that, despite his struggles, Riley is the Bears starting quarterback and will remain so this season.

"Kevin is our starting quarterback and gives us our best chance to win," Tedford said. "We're not going to make a change there unless something unforeseen happened."

Could something "unforeseen" involve Tedford wanting to give backups Beau Sweeney or Brock Mansion a shot?

No.

"If they were close to being the best quarterback that we have on this football team, then they would see time, [but] that's not the case," Tedford said. "Kevin's experienced and Kevin still does some very good things and, like I said, still gives us the best chance to win. Those guys aren't to his level right now."

Both the Sun Devils and Bears are 3-3 overall and 1-2 in Pac-10 play. Both probably feel the game is critical to their bowl hopes. And Erickson doesn't think the Sun Devils are going to get the Cal team that looked so feckless during a 48-14 loss at USC last weekend.

"[Cal is] like all of us in this league," Erickson said. "You don’t know what is going to happen from one week to the next. We’re all kind of like that except Oregon with the way they have been playing ... They’re a good football team. What you saw on last Saturday against USC you won’t see this Saturday against us."

As for Tedford, who's drawn criticism of late for the number of lopsided losses over the past two seasons, he said his team can't afford to dwell on the disaster at USC or look beyond the Sun Devils.

"It's about focus and preparation for this week, that's all that matters," he said.

The Bears didn't look like they had much of either last weekend. Perhaps they'll (again) rediscover it inside the friendly confines of Strawberry Canyon.

Fair to say that the plot has now thickened for Oregon's visit to USC on Oct. 30.

USC looked like its old self -- the team that used to dominate on both sides of the ball while winning national championships -- in a 48-14 win against California, with the final tally making it seem like this one was closer than it was, considering the Trojans led 42-zip at the half.

USC had 32 first downs; Cal 11. USC had 602 total yards; Cal 244.

Matt Barkley completed 25 of 37 passes for 352 yards with five TDs -- all in the first half. His favorite target, freshman Robert Woods, caught seven passes for 116 yards with two TDs.

It was the first time this season both the Trojans offense and defense played well.

The performance was so impressive -- Cal was coming off a nice win against UCLA and had pushed Arizona to the brink -- that it's not ridiculous to think something, well, clicked between the Trojans players and their first-year coaching staff under Lane Kiffin.

How can you not give Kiffin some credit for good coaching here, too? Many wondered if the Trojans would play with fire. They were banged up with injuries and had lost consecutive games on field goals in the final seconds.

But the Trojans were fiery and well-coached against the Bears. And you suspect they'll be that way again when the Ducks come to town, potentially with a No. 1 ranking.

Moreover, USC is off next weekend. It will have extra time to prepare for the Ducks offense. That's valuable.

As for Cal: What can we say? This was bad. A no-show. It was a bit surprising that coach Jeff Tedford opted not to play backup quarterback Beau Sweeney -- or any other quarterback -- when Kevin Riley struggled early with two interceptions.

The Bears play host to Arizona State next weekend. Of course, the way the Bears are, they'll play great and win. They are just a confounding team. You never know who will show up.

Wow. That looked like old school USC. You know: 2002-2008. Not 2009-2010.

And California looked like it did during the Tom Holmoe era.

The Trojans are just whipping Cal, 42-0 at the half. Absolute dominance on both sides of the ball, and it's more about how well the Trojans are playing than how poorly Cal is.

Though, to be clear, the Bears look terrible.

If this sticks there is a HUGE sidebar: USC is off until Oregon visits on Oct. 30. Though you might think the Trojans would want to suit up again as soon as possible after this one, it also means they should have a renewed verve as they use the extra week to get ready for the Ducks spread-option.

And that game suddenly feels like it will be competitive instead of a Ducks coronation.

USC has 372 yards and 20 first downs. Cal has 65 yards and three first downs.

And I picked Cal to win. Yeesh.

Matt Barkley has completed 20 of 29 for 257 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He's now got 20 TD passes this year.

Cal's Kevin Riley? He's 3 of 12 for 51 yards with two interceptions.

Will he start the second half, or will coach Jeff Tedford give backup Beau Sweeney a shot? Maybe he should, and I never anticipated typing that at the beginning of the season.

It can't get any worse for Cal. Or any better for USC.

Ah, now the Pac-10 schedule starts in earnest.

You can follow me on Twitter.

To the notes.

Quinn from Issaquah, Wash., writes: Following last weeks embarrassment against Nebraska, do you feel that Jake Locker has enough moxie to bounce back and pull of the upset this weekend against an overrated USC team? The Huskies defense has holes left and right, but nonetheless this team as an entire unit is the toughest challenge thus far for the Trojans. USC allowed over 300 yards to both the worst team in the pac 10 (a pitiful WSU squad) and the worst team in the big 10 (bush league Minnesota). With the bye week to prepare and perhaps some added motivation/insight from Sark, this seems as opportune a time as they will have to beat a ranked team. Seattle keeps waiting for this program to take the next step.

Ted Miller: Yes, Locker has the moxie. And, yes, at USC would be a great time for him to turn in a big-time performance and hush his critics.

Now, I'm not so sure that USC is "overrated," particularly at 18th in the nation. There certainly aren't 17 teams in the nation that would be favored vs. the Trojans, nor would most AP voters put money where there ballots are on the teams they keep ranking ahead of the Trojans.

Folks: It might be a mistake to write the Trojans off yet. Of course, if the Huskies go into the Coliseum and pull the upset, well, then it might be time.

The bye week after the Nebraska disaster certainly should help Washington. For one, there's extra game planning. Second, they get back two starters who missed the Nebraska game: WR James Johnson and MLB Cort Dennison.

I'd rate the Huskies chances as decent, though I still favor the Trojans, who shouldn't be lacking motivation after last year's upset loss in Seattle.

As for the program taking the next step: Keep in mind you're only in year two with Steve Sarkisian, who already has taken recruiting a major step forward. And in 2008, the Huskies went 0-12.

The end of the 2009 season perhaps gave Huskies fans too much optimism, something that the upbeat Sarkisian did little to keep in check. The expectations for a ranked team competing in the top-half of the Pac-10 that developed might have been premature. We've got plenty of season to play, and the Huskies still might surge, but the early returns are they don't have the talent on either line to play with the elite on a weekly basis.

Mark from Sacramento writes: I know the pac-10 season in just starting, but at what point (number of losses) does Tedford start looking at playing the younger QB's to get them experience instead of senior Riley? Tedford has only recruited one good QB (A. Rodgers), so the so-called QB guru needs to step it up.

Ted Miller: Jeff Tedford is going to play the QB he thinks will give him the best chance to win this season. Clearly, he thinks that's Kevin Riley. He's not going to bench Riley -- whose numbers, by the way, really aren't bad -- and start looking ahead to 2011 anytime soon.

Now, if the losses start to pile up, and Riley isn't doing well, then Tedford might turn to Beau Sweeney to see if he could give the Bears a spark. But I'd rate the odds of that happening as small.

And, keep in mind Tedford the QB guru may have only had major success with Aaron Rodgers at Cal, but his QB pedigree is pretty darn strong from his years at Oregon and Fresno State.

John from Corvalis via Tokyo writes: I have respect for the Arizona St. defense. I am not even going to negatively comment on you picking the Beavers to lose to Arizona St. at Reser (a place where the Beavers have played fairly well recently). Arizona St. could win, I think it will be a good game. Yet I really feel like you have overrated them to say that their defense is as talented as Boise State's and TCU's. Boise St. shutdown the Ducks offense last year and returned nearly the whole team. TCU I believe has led the Nation in Defense two years running. Like I said, Arizona State has a good defense, but they had more blown coverage vs. Oregon than the Beavers had against Boise St. and I think Kellen Moore is a better passer than Darron Thomas (although ASU was selling out against UofO's run game for obvious reasons). Please explain this huge compliment that you have paid them.

Ted Miller: Last year, playing a Pac-10 schedule as well as a game at Georgia, Arizona State ranked 13th in the nation and Boise State 14th in total defense. TCU, of course, was No. 1, but it lost its two best players -- end Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington.

At present, Boise State is is third in total defense, TCU 12th. The Sun Devils are way down at 49th.

But! ASU has played Wisconsin and Oregon, which are presently ranked Nos. 3 and 13 in the nation in total offense, averaging 560 yards and 484 yards per game.

Oregon had 405 yards vs. ASU; Wisconsin 440 (but just 20 points).

Boise State held Oregon State to 237 yards and TCU held the Beavers to 255. But Louisville also held the Beavers to just 319 yards in Reser Stadium. Kentucky had 466 yards against that defense at Louisville. SMU had 361 yards vs. TCU. The Mustangs only had 420 vs. Washington State.

Are you drowning in numbers already?

My point is: Based on who Arizona State, Boise State and TCU have played, the numbers are comparable, though our sample size -- one quarter of the season -- is too small to make ultimate judgments.

So let's then lean on this then: Boise State and TCU play good team defense. More players from Arizona State, however, are going to get drafted by NFL teams.

And I think you'll get a good look at how good the Sun Devils defense is on Saturday.

Paul from Carpinteria, Calif, writes: After watching UCLA dominate the Longhorns last Saturday one thing was extremely clear. Akeem Ayers may the best defensive player in football and this guy has to be double or triple teamed on every down. Is it just me or is this guy a freak of an athlete who is going to be a top 10 pick next year.

Ted Miller: It is just you. Ayers is a pansy.

Kidding! Akeem, please. Kidding!

Paul, not sure if he requires a double- or triple-team every play but he's a leading candidate for Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. As for his NFL prospects, he's moved up from 18th to 11th on Mel Kiper's "Big Board."

Jonathan from Pullman, Wash., writes: As a student at Washington State University, I would just like to say this: PLEASE STOP GIVING US SO MUCH RESPECT!!! We are an utterly despicable, joke of a football team. Have you even seen us play? We have been the Bad News Bears for what is now the third consecutive year. So please stop saying we will be competitive in games, because we won't. UCLA will man handle us just like every other opponent we face.

Ted Miller: This is the first time I've been told to stop respecting a team so much.

OK, Mr. Sunshine, sounds like a guy needs a long night at "The Coug."

Spencer from Salt Lake City writes: You've got a feel for the hate between BYU/Utah now that the Utes are headed your way. Check this out, this is great. You'll love it.

Ted Miller: Not bad. Not sure our friends from BYU will like it much, but I guess that's the point.

Of course, now you've got to find someone to hate in the Pac-12. Any suggestions, folks?

Steve from Portland writes: You say in your article :"Just ask Oklahoma State, which the Ducks manhandled in the 2008 Holiday Bowl" .....this actually confirms my assumption that you are a MORON!!! First, Oklahoma State was "Man-handling" Oregon the entire first 1/2 until Dez Bryant went out with Injury ....and they narrowly escaped winning that game. The Ducks are a JOKE and have yet to win any big game against a seriously Physical team (and no I don't consider USC as a physical team). The Ducks have had arguably 2 truly tough tests in the last decade....Boise State and Ohio State and they failed miserably in both of them because they were playing good Defenses!! The only GOOD defense that Peter Carroll's USC came up against while he was there ...was TEXAS ...and well ...you know what happened in that National Championship .....The Pac 10 has always been weak in Defense up until the last couple years with Standford looking like a REAL Football team . My guess is the DUCKS get Whooped the the Cardinal .....other than the cardinal ...most of the PAC-10 is a joke ...and want a be conference.

Ted Miller: You had me at MORON, Steve!

Here is the box score from the 2008 Holiday Bowl. The key number is 565.

And here are Mike Gundy's comments.

And here is the box score USC's only game against a good defense, Texas, in the 2005 national title game: The key number is 574 (other than the final score, of course).

Joe from Roseburg, Ore., writes: Could you announce that we are having a black-out at Autzen for this weekends game, and that all the fans attending should try and wear some black duck apparel. Try and spread the word.

Ted Miller: No, I can't do that.

Now, if you went for a Lightning Yellow-out, I'd be all for that.

You can see California's new depth chart here.

Jonathan Okanes does a nice job of explaining the hot spots.

Some quick observations:

• Quick, undersized sophomore Isi Sofele is the backup tailback, eclipsing Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson, Dasarte Yarnway and Trajuan Briggs. That strikes me as a minor upset, but Sofele is a scatback type who can make plays as a runner and receiver. Coach Jeff Tedford always gives his No. 2 RB plenty of touches.
• The starting corners are Marc Anthony and Darian Hagan. Bryant Nnabuife is listed as the backup to both.
• Okanes notes that the top four safeties will see extensive action, but it seems notable that Chris Conte and Josh Hill are first team, meaning returning starter Sean Cattouse has dropped in the pecking order.
• A veteran -- Ernest Owusu -- held off a hard-charging youngster -- Deandre Coleman -- at one defensive end. Another hard-charging youngster -- Kendrick Payne -- eclipsed a veteran -- Derrick Hill -- at noseguard.
• QB Kevin Riley's backup is Beau Sweeney.
• The only true freshman on the depth chart is receiver Keenan Allen, who is No. 1 opposite junior Marvin Jones.
• The Bears will start eight seniors and six sophomores.

California started spring practices last week looking to put a disappointing 2009 season behind it.

The Bears, you might recall, jumped to a 3-0 start and rose to No. 6 in the country before being humiliated in back-to-back games against Oregon and USC. Combined score: 72-6.

Then they rallied to win five of six, including an upset win at Stanford in the Big Game. Redemption and recovery? Not really.

Two weeks later, the Bears got bombed 42-10 in a surprising season-finale at Washington and looked flat in a loss to Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Suffice it to say, the Bears were hard to figure, other than they were consistently unpredictable.

So we decided to check in with coach Jeff Tedford and see what his plan was as he enters his eighth season in Berkeley.

Before we look forward to spring practices, let's look back. Every coach reflects on the season that's past. I'm guessing 2009 was frustrating for you. What went wrong?

Jeff Tedford: Obviously, we hit a tough stretch with two tough teams, Oregon and USC, early. That was hard. I felt like we bounced back pretty well and beat Arizona and Stanford. But then we just didn't finish up. We were pretty banged up down the stretch but didn't finish up as strong as we needed to. We had a chance to win 10 games and came away with only eight wins. Consistency is a key -- to make sure we're more consistent. Depth is also something we need to build so that when the injury bug does hit us that we are able to still compete.

Did we overrate your 2009 team? Were there shortcomings that preseason analysis missed?

JT: Yeah. I think people should wait for rankings until mid-season or so to see where we're going. You can never figure it out. I don't know if you missed something. We didn't have the playmakers -- we needed to be a little bit better at receiver. But with Jahvid [Best] and Shane [Vereen] at running back and you had your quarterback [Kevin Riley] coming back, you felt pretty good about that. We had a veteran secondary coming back that really, quite honestly, didn't play up to their capabilities, so we need to improve there. I think when the injury thing started hitting us, we didn't have the depth to snap out of that.

You've been pretty honest about self-analysis in the past: Anything you wish you'd done differently? And any changes in the way you do things going forward?

JT: I don't look back at last season and think there was anything we could have done differently. I do take responsibility for us not finishing as strong as we should have. But I'm not one to make a lot of excuses. I'd just rather give the other team credit and put it on my shoulders for not getting it done. We're always going to look at things, though. At how we practice -- maybe we could be fresher for the games. Things like that you always have to take a look at. If there is anything I can do differently, I definitely want to do it. As I look back on it, there's nothing that's glaring that sticks out. It's about making plays. As for preparation, everybody has a big thing about us playing on the road and our struggles on the road. We were 4-2 last year, and they said, 'Did you do anything differently on the road?' We didn't. We did the exact same thing. We were just able to win the games. We have two new coordinators [defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast and special-teams coordinator Jeff Genyk]. Special teams was a key last year -- a lack of success with special teams and with field position. That I think was a major factor for us. We need to improve that. We were 111th in pass defense, so that hurt as well. Those are the two obvious things that stick out where we need to improve.

I talked to quarterback Kevin Riley the other day and he told me that he sensed that some guys were a little content early in the season with how good they were, thinking they'd arrived. He said that you seemed to be emphasizing competition everywhere during the offseason to confront that. Fair to say?

JT: Yeah, it is. That's where I have to take a good strong look at myself, making sure that we continue to keep everything very competitive and make sure we're always grinding on what we're doing. I may have given us a little too much credit last year for things. But I'm going to make sure that everybody knows that we're going to play tougher. We're going to compete harder. A couple of things happened for the first time in [seven] years. There were a couple of games when we got blown out. So you have to look in the mirror and say, 'Why did that happen?' I don't think anybody gave up but we didn't compete hard enough, for whatever reason. We've got to change our mindset, obviously, because those games were not good. And then this is the first time in [four] years that we've ended the season with a loss. We'd won, I think, [four] bowl games in a row. The feeling going into this offseason was quite a bit different. Say we would have beaten Utah and ended up 9-4. Would it have put a little Band-Aid on the Washington game? Well, maybe it's a blessing in disguise and forces our mindset to be a little bit different.

Let's talk present. So here we go again: Where does Riley stand and how safe is he as your starting quarterback?

JT: He stands as the guy taking the first reps right now but he's not safe at all, just like other positions. He's got to compete and be more consistent. The games that Kevin played well, we were successful. The games that we didn't play well, it was not just him. Everybody wants to point at the quarterback, but he's got to have things around him be successful as well. But you go back and look at it, some of those games we missed critical plays. I expect Kevin to be better this year, given the experience. But also we're going to take a very strong look at Beau Sweeney and Brock Mansion in the competition part of it.

Tomorrow: Talking defense, young players who need to step up and flying under the radar.

California's Kevin Riley knows the drill. He's being interviewed for the 868th time -- plus or minus -- after all. That means the senior will be asked about competing for the starting quarterback job (again). That means he'll be asked to analyze the inconsistency that has characterized his career (again).

He's a gimlet-eyed veteran who understands that when a team turns in a supremely disappointing season -- as the Bears did in 2009 -- the quarterback is almost always going to received a large share of the blame.

So, yeah, the 22-game starter is not surprised that, for a third consecutive spring, he's battling for the starting job (again).

"Something needs to happen," he said. "I need to play better for us to win more games. [Coach Jeff Tedford] is just giving the other guys an opportunity if I don't step up. It definitely keeps you motivated. I don't know what spring ball or fall ball would be like without competition. So I'm used to it."

The Bears began spring practices Thursday with lots of questions on both sides of the ball, but the biggest one for most Cal fans is whether Riley will take a step forward and, by doing so, fight away challenges from sophomore Beau Sweeney and junior Brock Mansion.

Riley ranked sixth in the conference in pass efficiency last year. He threw 18 touchdowns passes and passed for 2,850 yards, but he only completed 54.7 percent of his passes and hurled eight interceptions.

He also was sacked 31 times, which he admits is part of the reason his mechanics fell off and his accuracy suffered.

"I definitely missed some throws," he said. "I think when teams got pressure on us, that's when my game kind of went down hill. I started quickening up my throws and that didn't go real well. You could see in the games we lost, people got good pressure on me and that changed the way we played the game."

In Cal's five losses, Riley completed just 46 percent of his passes and was sacked 18 times.

As Tedford has said repeatedly, it wasn't all Riley's fault. The Bears offensive line often got whipped, particularly on the edges, while the receiving corps struggled to get open and make plays, other than Marvin Jones, who's six TD receptions were four more than any other receiver.

It's still hard for Riley to figure out exactly what went wrong -- team-wide -- in 2009. At 3-0, the Bears were ranked sixth in the nation before they suffered humiliating back-to-back defeats to Oregon and USC by a combined count of 72-6. They then rallied to win five out of six before getting drubbed at Washington in the regular-season finale and playing flat vs. Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl.

"We did have potential but we weren't all there in every aspect of the game, as you could see in the games we lost," Riley said. "After the first couple of wins, the team was just a little bit too satisfied. I don't think we worked as hard during the season as teams that keep on winning do. I think we were happy with our wins but then we didn't get better for a while."

That's why Riley won't be the only returning starter being challenged this spring. Offseason workouts have been all about competing and increased intensity.

"There's a little bit more drive with what we've done compared to last year," Riley said. "Last year, people talked about how we had the potential to be good, which we did, but we didn't do anything with it. People are competing more with each other now and working hard."

Riley has been working on his footwork, his throwing motion and his movement in the pocket. His focus on mechanics during one-on-one sessions with Tedford last offseason helped him win the job, but the key missing ingredient is... wait for it... yep, consistency over the course of a 12-game season.

It may help Riley and the Bears that they won't receive much preseason hype this go-around. They likely will be tapped somewhere in the middle of the Pac-10 pack, and it's unlikely they will receive a preseason ranking.

Will that help? "Maybe," Riley said, sniffing out a fluffy reporter angle.

When it comes down to it, Riley knows there's only one thing that the Bears can do to ensure they don't repeat the disappointment of 2009.

"I think people know we just have to work harder for us to be a better team," he said.