ESPN College Football

Senior Bowl practices are winding down: The players were in shorts on Thursday. Here are a few notes.

Colorado OT Nate Solder may have secured the title of "best offensive lineman available."

Colorado OT Nate Solder was the best lineman here this week. He showed a good combination of size, feet and lateral agility, but the thing that stuck out was his toughness. He was playing with a chip on his shoulder and mixing it up.

UCLA kicker Kai Forbath got this review:

He doesn't have a huge leg, but he's been good inside of 40 yards this week. You can tell, however, that kickoffs are not his strength, as he just doesn't have enough leg. He tries to overcompensate, and it affects his hang time and accuracy. Even Thursday, he did three kickoffs with team drills and unintentionally squibbed two kicks; the one he connected cleanly on reached only the 10.

Washington LB Mason Foster was called a "riser" all week:

Two linebackers who helped themselves this week are LSU ILB Kelvin Sheppard and Washington OLB Mason Foster. Foster showed why he was second in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 163 tackles displaying natural instincts. He finds the ball quickly, reacts quickly and gets into position to make the tackle. He's not the best athlete, but he is a reliable tackler and has enough power, strength and explosiveness in his hips when taking on blockers. He has good coverage awareness and is a big contributor on special teams. At the start of the season, he was a late-round prospect, but after a good campaign and a good week here, he's in the mid-fourth-round range now.

Washington QB Jake Locker got mixed reviews, and that link includes many of them.

Stanford CB Richard Sherman had a good day Thursday:

Stanford CB Richard Sherman had a great day. He’s very big but also real fast. Showed great instincts in the red zone drill, understood where the receiver was going and had enough skill to redirect and/or impede without committing a penalty. Made a couple of good adjustments on the fly, has the balance to change direction quickly and charge under control. He is visibly better than Chris Cook, a CB with similar size who went at the top of the 2nd round last year. The coaches still in attendance gushed over him.

Some more thoughts on California DE Cameron Jordan, including a nice review from an opposing offensive tackle.

Cal’s Cameron Jordan (6 feet 4 inches, 287 pounds) is nearly unblockable.

“He really impressed me,’’ said Boston College offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo. “He’s real strong to go with some good moves and speed. A really good player.’’

Several scouts compared Jordan to former Patriot Adalius Thomas because of his versatility and skill set. Thomas didn’t work out long-term in New England, but Bill Belichick obviously likes that type of player. Jordan is a young, moldable player who will stay within the scheme.

That Boston Globe article also noted Arizona DE Brooks Reed.

While the other top 3-4 outside linebackers will be underclassmen, Brooks Reed (Arizona) and K.J. Wright (Mississippi State) are promising.

Reed is very strong at 6-2 1/2, 257, and has good explosion off the ball. Wright is long-limbed at 6-3 and 246, and played in a passive read-and-react system. He needs to be coached up but has a high ceiling if someone can get him to turn it loose.

More on Reed here:

Arizona LB Brooks Reed has looked very good as an edge rusher in drills. He has been playing with his hand on the ground, as well as on the outside in the Bills' 3-4, this week and has been very impressive getting past tackles.

From the same article, some praise for USC WR Ronald Johnson:

USC WR Ronald Johnson looks like he has some legit run-after-the-catch ability. He's had a good week.

From what I can gather, Jordan, Foster, Reed and Johnson were generally considered the top "risers" among Pac-10 players, and if you go Pac-12, Solder also had a strong week.

Locker, Sherman, Oregon LB Casey Matthews and USC center Kristofer O'Dowd seemed to get mixed reviews, though none of them laid an egg or saw his stock drop drastically.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

The mailbag likes diversity, but there wasn't much this week.

Lots of California. Lots of Washington got screwed. Lots of LeGarrette Blount.

California fans were shaking their fist at the heavens. And some folks were eager to tell me how stupid I was for overrating the Bears. Not sure how I can respond other than, "Yep."

As for the Huskies gripes with the officials: Mostly valid. But the territory feels sort of stale. Look forward, Huskies! Arizona's visit is a critical game in the Pac-10 pecking order.

Took one Blount question.

And away we go.

Jeff from Dallas writes: Theoretically speaking, if the Ducks win out, would they have a chance at breaking into the top 5? If so, would we jump Boise State? I know I'm getting way ahead of myself here but as a loyal Duck fan, I cant help but set myself up for heartache.

Ted Miller: Yes and yes.

At 11-1, with a win over USC, the Ducks likely would be top-five. Now, would Oregon jump Boise State if the Broncos remained unbeaten?

I think so. Why? Because Oregon's schedule is exponentially tougher -- none of Boise State's other 12 foes would finish in the top-half of the Pac-10. More than a few are among the worst FBS teams.

Moreover, season-openers are often treated differently than games in the middle or end of the season, and not just because of rankings momentum. The Ducks are clearly a better team today than they were in the season-opener.

I know that won't go over with Broncos fans but there is a solution: Schedule a BCS foe early and late -- even if they won't do a home-and-home series.

If Boise State played, say, Kansas -- I pick Kansas because the Jayhawks would hide behind the sofa if Boise called for a game -- on Dec. 5 instead of New Mexico State, thereby bookending their season with legitimate BCS foes, it would make up for the perception that the Broncos poured their hearts into one season-opening game and then coasted through a milquetoast schedule.

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Mike from Berkeley writes: As a Cal fan I have nothing but respect for what Coach Tedford has achieved. He took over a program that was a perennial doormat in the Pac-10 and made it relevant. That said 2007 was a major disappointment, and while Cal will probably finish with 9 or 10 wins this season that is a major disappointment given the talent level. So do you think Tedford can ever lead the bears to the Rose Bowl? If not do you think another coach could, or will Cal just never have the recruiting power to reach that level?

Ted Miller: Remember when Nebraska fans use to say that about Tom Osborne?

Bobby Bowden went 10-2 in 1977, his second year at Florida State. Before he won his first national title in 1993, his team rolled through six consecutive "disappointing" seasons of 10 or more wins.

Mack Brown just couldn't win the big won. Then he did.

Is Jeff Tedford the coaching "genius" he was touted as in 2004? Probably not. Is it fair to question how he coaches and who he hires and other aspects of his job? Sure. He makes a lot of money and that comes with the territory.

The quarterback magic has worn off. The "failing to live up to high expectations" issue feels more legitimate today than it ever has.

But to your question as to whether Tedford can lead the Bears to the Rose Bowl: Absolutely.

If Tedford remains the Bears coach for another decade, I guarantee the Bears will go to the Granddaddy during that span. [Cut that out and we'll meet back here in 2019].

And to your final question: Yes, another coach probably could do better.

Urban Meyer could. Pete Carroll probably could. Nick Saban maybe (he'd be out of his element on the West Coast). Bill Belichick is another possibility. Maybe Tony Dungy would come out of retirement.

But if Cal doesn't feel its chances are good to hire one of those guys, my advice would be to stick with the coach who got the long-suffering program consistently inside the velvet ropes.

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Spencer from LA writes: It turns out LeGarrette Blount lawyered up. And what about that fake apology? The real story isn't that Chip Kelly changed his mind, it's that he was forced to by the fear of a lawsuit.

Ted Miller: You refer to this story.

That was a valid story, reported straight by Mark Fainaru-Wada, one half of the combination that broke open the story of steroids in sports and wrote the landmark book, "Game of Shadows."

But this is a prime example of the need to read between the lines.

First, let's say a lawyer was brought in to force Oregon to reconsider Blount's season-long suspension. What was that lawyer going to do? Where was his traction? What was the legal argument?

The only thing I can think of would be the different treatment given Oregon point guard Aaron Brooks when he clubbed Washington's Ryan Appleby during a game.

You'll also note that the actual lawyer, Rob Carey, had no comment.

Who did comment? A guy named Chris Horn, whose apparent motive for talking is a desire for publicity for his "newly formed nonprofit designed to advocate for student-athletes."

He's a -- to use his phrase -- "quiet voices in the background" guy. Only he's shouting "look at me!"

Maybe Horn did help Blount (that's not my take, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt). The problem is Horn's subsequent publicity-seeking is a disservice to Blount.

The story before Horn went public was that Blount had earned the opportunity to possibly play again this season because of how he had behaved after his meltdown at Boise State. How he responded to his worst moment had won over coach Chip Kelly and Oregon administrators.

It's a redemption story.

Horn, instead, wants the story to be that he and Blount's parents pressured Oregon into changing their position. He wants everyone to know that.

It's about lawyers and potential lawsuits.

So which story helps Blount get to the NFL?

If Kelly and Oregon feel like they were pressured, or are embarrassed by Horn going public with his account, do you think they are going to support Blount's cause when NFL GMs call?

And I know Kelly well enough to know that if he feels lawyered up and pushed around, Blount won't see significant action even if he manages to get reinstated.

By the way, no one at Oregon backs up Horn's account. An anonymous source in Fainaru-Wade's story is quoted as saying that Blount "met with Harry Edwards for 10 minutes." Edwards said he talked to Blount for six hours.

And if this is mostly about the Ducks wanting to get back a star player who can help them win, why will they wait until Nov. 7 -- after the USC game -- to allow his earliest possible reinstatement? Heck, if the program had the threat of a lawsuit as potential cover, why not bring him back for the Oct. 24 date at Washington? A five-game suspension is a nice number, and that would give Blount a warmup game before the Trojans come to town.

As for Blount's letter of apology, yes, it doesn't read like he wrote it.

I respect how Oregon has handed this process, both in the early going and during the redirection. I'm rooting for LeGarrette Blount to get his life back in order.

I'm not sure this third-party advocacy has much merit.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli feasted last Saturday. First on California Golden Bear. Then on his mom's "bomb burritos."

The Bear was sliced and diced by Masoli's precise passing in a 42-3 grilling and then slathered with vindication. Linda Masoli's burritos find their magic through a liberal use of cheese and spicy chicken.

	Joe Nicholson/US Presswire
	Jeremiah Masoli silenced his critics with Saturday's performance against California.

"I don't know how she does it, but they taste better than any burritos I've ever had," Masoli said.

No doubt Mrs. Masoli's burritos are the bomb, but it's safe to guess that the Bear slathered in vindication was a tasty amuse-bouche that got the family barbecue rolling.

Ah, what a difference a week can make.

After the Ducks beat No. 18 Utah on Sept. 19, despite a 4 for 16 passing day from Masoli, many wondered if coach Chip Kelly should start someone else at quarterback. After all, Masoli ranked last in the Pac-10 in pass efficiency. He was completing just 45 percent of his throws and had tossed two interceptions with zero TDs.

He looked uncomfortable in the pocket. He seemed to lock on one receiver -- Jeff Maehl -- and telegraph his intentions.

Then he completed 21 of 25 passes -- 84 percent -- for 253 yards and three TDs with no interceptions in the bludgeoning of sixth-ranked Cal.

That buoyed his passing rating 33.7 points and now he ranks seventh in the conference.

"One of the big things for me is to not try to do too much," Masoli said. "Sometimes I get that mentality where I feel like I'm invincible and can do it all. I'm sure a lot of quarterbacks can relate to that."

Doing less certainly produced more. The Ducks are back in the national rankings, the disaster at Boise State now just looking like a bizarre detour on the Ducks' route to conference frontrunner status with Washington State headed to Autzen Stadium on Saturday.

Not that Kelly is entertaining such talk or believing Masoli will either.

"He's a pretty even-keel guy," Kelly said. "He knows it's just one game. All we did at this point in time is we created a nice memory from the Cal game. That should have no bearing on what we do as we move forward."

The win did come with a significant cost: cornerback Walter Thurmond, an All-American candidate, blew out his knee on the opening kickoff and is done for the season.

Yet Masoli believes the Ducks have found their rhythm, though maintaining it depends on remembering how hard it was to discover.

"We're just intensely focused and motivated for this week," he said. "Just seeing our potential last week against Cal and what we can do when we really focus and start clicking on offense and defense and get things going -- it really opened the eyes of guys on our team and showed how good we can be."

Kelly's patience paid off. Masoli clearly is appreciative that his coach took a dim view of questions during preceding weeks about whether Masoli had regressed. Perhaps channeling Bill Belichick, Kelly frowned and snapped and went monosyllabic when media sorts pointed at the junior's poor production and brought up backup Nate Costa's name.

The typically unflappable Masoli admits to being frustrated with his and the offense's play, but Kelly's unwavering support helped him maintain his confidence.

Kelly even gave Masoli a quick pep talk before the Cal game, reminding him that he was the same guy who was as good as any quarterback in the nation over the final three games of the 2008 season.

"He knew I could do it this whole time," Masoli said. "It always helps to know your coach has your back 100 percent, no matter what the fans or anybody else says. It helps you mentally and I think it instilled confidence in me and for the team when they hear the head coach's confidence."

Of course, frontrunner status in the Pac-10 hasn't been very secure. That crown weighed heavy on USC and then Cal.

But Masoli thinks the early cup of adversity helped the Ducks get ready for the season's larger banquet.

"I think we've matured very quickly in these three weeks since Boise State," he said. "We've seen what's gone on in the nation. We don't want to be one of those teams in that category of what-could-have-been and how they had a let-up against a team they were supposed to beat."

Even "bomb burritos" don't taste very good when served with what-could-have-been.