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Our oversimplification of the day is this: If QB Zach Maynard plays well this year, California has a successful season.

But more than a few Cal fans would nod their heads.

The Bears are solid to good at just about every position, starting with both lines. There's intriguing young talent to fortify the depth, particularly on defense. While the Pac-12 North Division looks rugged, there's enough here for the Bears to bounce back from a hugely disappointing 5-7 campaign in 2010, the first losing season in nine years under Jeff Tedford, the dean of conference coaches.

But Maynard, a transfer from Buffalo who'll make his debut against Fresno State on Saturday at Candlestick Park, said he doesn't feel any pressure. In fact, he kicks that line of questioning to the curb and segues into what he wants to talk about: How many are discounting the Bears.

"We're the underdogs right now," he said. "Nobody is saying anything about us. There's a lot of hype about other teams. Everybody's wondering what we're going to bring to the table. Everybody is going to find out when we start our first game and get into the season."

Here's what we're saying about Cal: It has to pass better. It ranked 89th in the nation in passing efficiency in 2010 and 94th in passing, with just 175 yards per game. That ain't going to cut it, particularly in the Pac-12, where superior QB play is required.

Tedford's reputation as a quarterbacks guru has taken some hits of late, but he seems to feel he's found his man. Tedford named Maynard the starter at the end of spring practices after he outplayed Brock Mansion and Allan Bridgford, who won the No. 2 spot, and part of that was so Maynard could start winning over the locker room as a leader.

"He's really stepped up and earned the team's respect," Tedford said.

Maynard passed for 2,694 yards with 18 TDs and 15 interception in 2009 for Buffalo and also rushed for 300 yards. Tedford likes his arm and his quick release, but he particularly likes his athletic ability.

"He has an escape dimension that we haven't had here in a while," Tedford said.

But it's not only an ability to escape pressure and scramble. It's an ability to create -- "Manufacture," Tedford says -- plays. There was a seeming tendency to panic that made Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley often throw the ball into the wrong place at the wrong time. Maynard has a bit of the cool-cat artist to him.

And if he's looking for a go-to guy, he's got one in true sophomore receiver Keenan Allen, and not just because Allen is super-talented. Allen is Maynard's half-brother and they are tight.

"It's like throwing in your backyard really," Maynard said. "You have a connection. You always know where he's going to be."

Maynard could be the key piece that gets Bears back into contention, and thereby mutes the increasingly vocal Tedford critics. But that's another topic Maynard kicks to the curb.

"I don't really hear anything about that," he said. "I don't get involved in the politics. I just go out and play ball and go to class."

But if he plays well, folks will start talking about Cal and Tedford (again), and they'll probably be saying nice things (again).

I know that one day Veronica and I are gonna to get married on top of a mountain, and there's going to be flutes playing and trombones and flowers and garlands of fresh herbs. And we will dance till the sun rises. And then our children will form a family band. And we will tour the countryside and you won't be invited.

• A Big H needs to step up for Arizona.
• Bo Moos, son of Washington State AD Bill Moos, has moved up at Arizona State.
• Brock Mansion stays positive as California's backup quarterback, waiting for perhaps a shot at redemption. A Q&A with Bears coach Jeff Tedford.
• Some Colorado thoughts after 10 days of camp. A frosh cornerback steps up.
• A new projection of Oregon's depth chart. Perhaps a little worrisome that wide receiver Josh Huff is in a boot.
• The news continues to be good for wide receiver James Rodgers. A look at the Beavers after one week.
• Stanford AD Bob Bowlsby thinks making freshmen sit would be a good thing. New coach David Shaw embraces high expectations.
• Neat story about UCLA's Renaissance Man.
• Intrigue continues in USC's running back competition. The O-line isn't playing well, particularly inside.
• Has Utah found an answer at cornerback? Pushing through the dog days.
• Wide receiver James Johnson tries to bounce back after a sophomore slump for Washington. Running back Chris Polk is ready for his close-up.
• Quarterback Jeff Tuel is The Man for Washington State. The Cougs are losing their Grippi.
• Jon Wilner provides his AP poll ballot.

Typically, every preseason features a handful of quarterback competitions, even if we sort of feel like we know who will ultimately emerge.

Last fall, there was uncertainty at Arizona State, Colorado and Oregon.

At the end of the 2010 season, it looked like there would be plenty of ongoing quarterback intrigue. Arizona State was expected to feature another showdown with Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler. California was completely wide open with the departure of Kevin Riley. There was a new coach at Colorado, Jon Embree, who said every job was open. UCLA clearly had no clear No. 1. Washington had to replace Jake Locker.

But most of the mysteries were solved by the end of spring practices.

Threet was forced to retire because of multiple concussions, thereby handing the job to Osweiler. Cal coach Jeff Tedford surprised a few folks when he announced Zach Maynard had eclipsed Allan Bridgford and Brock Mansion. It was clear throughout spring drills that Tyler Hansen was the Buffaloes' best option. And Steve Sarkisian tapped Keith Price over Nick Montana before the spring game.

If you're looking for a potential source for making quarterback decisions before preseason camp, consider former USC coach Pete Carroll. He believed in "anointing" a starter after spring practices because he believed it helped them become leaders over the summer -- see Matt Leinart, John David Booty and Mark Sanchez. Notably, Sarkisian chatted with Carroll before tapping Price.

While coaches will still talk about competition, and it wouldn't be wise for any of these guys to take their job for granted, the only team with remaining uncertainty behind center is UCLA, and even then most would project a healthy Kevin Prince -- the incumbent starter who suffered a season-ending knee injury that also knocked him out of spring practice -- is the likely choice.

Still, let's look at where the Bruins' competition stands.

The candidates:

Kevin Prince: While Prince's passing numbers were horrid in his five 2010 games before getting hurt, he showed in 2009 that he can be a capable passer. And last fall, he showed he could do a pretty good job running a pistol offense. But Prince had suffered myriad injuries even before he hurt his knee last fall, and while he enters the preseason reportedly at 100 percent, keeping him healthy is the critical element for him to become a reliable starter. Recall that the Bruins' ragged start on offense in 2010 could be attributed to Prince not practicing until the week before the season opener -- an embarrassing loss to a Kansas State team the Bruins pushed around the previous season. So it's fair to expect less running -- or at least more running out of bounds -- for Prince. He will be given every opportunity to win the job.

Richard Brehaut: There's no other way to say it: While Brehaut didn't play terribly well after replacing Prince, his passing numbers were better than what Prince did in 2010. That fact has engendered some not unreasonable sentiments that coach Rick Neuheisel has some sort of issue with Brehaut, a summary of which is provided here by Adam Maya (by the way, former offensive coordinator Norm Chow doggedly believed Prince was a better option than Brehaut). While Neuheisel said it was "nothing personal," it is fairly clear that Neuheisel questions Brehaut's complete commitment, which is reflected in Brehaut's apparently incomplete absorption of the offense. Further, knowing Neuheisel and how he works with quarterbacks, I can tell you that those little tirades he seems to have with his quarterbacks after a bad play mostly amounts to Neuheisel asking the quarterback to explain what he was thinking. And if the player doesn't have an answer, it drives Neuheisel crazy. A bad explanation -- "I didn't see the safety cheating over" -- is way, way better than "I don't know."

Brett Hundley: Hundley is the hotshot incoming freshman -- one of the nation's top dual-threat prep quarterbacks during the 2010-11 recruiting season -- whom many fans have been making googly-eyes at. But it ain't easy going from high school quarterback to college quarterback, and it was clear during spring practices that Hundley had a ways to go (though he also had some "wow" moments, too). Hundley was a bit of a long shot in any event, but after he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and will be out most of camp, his chances of redshirting are now higher than of him winning the starting job. Still, if he comes back strong, he could earn playing time. And if the situation gets desperate, Neuheisel, under pressure to win now, might roll the dice with a true freshman.

Nick Crissman and Darius Bell: These are the two long shots. Crissman's career has been riddled by shoulder injuries, but he had a fairly good spring and he's got some skills. Bell, a JC transfer, is a far better runner than passer. Many Bruins fans probably recall his regrettable debut in relief of Brehaut during a loss at Washington: 0-for-3 with an interception and a tongue-lashing from Neuheisel.

It's time to start our preseason position reviews. And quarterback seems like a good place to start. For most Pac-12 teams, at least.

For our new friends in Salt Lake City and Boulder, here's how we do this: We provide three evaluative categories: "Great shape," "Good shape" and "We'll see."

You'd prefer your team to be in "Great shape."

And I like the vagueness of "We'll see." Because that's exactly what we'll do. Plenty of promising players tank. And previously lousy ones blossom.

For one, we had no idea what to expect from Oregon at the position last year. Who knew that Darron Thomas would lead his team to the national title game and earn second-team All-Pac-10 honors ahead of -- cough-cough -- NFL first-round pick Jake Locker?

And away we go.

Great shape

• Stanford: Andrew Luck is the best quarterback in the nation. One caveat: Luck's backups, Josh Nunes and Robbie Picazo are sophomores with no experience.
• Oregon: As a sophomore, Darron Thomas was good enough to earn second-team All-Pac-10 honors and throw for 363 yards and two touchdowns in the national title game. What will he do as a junior? Bryan Bennett didn't have a great spring, but the redshirt freshman has a lot of skills.
• USC: Junior Matt Barkley, an elite passing talent, will be a third-year starter for the Trojans. He improved significantly from his freshman year to his sophomore year, throwing for 26 touchdowns. Most think this will be his final year before he enters the NFL draft. What will he do to impress NFL GMs? Redshirt freshman Jesse Scroggins is the backup.
• Arizona: Senior Nick Foles has the best receivers of all these guys, so he might end up with the best passing numbers. And he's also playing for his NFL draft position. Further, with Matt Scott, who has starting experience, as his backup and senior Bryson Beirne as a solid No. 3, the Wildcats are deeper at the position than any other conference team.
• Washington State: Jeff Tuel may be ready for his close-up. He put up good numbers a year ago -- 18 touchdown passes -- and he's got a strong group of receivers, led by Marquess Wilson. Senior Marshall Lobbestael gives the Cougars a backup with significant experience.

Good shape

• Oregon State: Big-armed junior Ryan Katz will be in his second year as a starter. He was solid in 2010, but is fully capable of significant improvement, particularly if his top receivers -- James Rodgers, Jordan Bishop and tight end Joe Halahuni -- are healthy. Sophomore Cody Vaz had an outstanding spring to take hold of the backup job.
• Utah: Jordan Wynn, now a junior, started as a true freshman, is 11-4 as a starter and four times has passed for over 300 yards. Two issues hold Wynn and Utah back here: 1. Wynn is coming back from shoulder surgery, which is always worrisome for quarterbacks; 2. Neither of Wynn's backups, Tyler Shreve and Griff Robles, looked good this spring with Wynn on the sidelines.
• Arizona State: Brock Osweiler did enough in the Sun Devils final two games to convince many folks that he was going to beat out starter Steven Threet this spring. When Threet was forced to retire due to recurrent concussions, the job became Osweiler's by default. Redshirt freshman Taylor Kelly and true freshman Mike Bercovici are promising but have no experience.
• Colorado: Tyler Hansen has 15 career starts. He has looked good at times -- he was completing 68 percent of his passes before he got hurt last year after seven games -- and he turned in a good spring. Backups Nick Hirschman and Brent Burnette have no experience.

We'll see

• UCLA: Bruins have two quarterbacks with considerable starting experience in Kevin Prince, who sat out spring but was No. 1 on the depth chart released in May, and Richard Brehaut. In fact, if you could guarantee Prince's health -- a huge "if" -- the Bruins would be in good shape. But you can't. Moreover, neither Prince nor Brehaut have played well consistently, which is why so many UCLA fans were eager to see touted true freshman Brett Hundley this spring.
• California: Zach Maynard, a starter at Buffalo before transferring to Cal, won the Bears job this spring over Brock Mansion and Allan Bridgford. He put up decent numbers at Buffalo in 2009 and he's a pass-run threat. But he hasn't played against Pac-12 competition and he sat out last season. Ergo, the category.
• Washington: Keith Price turned in a solid performance in his lone start for an injured Jake Locker at Oregon last fall. And he was consistently impressive this spring, so much so he was announced as the starter over Nick Montana after a strong spring game. Still, it's impossible to know how he will react when Steve Sarkisian hands him the keys to the offense.

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:

California

Biggest reason for hope: The band is back together on the coaching staff.

When California surged out of the Pac-10 cellar and challenged USC for conference supremacy, Jeff Tedford was calling plays, Jim Michalczik was coaching the offensive line and Eric Kiesau oversaw the receivers. In those days, the Bears offense was potently balanced between the run and pass and, most important, it was feared. That hasn't been the case of late, and perhaps part of that drop-off was due to the departures of Kiesau in 2005 and Michalczik in 2008. Well, the reunion tour starts in 2011. Tedford not only will call plays but he will take a strong role with the quarterback coaching, such as attending all meetings. Michalczik is back coaching the line but also is the coordinator, while Kiesau oversees the passing game and running backs coach Ron Gould is the running game coordinator. These guys have worked well together in the past, so it's perfectly reasonable to believe they will do so again.


Biggest reason for concern: Two letters: QB

Of course, even the best coaches can't do much without talent, and it's even more challenging for a team to play at a high level without a talented quarterback. Quarterback has transformed from a Cal position of strength -- Kyle Boller, Aaron Rodgers, early Nate Longshore -- to a position of inconsistency and even weakness. Tedford cut his quarterback competition down to three guys fairly early in spring practices: Zach Maynard, Brock Mansion and Allen Bridgford and then it became clear that Maynard was ahead because he was seeing the most action with the No. 1 offense. Maynard, a transfer from Buffalo who is also the half-brother of receiver Keenan Allen, is a run-pass threat whose potential has obviously intrigued Tedford, who's typically been more of a QB-in-the-pocket sort of coach. If the Bears get solid play at QB, they will be contenders in the Pac-12 North Division. If they don't, they could finish near the bottom.

What seemed clear at the end of spring practices was made crystal Saturday by California coach Jeff Tedford: Zach Maynard is going to be the Bears' starting quarterback.

“Zach showed a tremendous amount of upside during spring practice and is the quarterback that gives us the best opportunity to win football games,” coach Jeff Tedford said in a statement. “He has the ability to both throw and run the ball effectively, giving us another dimension at that position that we haven’t had in a while.”

The mobility, in particular, seemed to give Maynard an edge. He gives the Bears spread-option possibilities as well as a weapon when plays break down, which Brock Mansion and Allan Bridgford do not. The post-spring depth chart will list an "or" between Mansion and Bridgford, which is clearly a challenge to both not to slack off after losing the battle for the starting job. There certainly are no guarantees that Maynard will start all 12 games.

Maynard, a junior, was the starter at Buffalo in 2009, and he completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 2,694 yards with 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also rushed for 300 yards. His half-brother, Keenan Allen, is a budding star at receiver.

Couple of notable elements here:

• This was Tedford's call based on thorough observation. While that might seem like it has a "duh" factor to it, the point is Tedford was more involved with the quarterbacks this spring than he has been in recent years, both in meetings and on the practice field.
• You'd think this might signal some tweaks to the Bears' offense that take advantage of Maynard's athleticism. Most likely: Some spread-option elements that force defense to account for quarterback runs. It also seems likely that Maynard won't be asked to be a pure pocket passer, which means more roll outs with run-pass options.
• Maynard will be immediately thrown into the competitive fire against Fresno State and on a nonconference trip to Colorado. It might have been nice to play Game 3 foe -- the doughty Blue Hose of Presbyterian -- first, so Maynard could get his feet under him.
• That said: Experience probably helped Maynard. While Mansion was the quarterback of record during Cal's late-season slide -- experience, but not exactly the impressive sort -- Maynard owns 11 FBS starts, even if Buffalo isn't exactly the Pac-12. Bridgford, perhaps the best pure passer of the troika, has no experience.
• Some links on the story: The Contra Costa Times. The San Francisco Chronicle. Berkeley's student paper. And the official release.

It's been a year of big stories in the Pac-12, starting with expansion and continuing with Oregon falling just short of the program's first national title.

The biggest story this spring? Again, it didn't happen on the field. It happened in the boardroom: It was announced on Wednesday that the conference had signed the richest TV contract in college sports history, one that will pay the conference an average of $250 million annually over the next 12 years.

That monumental announcement came after all the spring games had been played. But what happened on the field?

" Three schools entered spring practices with intrigue at quarterback, and only one emerged with few answers: UCLA, where a battle remains among Kevin Prince, who missed spring practice with a knee injury, Richard Brehaut and true freshman Brett Hundley.

There's no such indecision at Washington, which went so far as to announce Keith Price as its No. 1 quarterback over Nick Montana. California provided no such announcement, but Zach Maynard emerged as a clear leader over Brock Mansion and Allan Bridgford.

Oregon and Stanford have no such quarterback issues, and they began spring practices as the clear leaders in the conference based on what they did last season and what they have coming back. Both figure to be ranked in the national preseason top 10, perhaps in the top five. Both will play next fall in the conference's North Division, which means at least one can't play for the Pac-12 championship.

"Everybody on the West Coast knows that you have to beat Oregon if you want to do anything out here," Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck said.

" Big questions for Oregon and Stanford: The Ducks have issues on their offensive line, the Cardinal on their defensive line.

" Luck is playing for the only new coach in the old Pac-10. David Shaw replaces Jim Harbaugh, who bolted for the San Francisco 49ers. One session of spring practices won't be enough to reveal the big-picture meaning of that transition, particularly with Shaw continuing to hold closed practices.

"There will be subtle differences," Shaw said. "But the biggest thing is the mentality is not going to change. We played with an attitude, a mentality, a certain amount of toughness and physicality. That's not going to change. Coach Harbaugh and I are different personalities. But when it comes down to it, we are ball coaches who believe in tough, hard-nosed, physical football. We believe that's what's going to win and what Stanford football should be known for."

" As for the two new teams, Colorado and Utah, the Buffaloes fired Dan Hawkins and hired Jon Embree, who led a physically demanding spring session intended to show his players that a new sheriff was in town. But the transition from the Big 12 to the Pac-12 doesn't figure to be too dramatic, other than giving fans much better road trips. Over in Salt Lake City, Utes coach Kyle Whittingham considered the transition from the non-automatic-qualifying Mountain West Conference to the Pac-12, which will be an interesting measuring stick in the fall.

"The week-in and week-out level of competition is ratcheted up," Whittingham said. "There are some excellent football teams in the Mountain West Conference -- TCU last year. Not to downplay or disrespect anything that's going on in the Mountain West, but we're convinced the weekly challenges will be much more difficult than they have been in years past for us."

" A big change at Utah? The arrival of offensive coordinator Norm Chow after he fell out of favor at UCLA. But that didn't yield much fruit for the Utes this spring, in large part because quarterback Jordan Wynn was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

" Injuries were an issue on many campuses. USC, for one, was missing 12 players from its two-deep depth chart for all or some of the spring. Still, the Trojans might have lucked out. Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State and UCLA saw injuries to their potential starting players that will jeopardize all or at least a portion of their 2011 seasons. The Beavers, for example, don't know whether receiver James Rodgers will be able to play after a serious knee injury last fall.

" On the noninjury, off-the-field side: Oregon's potential starting middle linebacker, Kiko Alonso, who was projected to replace Casey Matthews, was suspended indefinitely after he was arrested the day after the spring game. It's his second suspension in as many seasons.

Ultimately, every team heads into the offseason with the same hopeful mindset.

Said Luck, "The mindset is still very, very hungry. The price never decreases in football."

California concludes spring practices with a final scrimmage -- not really a game -- on Saturday. Here's a brief primer.

Spring game: Cal will hold an informal scrimmage Saturday from 12-2:30 p.m. at Contra Costa College.

Questions answered: The Bears have closed practices and a lot of injured players, so it's hard to say which questions were answered. The QB competition has been reduced to three from five -- Zach Maynard, Brock Mansion and Allan Bridgford -- with Maynard appearing to hold a slight lead due to practice order. Whoever wins the job will have a solid group of receivers, particularly if Michael Calvin stays healthy, which he did this spring. A number of young players on defense played well. Spring helped new-old coaches Jim Michalczik (offensive coordinator/line) and Eric Kiesau (receivers/passing game coordinator) -- who both previously coach with Jeff Tedford -- get back into the swing in Berkeley.

Questions unanswered: The starting QB likely won't be anointed until well into fall camp. The running back depth behind Isi Sofele is uncertain, and incoming freshmen -- Brendan Bigelow and Daniel Lasco --are expected to immediately enter the mix. The pecking order on the offensive line is unclear. There will be lot of young talent looking to breakthrough on defense, even at the expense of veteran players.

Spring stars: Some of the young standouts on defense include safety Michael Coley, defensive end Gabe King, linebackers Dave Wilkerson, Chris McCain and Nick Forbes and Cecil Whiteside. Freshman Kaelin Clay looks ready to help at receiver.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Quarterbacks are always a big story. Quarterback competitions are typically bigger stories. But quarterback is an almost singular story this spring at California.

For one, no one has any idea who the 2011 starter will be, an uncertainty that has been rare since coach Jeff Tedford took over in 2002. Tedford announced last week that he'd reduced the candidates list from five to three -- senior Brock Mansion, junior Buffalo transfer Zach Maynard and sophomore Allan Bridgford -- but it's unlikely that troika will be winnowed to one until late in preseason camp.

Finally, more than a few critics are questioning Tedford's once impeccable bona fides for developing quarterbacks. Sure, Tedford has mentored six who became first-round NFL draft picks: Kyle Boller, David Carr, Trent Dilfer, Joey Harrington, Aaron Rodgers and Akili Smith. But in our "what-has-he-done-lately?" world, folks are asking, well, what has Tedford done lately with quarterbacks, with an incriminating finger-pointing at the less-than-stellar production from Joe Ayoob, Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley.

Tedford will call plays this fall and he has been heavily involved with the quarterbacks this spring. He attends all position meetings and spends plenty of practice time with the QBs and new assistant Marcus Arroyo.

Tedford is as aware as anyone that bouncing back from a down campaign -- his first losing season in nine years in Berkeley -- will require at least solid play at quarterback.

"For us to get back to 10- or 11-win seasons, we have to have better play at the quarterback position," he said.

So far, no quarterback has asserted himself.

Mansion, due to experience, would in most situations be considered the front-runner. But he didn't do well in four starts after replacing Riley. His efficiency rating ranked last in the Pac-10 by a wide margin, and he threw five interceptions with just two TDs.

Said Tedford: "You can tell that Brock is better because of the experience he had last year. He's more comfortable. And he's even learned some things physically. You can see the maturity there a little bit. Still not where we need to be."

More than a few folks believe Maynard, the best athlete of the three and half-brother to standout receiver Keenan Allen, to be the front-runner. As a sophomore starter at Buffalo in 2009, he completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 2,694 yards and 18 touchdowns with 15 interceptions and added 455 yards rushing and one TD.

Said Tedford: "He does have some athleticism. He can make plays with his legs. He throws the ball accurately. He can throw all the balls on the field. He's a lefty. He can throw the deep ball. He's got zip on the ball. His main thing is just going to be the mental part of understanding our offense and understanding what we're looking for."

Tedford also said that the Bears' offense has some spread-option elements it could adapt for Maynard.

Bridgford is reputed to be a strong pure passer, but he's coming back from shoulder surgery and his mobility also is an issue. The scuttlebutt is he's presently in third place and could be challenged by redshirt freshman Austin Hinder, who Tedford said was a strong No. 4.

Said Tedford of Bridgford: "Smart guy. Can throw the ball. He can throw all the balls on the field. Escape dimension? Haven't seen that yet. That's a concern, but he's not a lead foot by any means."

Trying to figure out where things stand isn't easy. Even Allen clings to neutrality, at least publicly. And players appear to be as in the dark as fans about who will prevail.

"I know you guys all want to know that -- we all want to know as well," offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. "I have a lot of confidence in the coaching staff. They are going to put the right guy on the field."

It's been a while since Tedford and Cal found the "right" guy to put behind center. The Bears' success in 2011 probably hangs on Tedford rediscovering his inner QB Yoda.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- California has something sort of old and something sort of new this spring on both sides of the ball.

On defense, Clancy Pendergast is back for his second season coordinating the Bears defense. On offense, Jim Michalczik is back in town after spending a couple of years with the Oakland Raiders. Pendergast turned in a successful first campaign, with his more aggressive version of a 3-4 scheme ending up ranked third in the Pac-10 in scoring and first in total defense. And from 2002-2008, Michalczik might have been the best offensive line coach in the conference.

Here are some notes from chats with both coordinators as well as head coach Jeff Tedford.

• Other than a blowout loss to Stanford, the Bears defense turned in its best work in November, most notably holding Oregon to just one offensive touchdown in a 15-13 Ducks win. Pendergast didn't think that was a coincidence: "I think our guys trusted the system, trusted each other. Had better eyes. All those things." As for year two, the longtime NFL coach, probably has a better grasp on some of the quirky offenses he'll face in the conference. "Anytime you go into a second year, you're going to be more comfortable," he said.
• Pendergast on former defensive end Cameron Jordan, who is expected to be a first-round NFL draft pick on April 28: "He'll be solid, consistent player at next level who can do a lot of different things."
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Chris Morrison/US PRESSWIRECal's Clancy Pendergast expects to be more comfortable coaching against Pac-12 offenses in his second season.
• Pendergast is clearly high on the incoming freshmen. He repeatedly mentions them -- first and last names -- when talking about his potential depth chart. When asked if he expects a handful to play, he said, "No question." Names he -- and later Tedford -- mention: defensive tackle Todd Barr, defensive tackle Viliami Moala, defensive end Brennan Scarlett, and cornerbacks Stefan McClure, Joel Willis and Kameron Jackson.
• The top three defensive ends are Trevor Guyton, Deandre Coleman and Ernest Owusu. At nose tackle, both Aaron Tipoti and Kendrick Payne are out with shoulder injuries. Guyton has had a good spring, while Tedford said, Coleman "should be much better this year."
• The inside 'backers are Mychal Kendricks, who put up huge numbers last fall playing outside, and D.J. Holt, also a returning starter. As for Kendricks move inside, Pendergast said, "He's probably a better fit as a stack inside linebacker than an outside linebacker."
• There will be two new starters at outside linebacker. At present, Ryan Davis and David Wilkerson (strongside) are with the ones, with Chris McCain, Cecil Whiteside and Lucas King providing depth.
• In the secondary, Marc Anthony and Steve Williams are the corners. The depth appears unsettled -- see Pendergast and Tedford both listing three freshmen who are not on campus yet as being in the mix. Pendergast seemed most pleased with Anthony, whom he said was playing physically and with a lot of confidence. At safety, there's Sean Cattouse and D.J. Campbell, with Adrian Lee, C.J. Moncrease, Alex Logan and Michael Coley earning note. It's hard to say if true freshman Avery Walls, who's participating in spring practices, will get into the mix.
• On offense, Michalczik is mostly focused on the offensive line. Tedford will call plays this fall and is working with the quarterbacks as well, while receivers coach Eric Kiesau is the passing game coordinator and running backs coach Ron Gould is the running game coordinator. So there will be plenty of input on offense.
• Michalczik wouldn't commit too much on the offensive line: "We've got some young guys and we've got some time," he said. Left tackle Mitchell Schwartz and center Dominic Galas are likely starters, but both are sitting out with injuries. Matt Summers-Gavin has bounced from guard to right tackle. Brian Schwenke and Justin Cheadle are the No. 1 guards at present. Youngsters to watch include Chris Adcock and Mark Brazinski at center, as well as Alejandro Crosthwaite, Bill Tyndall and Tyler Rigsbee.
• Marvin Jones and Keenan Allen are set at receiver, but the No. 3, 4 and 5 options are not. Michael Calvin -- yes, him again -- Coleman Edmond and Kaelin Clay earned note from Tedford, who said of Clay, "He's been very good, very fast, brings big-play potential."
• Tedford isn't very happy at running back behind Isi Sofele. His highest praise goes to walk-on Mike Manuel, who was impressive in the scrimmage Saturday. Injuries are a big issue at the position, but it seems as though Tedford isn't happy with the group, which includes a number of touted recruits. "As of right now, it looks like to me we are going to have to rely on younger guys who are coming in," he said.
• Quarterbacks? It's still wide open, but it shows how serious Zach Maynard's candidacy is that Tedford said he doesn't expect to announce a starter until well into fall camp, specifically because he wants to give Maynard, who transferred from Buffalo last year, as much time as possible to digest the offense. Said Tedford, "He does have some athleticism. He can make plays with his legs. He throws the ball accurately. He can throw all the balls on the field. He's a lefty. He can throw the deep ball. He's got zip on the ball. His main thing is just going to be the mental part of understanding our offense and understanding what we're looking for."
• As for Brock Mansion, who started the final four games after Kevin Riley went down, Tedford said, "You can tell that Brock is better because of the experience he had last year. He's more comfortable. And he's even learned some things physically. You can see the maturity there a little bit. Still not where we need to be."
• As for Allan Bridgford, the question might be athleticism. Said Tedford, "Smart guy. Can throw the ball. He can throw all the balls on the field. Escape dimension? Haven't seen that yet. That's a concern, but he's not a led-foot by any means."
• One problem for the Bears this spring is injuries. There are a lot of them, which makes it more difficult to give the QBs full-tilt, looks. "That's a challenge, to get QB's enought reps without beating up the whole team," Tedford said.

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.

An interesting post here from the California Golden Blogs on a different way to calculate quarterback efficiency.

It's worth it to read the whole story because it breaks down every FBS conference and has a bunch of cool graphics, but I'm just going to steal borrow the part that focuses on the Pac-12.

The writer, Berkelium97 (is he a Klingon?), feeds numbers into Utah State sports economist David Berri's "more intuitive formula that addresses some of the common criticisms lobbed at the passer efficiency rating." Berri calls his formula the "QB Score" and it looks like this: QB Score = Total Yards - (3 x Plays) - (50 x Turnovers).

The difference in QB Score and college efficiency rating is this:

The traditional passer efficiency rating tends to take on a "more is better" approach: if players throw a bunch of TDs and hundreds of yards, they can get away with a fairly high turnover rate. Berri's measure has a different philosophy: if you generate yards and avoid turnovers, you will be rewarded.

So here's the list of Pac-12 quarterbacks, ranked by their "QB score," which you can compare to their efficiency rating.


You can see one reason folks at Arizona State believed that Osweiler would have beaten Threet out this spring, even before Threet opted to retire due to recurrent concussions.

No surprises with Mansion and Prince ranking toward the bottom -- they also did for efficiency rating. No surprise at the very top either, with Luck and Thomas. And the Locker critics probably will enjoy his mediocre tally.

It's surprising that Scott is ahead of Foles and that Cain is ahead of Wynn, though both the Arizona and Utah backups put their numbers up with a far smaller sample size. Further, guess here is that Colorado fans probably didn't expect Hawkins to rate so highly -- ahead of Locker and Barkley!

Barkley's number is surprising, particularly considering he ranked third in the conference in passing efficiency and threw 26 TD passes, but the Golden Blogs' analysis says this: "he finished in the bottom half because he does not generate that much yardage and he throws a fair number of interceptions. He's much improved over last year, but he still has work to do."

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.