ESPN College Football

See your team in your mind's eye -- 24 starters, including specialists.

If you could put an absolute halo of safety -- perhaps a girdle of indestructibility? -- around just one, who would it be?

We're rating each team's most indispensable player. And when the choice is too obvious -- say, Stanford -- we'll try to offer a second choice.

Up next: California.

WR Keenan Allen

This one might come as a surprise to some, but not to observant Cal fans. This selection is not just about Keenan Allen, sophomore receiver. It's about the idea of Keenan Allen: an athletic, big-play guy who, with his half-brother Zach Maynard playing quarterback, becomes the second coming of DeSean Jackson as a sophomore -- only at 6-foot-3 -- the flashy half of a top receiving combination with Marvin Jones. Allen flashed eyebrow-raising potential last fall as a receiver and kick returner but faded a bit as his true freshman body got beat up. He finished second on the Bears behind Jones in receptions (46) and receiving yards (490) and led the team with five touchdowns. Jones is a good receiver, but Allen has all-conference potential. In fact, if Cal is going to get its offense back on track, it needs Allen to break through this fall. The Bears won't score a lot of points without Allen getting a lot of touches. The Bears have little depth and experience at receiver behind Allen and Jones, and Allen must get a lot of touches in order for the offense to be successful. Thus the indispensability.

Well, my name's Dewey Oxburger. My friends call me Ox. I don't know if you've noticed, but I got a slight weight problem.

• Arizona's visit to Oklahoma State has been moved from Sept. 10 to Thursday, Sept. 8.
• Any chance that Arizona State will get cornerback Omar Bolden and receiver T.J. Simpson back this season?
• Former California receiver DeSean Jackson checked in at his old high school. There's competition this spring in the secondary.
• Colorado has yet to figure out who its cornerbacks will be.
• At Oregon, defense tackle Ricky Heimuli is starting to inspire folks to pull out the "Ng" word.
• Oregon State has picked up a new linebacker. The Beavers offensive line is fighting back.
• UCLA did some full-go work, and freshman QB Brett Hundley got his first taste. RB Johnathan Franklin wants redemption (and to hold onto the football). There's plenty of competition this spring. Some thorough practice notes.
• USC has plenty of stars but not enough depth. Old McDonald had a son, and he's a pretty good safety, too.
• Utah's new defensive line coach is glad to be a Ute. Again.
• An in-depth piece that tries to evaluate former Washington quarterback Jake Locker. The Huskies hope they have special teams covered.
• Washington State's offensive line shows signs of improvement. The story also has information about a new Coug.
• Lots of interesting information in Jon Wilner's story on the Pac-12's drive for a new media deal and its own network. Is Larry Scott about to hit a grand slam?

The SEC dominates college football, but the ACC and Pac-10 rock the NFL Pro Bowl.

Wheeeee!

As my esteemed colleague Heather Dinich pointed out in the ACC blog, the ACC led all conferences for the third consecutive year with 19 players selected to play in the Pro Bowl, which will be held on Jan. 30 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The SEC was second with 13 selections and the Pac-10 was third with 12. The Big Ten and the Big 12 had nine each.

But, of course, seeing that the Pac-10 at present has just 10 teams versus 12 for the ACC, SEC and Big 12, the numbers need to be adjusted for players per team. By that measure, the ACC is still No. 1 with 1.58 Pro Bowl players per ACC team, while the Pac-10 is second with 1.2 per team.

Here's the list of Pac-10 players in the Pro Bowl.

Marcedes Lewis, TE, Jacksonville (UCLA)
Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis (Oregon State)
DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia (California)
Tony Gonzalez, TE, Atlanta (California)
Ryan Kalil, C, Carolina (USC)
Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (UCLA)*
Haloti Ngata, DT, Baltimore (Oregon)
Terrell Suggs, DE, Baltimore (Arizona State)
Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Oakland (California)
Troy Polamalu, S, Pittsburgh (USC)
Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay (USC)
Lance Briggs, LB, Chicago (Arizona)

*Out of game due to injury

You also may have noticed that a Jets-Packers Super Bowl would mean both starting quarterbacks -- Mark Sanchez for the Jets (USC) and Aaron Rodgers for the Packers (California) -- hail from the Pac-10.

Washington State quarterback Jeff Tuel, California linebacker Mike Mohamed and Oregon punt returner Cliff Harris have been named Pac-10 Players of the Week.

Tuel, a sophomore from Fresno, Calif., threw for 157 yards and rushed 18 times for a career-high 79 yards to lead the Cougars to a 31-14 upset at Oregon State. Tuel helped WSU snap a 16-game conference winless streak dating back to the end of the 2008 season and also earned WSU’s first road win since the end of the 2007 season. Tuel completed 10 of 15 passes for 157 yards and no interceptions, including a 33-yard touchdown pass to Marquess Wilson that put the Cougars ahead 21-0 early in the third quarter. WSU converted 10 of 17 opportunities on third down, with Tuel accounting for seven of those, four on the ground and three through the air. He also engineered an offense that controlled the ball for more than 40 minutes of the game.

Mohamed, a senior from Brawley, Calif., established a career-high with 16 tackles, while also adding a sack in the 15-13 loss to Oregon. He guided a Bears defense that limited the nation’s top offense to 15 points and 307 total yards, well below their nationa-leading averages of 54.7 points and 567.2 yards entering the game.

Harris, a sophomore from Fresno, Calif., returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to provide the Ducks a lead it would never relinquish in a 15-13 win at California. It was his fourth punt return for a score on the season, which ties a Pac-10 record set by California’s DeSean Jackson in 2006.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were running back Shane Vereen of California, quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford and running back Marc Tyler of USC. Also nominated on defense were linebacker Oliver Aaron of Arizona State, linebacker Talmadge Jackson III of Oregon, linebacker Shayne Skov of Stanford and cornerback Shareece Wright of USC. Also nominated on special teams was quarterback Mitch Mustain of USC.

Happy Friday (just a few more before we say, "Happy Football Saturday!")

Feel free to follow me on Twitter. But only if you're cool enough.

To the notes.

Henry from Berkeley writes: I don't see why you like Andrew Luck so much. The only reason he was able to preform is because of the backfield. When a team loads the box on every play because they need that and more to stop Toby Gerhart, even Joe Ayoob could be a potential first round draft pick. The only stanfurd game I saw was in the big game, where when he had to preform late in the game, he threw an interception. The next week against notre dame, harbaugh didn't make the same mistake of putting the ball in the hands of the inexperienced quarterback. Same goes for stanfurd as a team, without gerhart, they are nothing.

Ted Miller: Er, first of all, who played tailback for California in 2005 and 2006 with Joe Ayoob? Couple of stooges named Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett. Those guys were lousy! Ayoob was completely on his own. What was that receiver's name anyway? DeSean Jackson or something.

Why do I like Luck so much? Same reasons NFL scouts and Jim Harbaugh like him: He's really, really talented.

Luck is: 1. Big (6-foot-4, 235 pounds); 2. Fast (he rushed for 400 yards last year); 3. Smart (a high school valedictorian who got into Stanford! Oh, sorry, know you Cal folks don't like that); 4. He doesn't make mistakes (just four interceptions); 5. He was the Pac-10's top-rated quarterback as a redshirt freshman (he's only getting started).

And then there's that whole NFL first-round draft pick as a redshirt sophomore thing.

Of course, you do have a point: Life without Gerhart will be more challenging because the offense will now belong to Luck entirely. Consider this quote from Arizona cornerback Trevin Wade: "The toughest thing about Luck was Toby Gerhart because he could fake the handoff and all your help was gone. But he's such a good decision-maker. Playing in the Pac-10, I've seen him and [Washington's Jake] Locker -- Locker may have the arm strength, but you don't see Luck make bad throws very often."

Just FYI: Luck completed 21 of 35 passes for 423 yards with three touchdowns versus Wade and Arizona. I saw that game. I also witnessed Luck's uncanny downfield accuracy when he passed for 251 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Oregon. And I witnessed his near-flawless performance vs. USC (another two touchdown passes).

In fact, Luck's only bad game in 2009 was the Big Game. So maybe that explains your feelings.

"Nothing" without Gerhart? Oh, Henry, Henry. You might anger the football gods with that one.

---

Ida from Nashville writes: Yes, I am an SEC fan. No, I do not take any pleasure in NCAA sanctions against USC because it means that 30 kids won't get an NCAA scholarship. How can ANYONE be happy about that? But as for your statement condemning Reggie Bush, it is hollow, disingenuous and hypocritical. Look, you guys know that Bush is very vain and wants to protect his image and reputation. Had you guys in the media - who have long known that the charges against Bush were true - done your jobs and talked about what a liar and thief Bush was, it might have forced Bush to act. Instead, you guys didn't even produce a single blog talking about what an outrage Bush's false extortion charges that he filed with the FBI against Lake and Michaels were! Bush never came clean? Well you guys in the media never did either. Why? Because you guys knew that if Bush came clean, USC would get punished as a result, and you didn't want USC to get punished. That's why you and your buddies wrote far more columns demanding that the NCAA admit that they had no case and drop the investigation than you did acknowledging Bush's lack of character and demanding that he tell the truth. Bottom line: it isn't all Bush's fault. You guys in the media played a role in this too by acting to protect Bush's precious reputation.

Ted Miller: I found this note interesting because Ida clearly has strong feelings about this, but I have no idea how those feelings developed.

Ida writes: "Bush never came clean? Well you guys in the media never did either. Why? Because you guys knew that if Bush came clean, USC would get punished as a result, and you didn't want USC to get punished. That's why you and your buddies wrote far more columns demanding that the NCAA admit that they had no case and drop the investigation than you did acknowledging Bush's lack of character and demanding that he tell the truth."

I can't recall ever reading a single column or story "demanding that the NCAA admit that they had no case and drop the investigation." Period. I know that thought never crossed my mind. I also can't remember any writers who spent any time trying to "protect Bush's precious reputation."

Ida, from the moment Yahoo! broke the story in 2006, Bush was nailed. From the first, it was clear that Bush -- and his family -- had been receiving extra benefits. There wasn't any media constituency on his side.

The questions have always been: How much did USC officials know? And what is the program's culpability if it didn't know but should have? That was the issue with the NCAA.

You may want to start get your information from other sources because whatever steered you toward this take didn't reflect reality.

---

Cody from Pasco, Wash., writes: Pardon me for asking this, but i know you're pushing parity as part of the agenda for the pac-10 - that it's a quality league and fields a lot of depth - but it certainly seems like "parity" and "Pac-1 and 9 dwarfs" treads a very fine line. particularly with the media, who, from what i've read, hasn't a clue what the conference exactly is (you'll guess parity, so I'll bet the house there'll be a dominant team (cough, cough, like Oregon winning the league by 2 games)). isn't this the ultimate form of ambivalence regarding how the media can cover west coast football?

Ted Miller: Oregon would have been widely viewed as a dominant team and a national title contender with Jeremiah Masoli. My guess is the Ducks would have been ranked in the top-five (I'd have ranked them fourth behind Ohio State, Texas and Alabama).

But Masoli, as some of you might have heard, is gone.

What has been left behind is nine teams (Washington State at this point is a clear No. 10) with obvious strengths and obvious questions. There might end up being a dominant team -- who can't know in the preseason how everyone will gel or avoid injuries -- but there isn't a team that seems like a sure-thing. Or a sure-failure, for that matter. Naturally, there's a consensus pecking order: Just about everyone has Oregon, Oregon State and USC in their top-three and UCLA and Arizona State at eighth and ninth.

What's parity? It's the fact that I wouldn't be shocked if the Bruins or Sun Devils beat any of the top three teams in 2010.

What's not parity? Take 2008. The only loss among the top-four teams -- USC, Oregon, Oregon State and California -- to a bottom-half team was Oregon State's loss at Stanford in the season-opener, and it would have been shocking if any of the bottom three teams (UCLA, Washington State and Washington) beat any of the top teams.

If Oregon, my new No. 1 team, lost to Arizona State this year, it wouldn't shock me. In fact, I call it a good bet that my bottom three teams -- UCLA, Arizona State and Washington State -- are going to score at least one major upset.

When I look at the Pac-10, I see nine teams that could rank in the top-25 at some point this season. But I don't see a team that will push into the upper-reaches of the top-10. At least not yet.

---

"Inert1" from Bothell, Wash., writes: I'm curious about Arizona this year. I was really impressed with Foles running their offense last year. But, it seemed as though the playcalling was critical to the offense's success. While Foles throws a nice short ball, they seemed to make sure that he got rid of the ball quickly, and he looked pretty immobile. How do you think the change in coordinators will affect the Wildcats?

Ted Miller: As much as folks have wondered about Arizona's co-coordinators approach on both sides of the ball, perhaps the most helpful thing for Foles is that he has his own coach who isn't a coordinator: Frank Scelfo. Last year, coordinator Sonny Dykes was Foles' position coach, but he obviously had to focus on the big picture instead of refining Foles mechanics. Word out of Tucson is Scelfo has made Foles far more sound fundamentally.

Foles did check down a lot -- much of the Wildcats offense was dink-and-dunk, in large part because Foles was a sophomore, first-year starter learning as he went along. With a year of experience, a good stable of receivers and good offensive line, it seems likely that Foles will throw downfield much more this year.

Further, Foles isn't immobile. He's no Jake Locker, but he's a capable athlete who can move in the pocket.

---

Carl from Britt, Iowa writes: Please explain your #12 ranking of BSU. Are you a voting proxy of Craig James? Logic and reason would dictate nothing less than a top 6 ranking. That is, unless you're considering superficial criteria. We're waiting with baited breath.

Ted Miller: I used our preseason Power Rankings not as a pure "this is how good I think every team is" but as my prediction of how things will end up. I think Boise State will slip to 12th because I think it's going to lose to Virginia Tech. If I'm wrong, then Boise will get a bounce into the top-five.

---

Derrick from Portland writes: How come you have Oregon ranked No. 1 in your Pac-10 power rankings but USC is ranked ninth and Oregon 11th in your national rankings?

Ted Miller: The decision to elevate Oregon was a recent development. Like five minutes before I typed "No. 1", I said... I'm switching to Oregon.

My vote for the national poll was sent in to the Mothership in Bristol, Conn., weeks ago.

---

Ken from Toyko writes: GOSH, TED MILLER!You CONVENIENTLY left Bryan Anger off of the Ray Guy Awards list. Yes, I'm putting this all on you. It's YOUR fault that Anger was not put on the watch list for the Ray Guy Award Trophy. You, as ESPN's designated Pac-10 blogger, should have made sure he made it on this watch list. We ALL know that ESPN's designed Pac-10 blogger has top say when it comes to selecting punters for the Ray Guy Award. Therefore, this is all YOUR FAULT!!I mean, seriously?!? Please, next time, how about you put Bryan Anger for the Ray Guy Award list, assuming Anger doesn't leave to be a top 5 pick in next year's NFL draft.- Angry Japanese punter/Bear fan.

Ted Miller: I love Cal fans.

Lots of extraordinary games to choose from, as well as many ways to ascribe greatness: the size of the stage, the competitiveness of the game and the overall strangeness.

And we made the executive decision not to make this a list of USC upset losses -- other than the biggest one of those.

10. Oregon 56, Arizona State 55 (2 OT), 2000: Many of you are drawing a blank, but the ones who saw this one are jumping out of their chairs and going, "Oh man. That one was nuts." Both teams scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. The teams combined for 1,228 yards, 663 of those for the Sun Devils. Ducks quarterback Joey Harrington threw six -- SIX! -- touchdown passes, including three in the fourth quarter, the last of which tied the score with 27 seconds left after the Sun Devils gave away a critical fumble. Arizona State freshman QB Jeff Krohn threw five TD passes, by the way. ASU lost the game when coach Bruce Snyder decided to fake the extra point and go for the two-point conversion in the second overtime. It failed, leaving fans in Tempe stunned.

9. Washington State 30, USC 27 (OT), 2002: Any of you Cougars fans able to muster the memory of kicker Drew Dunning's slide on his knees at Martin Stadium? Dunning sent the game into overtime with a 35-yard field goal and then made the game-winner from the same distance in a victory that was critical to the Cougars' run to the Rose Bowl. The game featured a brilliant quarterback duel between Carson Palmer and Jason Gesser -- Gesser passed for 315 yards, Palmer for 381 -- and a dominant performance from Cougars defensive tackle Rien Long, who went on to win the Outland Trophy. Between this game and the 2006 Rose Bowl, USC lost just once.

8. Oregon 44, Arizona 41 (2 OT), 2009: If Arizona had won this game, we now know the Wildcats would have played in their first Rose Bowl. The Wildcats led 24-14 early in the fourth quarter, but then the game went crazy. With red-clad Arizona fans encircling the field, Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli tied the game in regulation with six seconds left with a touchdown pass to Ed Dickson. Masoli then won it in the second overtime with a 1-yard run. Masoli ran for three TDs and passed for three more.

7. Stanford 24, USC 23, 2007: Greatest upset in Pac-10 history? Maybe. Stanford was a 41-point underdog playing its backup quarterback at No. 2 USC, which had won 35 in a row at home. But Trojans quarterback John David Booty, who foolishly played -- and was allowed to play -- with an injured throwing hand, threw four interceptions, while Stanford's Tavita Pritchard led a clutch, game-winning drive, throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mark Bradford on fourth-and-goal with 49 seconds remaining.

6. Oregon 37, Oregon State 33, 2009: It was the Civil War for the Roses, with the Ducks earning a berth in the Rose Bowl after slipping a game crew of Beavers. While the return of Ducks running back LeGarrette Blount was significant -- he scored a critical touchdown -- the game belonged to redshirt freshman running back LaMichael James, who scored three touchdowns and rushed for 166 yards, and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who ran over Beavers safety Lance Mitchell to convert a fourth-and-3 play from the Beavers' 33 with 3:41 left as Oregon ran out the final six minutes with its final drive.

5. California 31, Oregon 24, 2007: Sixth-ranked California, featuring a stellar performance from receiver DeSean Jackson, outlasted No. 11 Oregon in a game between two teams that each would at one point rise to No. 2 during the season, though both ultimately crumbled. The game turned on a strange play as the Ducks were on the cusp of tying the score. With 22 seconds to go, Dennis Dixon found Cameron Colvin near the goal line, but Colvin fumbled trying to reach the ball into the end zone when he was hit by Marcus Ezeff. The loose ball went through the end zone and was ruled a touchback and possession for Cal.

4. Washington 33, Oregon State 30, 2000: It was the greatest game no one saw because of the late, West Coast kickoff at Husky Stadium. And at the time its magnitude wasn't clear. The critical play of the back-and-forth affair happened when Washington defensive tackle Larry Tripplett caught Ken Simonton for a three-yard loss on second-and-1 from the Huskies 26-yard line with 42 seconds left. The Beavers panicked and mistakenly spiked the ball -- they had a time out left -- and then Ryan Cesca missed a 46-yard field goal to tie. It was the Beavers only loss of the season; they crushed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. They would have played Oklahoma for the national title if they had prevailed. And the win helped the Huskies win the Rose Bowl tiebreaker.

3. USC 23, California 17, 2004: No. 7 California had a first-and-goal on top-ranked USC's 9-yard line with under two minutes left. At that point, Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers had completed 29 of 31 for 267 yards and a touchdown. But the Bears couldn't punch it in, with USC registering a sack and forcing three incompletions. It was the closest call of the season for the best team of the USC dynasty.

2. USC 34, Notre Dame 31, 2005: The infamous "Bush Push" game. No. 9 Notre Dame was about to knock off top-ranked rival USC and make Irish coach Charlie Weis a national sensation, but Matt Leinart led a drive for the ages in the waning moments as the Trojans prevailed, scoring the winning points when Leinart got a little extra help from Bush on his second effort on a quarterback sneak.

1. Texas 41, USC 38, 2006 Rose Bowl: Perhaps the great game in college football history, particularly considering that the stakes were a national title for two unbeaten teams and the field was packed with talent and future high draft choices. Vince Young almost single-handedly willed his team to the victory -- he ran for 200 yards and passed for 267 more -- and denied the Trojans a third consecutive national title. USC walked away with a laundry list of "what ifs," but the ultimate result was a 34-game winning streak coming to an end.

ESPN Rise put together an All-Decade team that it described like this: "Based on high school accomplishment and including performances in college and the NFL."

You can see the offensive and defensive squads here, along with the second- and third-teams.

The Pac-10 players who made the first-team are:

Offense

OL Jeff Byers, USC

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, UCLA

ATH Reggie Bush, USC

ATH DeSean Jackson, California

Defense

DL Haloti Ngata, Oregon

LB Brian Cushing, USC

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Getting five players drafted last spring sort of hurt the image of Mark Banker's defense at Oregon State.

These Beavers aren't scrappy overachievers any longer. They're getting paid.

Fact is, Banker's defense has been one of the most consistently good units in the Pac-10 since he became coordinator in 2003.

	Randy Litzinger/Icon SMI
	Oregon State defensive coordinator Mark Banker's unit returns just three starters.

The attacking style of his "gap cancellation" scheme also is a lot of fun to watch.

But the Beavers welcome back just three starters and have to replace their entire secondary.

Of course, as Oregon State fans are quick to note, last year the Beavers also welcomed back just three starters, and none from their front-seven.

Still, the last time the Beavers defense struggled was 2005 when a pair of freshmen corners got eaten alive.

Those culprits, Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes, by the way, were two of those five drafted players.

So, just as camp gets started, we figured we'd check in and see what's up with Banker and his crew of "Gap Cancellers."

I'm sure I'm going to refer to your "gap cancellation scheme" about 50 times this season. Please, explain the basics of your defense?

Mark Banker: Most defenses are either contain defenses or they are spill defenses. We are a spill defense, meaning what we would prefer to do take away the middle the field -- both in the pass game and run game -- and we want teams to work outside on the perimeter. One reasons is we are able to use our speed to run things down as the opponent runs out of room to the outside. A lot of that starts up front. We teach our defensive line an attacking style of play. We're getting vertical off the ball and the most important thing they can do is look at the inside portion of their gap -- usually referred to a hip -- and if that hip disappears inside, they close to it to make sure there's no daylight inside so the ball bounces to the outside.  It allows our linebackers to be, rather than just downhill inside, where they give away 100 pounds per man, it gives our guys a chance to go where that thing gets spilled. We create basically an alley by our secondary showing up and leveraging the ball and the linebackers are able to run through that alley to make the play.

You guys put a lot of pressure on you cornerbacks to be able to cover man-on-man: How is that going to work with a pair of new starters?

MB: Athletically we like how the (less experienced) players in our secondary have developed. (Senior cornerback) Tim Clark has played in game situations since as early as his sophomore year. In fact, during Timmy's sophomore year, (former starting cornerback) Keenan Lewis got hurt and he had to come in against Cal, and they had a guy named DeSean Jackson. I think (Jackson) had seven yards on the day [actually one reception for eight yards]. One big expectations is Timmy can become an every-down type of player and we only have to deal with the other side when it comes to starting. But you know James Dockery, who we lost last year (to injury) and we got back for the spring, continues to grow. He's very much a competitor. Brandon Hardin is another -- a big kid who has good size and strength and has every capability to be that guy as well. His big thing, just like any of the corners, is an understanding of how to play specific techniques by down-and-distance and field position. That has eluded him at times. But has shown great promise. Those are two guys who came to mind. Patrick Henderson is a senior and sort of a journeyman. He saw some time last year in some bit roles. Unlike 2005, this season we have some players, with some depth who might lack the game experience but at least they've been in the program and know what is expected. 

You lost eight guys from last year's unit: Who's going to be the toughest to replace?

MB: That's a loaded question because out of the seven players who were drafted, (five) were starters on defense. The corners were valuable because of their experience. A guy like (safety) Al Afalava, his heart and soul and leadership ability, that's hard to replace. The two ends, Slade (Norris) and Victor (Butler). Each one of them, in their own right, were special. It was a tough group that played well together. We're not replacing chopped liver. The guys who are stepping in got a lot to live up to. The immediate concern is in the secondary, no doubt in my mind. Because you can play good for 75 plays, but if the game is 76 plays long, all it takes is one shot down the field, and things get evened up. We've got to be smart in the way we play in the secondary and rely on the front to create pressure in the passing game. I think there are guys stepping into different spots -- we've got four ends and possibly a fifth that we feel really good about.

Who are your best pass rushers going to be?

MB: The two who come to mind are (end) Ben Terry, who will be a starter. I think he will be able to rush the passer with great effectiveness. Another guy, who right now is not a starter and was a tight end at this time last year, is Gabe Miller. I think he's going to be a good pass rusher. And then a guy coming off the bench in third down situations, Taylor Henry, a redshirt freshman this year, has got that ability. At the same time, (end) Kevin Frahm, who will be a starter for us, has changed his body a lot. He is very much like (former end) Jeff Van Orsow from the standpoint of his intellect and his work ethic. He's probably a step faster than Jeff and Jeff was old reliable. And we've got an X-factor in this guy, Matt LaGrone, a transfer from (Nevada), who was a basketball player and has been with us who had to sit out. He's 6-foot-6 and he's got some stuff to him. But those three guys I mentioned -- Ben Terry, Gabe Miller and Taylor Henry -- from a standpoint of being edge rushers, those three guys would probably be the ones to watch. 

It seemed like tackle Stephen Paea, even when he was banged up, really asserted himself at the end of last season. How good can he be?

MB: You know he hasn't really played a lot of football [Paea starting playing football as a high school senior], so he's still learning the game, which is kind of scary. He is so explosive off his first two steps and then he's just so physically strong. And he's fast. I think his upside, as long as he stays healthy, is way out there because he's still learning the game itself and the intricacies to it. But he sure is a powerful, powerful guy who is very, very dominant. I think he is among the elite defensive tackles in this conference, no doubt about it.

Linebacker Keaton Kristick looks like a regular, if slightly larger, college student: Why is he so productive?

MB: He's a typical linebacker that we try to have in this defense. He was a tailback in high school, so he was his high school's best athlete. His background helps him out from a standpoint of his football intellect. He's extremely competitive. He has that desire to succeed. Football means a lot to him. And [linebackers coach] Greg Newhouse does
a tremendous job communicating to him. He has his attention and Keaton loves it. He listens and sucks up all the information like a sponge. He takes action upon his goals and things he wants to accomplish.

You've built a strong defensive foundation at Oregon State. Does your eye ever wander? Do you see yourself somewhere else in the future?

MB: Absolutely. In this business it's important to progress. I have aspirations within the profession, but one drive I have that is stronger than anything is quality of life. The next job I take has to be something that is, No. 1, that is better than the one I have. And, as you said, we've got some things established here. This is going on my 13th or 14th season coaching with (Mike Riley). I enjoy the atmosphere he sets. I enjoy the people I am around, day-in and day-out. I truly appreciate that my family is involved in the program. Money is important. Some day being able to have my own program is important. But some of those other things I just mentioned are equally, if not more important, to me. Life is too short and I've seen too many people who don't enjoy life. This is a great place to be coaching football.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Then one fine mornin' she puts on a New York station. You know her life was saved by Rock 'n' Roll.

• Arizona gets started Thursday, so the new players are already on campus. 
• Arizona State also gets started Thursday, and here are the details.
• It's not just about quarterback at California; the receivers also need to be more consistent. Jahvid Best is a better candidate for the Heisman than DeSean Jackson and Marshawn Lynch were, but that doesn't mean he's going to win.
• A lot hangs on how well Oregon's offensive line comes together, but there are plenty of reasons for hope.
• This guy is fast, but will he help Oregon State at cornerback this season? The issue at running back is depth.
• Stanford needs to get better on defense to make the next step as a program.
• Hope for dramatic improvement on UCLA's offensive line starts at center. But this might be the No. 1 question. Another Neuheisel at quarterback.
• What's the No. 1 question at USC? Kristofer O'Dowd may be the best center in college football, but he's more than that off the field.
• Previewing Washington's receivers and tight ends, which are probably better than you think. The paydirt at Husky Stadium will be gold.
• This game should be considered one of the Pac-10's best this decade, at least among Washington State fans.
• Five questions for the Pac-10.
• Rating special teams in the Pac-10.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

A lot went well for California in its 38-31 win over Michigan State.

The defense held the Spartans to just 81 yards rushing, while two Bears, Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen, eclipsed 100 yards on the ground.

QB Kevin Riley completed 71 percent of his passes with two TDs and no interceptions.

And he found a go-to pass catcher.

The only problem: That receiver is a tight end -- Cameron Morrah -- who hauled in five passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Morrah, Best and Vereen, in fact, caught 14 of the Bears' 20 completions. The green receiving corps only corralled five, four going to sixth-year senior Sean Young.

Meanwhile, the touted youngsters -- Michael Calvin, Nyan Boateng and Jeremy Ross -- were shut out (Calvin saw scant action because of a toe injury). Boateng, a transfer from Florida, had a couple of drops.

"Obviously, we had three great receivers leave [DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan]," said LeReylle Cunningham, whose single reception for six yards led the other wideouts. "Playing behind them, we didn't get a lot of playing time."

Of problems to have, this is hardly one to inspire wide-spread consternation after a nice win. Coach Jeff Tedford said he has no worries about his receivers.

"By no means are we not throwing the ball to our receivers because we're afraid of their inexperience," he said during his news conference Tuesday.

The WRs should improve as they get more comfortable and confident. And Vereen and Best both can operate as multi-purpose threats who line up wide as well as in the backfield.

And if the running game keeps punching up 203 yards, who needs to throw?

"I'd give those guys as many carries as possible and hopefully they can do their thing with the line doing their job as well," Riley said.

Still, at some point the Bears are going to want to -- or need to -- air it out. It's a good bet that defenses are going to pay more attention to Morrah, starting Saturday at Washington State.

"I know they are going to key on me," Morrah said.

That means at least one of the new wideouts is going to need to step up.