ESPN College Football

ARIZONA

2009 overall record: 8-5

2009 conference record: 6-3 (tied for second)

Returning starters

Offense: 9, Defense: 4, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners: QB Nick Foles, WR Juron Criner, RB Nic Grigsby, C Colin Baxter, CB Trevin Wade, DE Brooks Reed, DE Ricky Elmore

Key losses: WR Terrell Turner, OT Mike Diaz, DT Earl Mitchell, LB Xavier Kelly, FS Cam Nelson, CB Devin Ross

2009 statistical leaders (*returning starter)

Rushing: Keola Antolin* (643)

Passing: Nick Foles* (2,466)

Receiving: Juron Criner* (582)

Tackles: Devin Ross (81)

Sacks: Ricky Elmore* (11.5)

Interceptions: Trevin Wade* (5)

Spring Answers

1. So far so good with four coordinators: It was only a first run through spring practices but the Wildcats new arrangement with both offensive and defensive co-coordinators seemed to work well throughout spring practices. For one, it appears they've got a plan for the press box and play calling. Further, it helps that coach Mike Stoops is familiar with sharing a coordinator job (he shared the defensive job at Kansas State). It also probably helps that all four guys seem to like each other.

2. There's a lot of skill here: Start with quarterback Nick Foles. Then there's Juron Criner, who is as physically talented as any receiver in the Pac-10. Then there's Bug Wright, David Douglas, Delashaun Dean, Travis Cobb and Gino Crump. And Nic Grigsby, Keola Antolin and Taimi Tutogi in the backfield. Lots of guys who can do things with the ball in their hands.

3. The ends are the beginning: Ends Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed are a good start for a rebuilding defense that lost seven starters. If a defense can pressure the quarterback -- and Elmore and Reed can -- that makes things easier everywhere else.

Fall questions

1. How will Matt Scott be used: While Scott lost the starting quarterback job to Foles early last season, the coaches still think he's capable of helping the offense, particularly with his speed. Scott also looked like a more confident and refined passer this spring -- guidance from new QB coach Frank Scelfo helped -- so he figures to have a few personal packages inserted into the game plan. And if Foles falters or gets hurt, Scott is a nice plan B.

2. How quickly will the new LBs pick things up? It's not easy to replace seven starters, but it seems particularly burdensome to have voids at all three all LB spots. Things are even more difficult when you're counting on a pair of JC transfers -- Derek Earls in the middle and Paul Vassallo on the weak side -- to immediately step into the starting lineup. The Wildcats will be fine in the secondary -- watch out for incoming freshman Marquis Flowers to get into the mix -- because that's Stoops' specialty. And there's some intriguing talent at defensive tackle, including redshirt freshman Sione Tuihalamaka. But the linebacker question wasn't answered this spring.

3. Paging Nic Grigsby: Grigsby can be a dynamic player with the ball. He's got home run speed and 2,424 career rushing yards. He averages 5.3 yards per carry. He's a good receiver out of the backfield. But he needs to find a way to stay healthy, which he didn't this spring or much of last year. With capable players like Antolin, Tutogi, Greg Nwoko and Daniel Jenkins eager for touches, at some point coaches might just sit Grigsby and go with guys who can stay on the field.

There is only one thing for it then -- to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.

• Some former Arizona players sign free agent contracts, including cornerback Devin Ross.
• Ten players who stood out for Arizona State this spring.
• California quarterback Kevin Riley has found his equilibrium this spring.
• Oregon coach Chip Kelly is trying to take care of himself. Oregon's returning starters at linebacker better watch out for this guy -- he wants a job. Some interesting stuff in this practice report.
• Oregon State defensive coordinator Mark Banker wants an FBI presence at practice. A practice report from Day 13.
• Some old Jim Harbaugh video, including a spot he did for ESPN's SportsCenter.
• Looking at how the UCLA quarterbacks performed this spring. For starter Kevin Prince, the spring game was frustrating.
• Where are the surprises this spring for USC? Some impressions of Trojans draft picks.
• Washington is getting ready for "Friday Night Lights." This Jake Locker guy may turn out OK.
• Washington State football: Excitement and concerns.
• Breaking down Pac-10 NFL draft picks over the past five years.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Will have a lot more from Arizona spring practices, but here are some notes and depth chart updates after a round of interviews.

• Coach Mike Stoops said he still hasn't decided who will call plays on offense and defense. He said that he'll make that decision after evaluating his options during spring practices. Stoops lost both coordinators this offseason -- Sonny Dykes on offense and Mark Stoops on defense -- and replaced them with co-coordinators, Bill Bedenbaugh and Seth Littrell on offense and Greg Brown and Tim Kish on defense. Only Brown, who came from Colorado, wasn't already on staff.
• Three key players will sit out this spring. Starting guard Vaughn Dotsy had back surgery on Wednesday. Running back Greg Nwoko is still recovering from a shoulder injury. Projected starting defensive tackle Dominique Austin is out with a toe injury.
• While Nick Foles is the No. 1 quarterback, coaches are emphasizing that backup Matt Scott will play a role this year. And if he outplays Foles this spring, the QB competition will be on again in the preseason.
• The Wildcats are replacing all three starting linebackers from 2009. Junior college transfers Paul Vassallo and Derek Earls are listed as the first-team "Will" and "Mike" linebackers, respectively. Jake Fischer is No. 1 at "Sam."
• Joe Perkins steps in for Cam Nelson at free safety, while Marcus Benjamin replaces Devin Ross at cornerback opposite Trevin Wade.
• With Austin out, JC transfer Jonathan Hollins steps in at defensive tackle besides nose tackle Lolomana Mikaele.
• Richard Morrison has moved from quarterback to receiver.
• With offensive lineman Adam Grant getting a sixth year of eligibility, he slides in at left tackle with Phillip Garcia opposite him on the right side. Colin Baxter is the center and Conan Amituanai is the left guard. With Dotsy out, Jovon Hayes, Chris Putton and Trace Biskin will get looks.

Happy Friday.

To the notes.

Donald from Eugene writes: If the PAC10 actually does expand to 12 teams, the conventional wisdom is they would create North and South divisions. However, that would leave NW schools with the distinct possibility of not traveling to Southern California for two straight seasons thus killing recruiting (see Big12 North.) Wouldn't it make more sense to try the "AFC/NFC" split and put for instance UW, UO, Stan, UCLA, UA and CU in one division and the other six in the other? The teams would still play their traditional rival, it just would be out of division. That way every team will be assured of traveling to the Bay Area and SoCal on a regular basis.

Ted Miller: Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner.

I've been a bit surprised by how so many people have pooh-poohed the idea of Pac-10 expansion -- read: Colorado and Utah -- simply because of the supposedly calamitous results of a North-South split.

How will the Northwest schools survive without an annual visit to recruiting hotbeds in California [insert sob]!

As Donald notes: Fine, then forget the whole North-South thing and let's go with much more felicitously named "Ted" and "Donald" divisions.

My division is USC, Stanford, Washington State, Arizona State, Utah and Oregon State.

Donald's division is UCLA, California, Washington, Arizona, Colorado and Oregon.

(Please, that was random. Don't read anything into which teams I selected).

Each Pac-12 team plays five divisional games as well as its traditional rival in the other division annually (we announce the first annual hate-fest between Utah vs. Colorado!). Each team then rotates two games among the other five teams in the other division.

Note how the Oregon-Washington rivalry gets preserved! And how we kept Jim Harbaugh and Lane Kiffin in the same division, which I am certain will be great fun.

That's eight conference games, which means teams then can load up on patsies for their four-game nonconference schedule -- if they wish -- which would mean more bowl-eligible teams and more seasons with two BCS bowl teams.

Sure, some conference hits and misses will provide an advantage. But that's how it is in every conference that doesn't play a round-robin schedule.

In a few years, media pundits would go, "Sheesh! The Pac-12 has 10 bowl-eligible teams! What a conference!"

What about losing the convenience -- and cost-effectiveness -- of regional travel provided by North-South divisions? Well, travel would remain mostly like it is now. So big deal.

By the way, though Donald and I are clearly brilliant, this has been done before. There's an obscure constellation in the college football universe know as the "Atlantic Coast Conference," which is broken up into the the "Heather" and "Dinich" divisions. Or they might be the "Atlantic" and "Coastal" divisions, I forget.

And, by the way, as a son of the South, I can tell you that there ain't no coast near Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke or Virginia.

Kevin from Phoenix writes: I have to take issue with the Spring Rankings. Arizona replaces 12 starters? I'd be curious to know what math you used to get 12 out of nine.

Ted Miller: OK.

Arizona's departing 2009 starters, per its depth chart.

Offense (5): WR Terrell Turner, OT Mike Diaz, OG Herman Hall, OT Adam Grant, HB Chris Gronkowski.

Defense (7): DT Earl Mitchell, NT Donald Horton, LB Sterling Lewis, LB Vuna Tuihalamaka, LB Xavier Kelly, FS Cam Nelson, CB Devin Ross.

The list doesn't including TE Rob Gronkowski because he sat out the entire season.

Kenny from Florence, Ariz., writes: I don't understand your logic in your spring power rankings. Putting USC, Oregon State, Cal, UW, & Stanford all above Arizona. Is it because of the Holiday Bowl performance? Ok well let's remember what happened during the Pac-10 conference season: Arizona beat USC in LA, Oregon St. in Corvallis, Stanford in Tucson.

Ted Miller: The Holiday Bowl performance was fairly yucky. But that's not why I rated Arizona seventh.

As you will note from above, the Wildcats lose three starting offensive linemen, three linebackers, both defensive tackles and two very good defensive backs.

And most of those guys weren't just starters -- they were mainstays (five second-team All-Pac-10 guys, including four on defense).

That's a lot to replace, particularly with two new coordinators. And keep in mind that the Wildcats will be using two pair of co-coordinators in 2010 after using just one guy in each role last year.

There may be a period of adjustment there.

It's perfectly reasonable to believe the Wildcats will plug-and-play and away they will go. But I will put them at No. 7 -- in a very deep Pac-10 -- until I see what those plugs might look like.

And I will be in Tucson during spring practices, so perhaps I will be impressed. I typically am when I watch a Mike Stoops team practice.

Kai from Castro Valley, Calif., writes: If someone were to go back in time and tell the 2000 Ted Miller how much teams have changed (i.e. number of bowl appearances in 2000-2009 compared to 1990-1999), which team do you think you wouldn't believe changed this much? In other words which team had the most phenomenal change good or bad from the start to the end of the decade? (Personally it's WSU for me).

Ted Miller: If the 2000 me met the 2010 me he tell me to get to the gym and lay off the beef and bourbon.

There are so many surprises in the decade.

The biggest surprise would be Washington, the 11-1, 2000 Pac-10 champion, winning 12 games from 2004-2008.

The second biggest surprise would have the rise of USC under Pete Carroll -- "USC hired Pete Carroll?" the 2000 me would ask. "That surely was a colossal failure!"

The third biggest surprise would have been the rise of Washington State: 30 wins, three consecutive top-10 rankings from 2001-2003. And Mike Price leaving the Cougars for Alabama. And how that turned out.

The fourth biggest surprise would be Oregon State's sustained success. I mostly thought that 2000 was a brilliant flash of football serendipity. It wasn't.

Gordie from Pasadena, Calif., writes: Let's say the Pac-10 picks up Utah and Colorado, and the Big Ten picks up Missouri. So does that mean the Big 12 becomes the Big 10 and the Big Ten becomes the Big Twelve (since it already has eleven teams)?

Ted Miller: Ha! Nice.

Gary from Portland writes: Recruiting revealed, the layers peeled back like an onion.

Ted Miller: Hit that link: You will be amused.

Ethan from San Francisco writes: You win... I have no idea where your Thursday quote [above the "Pac-10 lunch links"] came from.

Ted Miller: Glad you asked because it comes from one of my all-time favorite novels: Don DeLillo's "Underworld."

It's a dense, 800-plus-page read, so it won't be everyone's favorite brew, but the first 60 pages are set around Bobby Thomson's home run -- "The shot heard round the world" -- to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers and win the New York Giants the 1951 National League Pennant.

Go to a bookstore and read those 60 pages. It's some of the best writing you will ever read.

Some of you may recall we ranked the top-30 players in the Pac-10 during the 2009 offseason.

There were some hits and misses.

With national signing day just around the corner, it shortly will be time to put the 2009 season to bed and start looking ahead.

But first we're going to re-rank the top-30 based on what actually happened this fall.

For reference, here is the preseason list. Feel free to critique.

1. Taylor Mays, S, USC
2. Jahvid Best, RB, California
3. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona
4. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State
5. Kristofer O’Dowd, C, USC
6. Brian Price, DT, UCLA
7. Damian Williams, WR, USC
8. Syd’Quan Thompson, CB, California
9. Jeremiah Masoli, QB, Oregon
10. Walter Thurmond, CB, Oregon
11. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
12. Joe McKnight, RB, USC
13. Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona State
14. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon
15. Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA
16. Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon
17. Charles Brown, OT, USC
18. Will Tukuafu, DE, Oregon
19. Josh Pinkard, DB, USC
20. Reggie Carter, LB, UCLA
21. Stafon Johnson, RB, USC
22. James Rodgers, WR, Oregon State
23. Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, DE, Washington
24. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State; Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
25. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
26. Tyson Alualu, DE, California
27. Devin Ross, CB, Arizona
28. Keaton Kristick, LB, Oregon State
29. Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona
30. Everson Griffen, DE, USC

What we can tell you in advance of our post-season list is there are plenty of new names, considering six players were knocked off the list for missing all -- or at least significant portions -- of the year with injuries (or in one high-profile case a suspension):

3. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona
5. Kristofer O’Dowd, C, USC
10. Walter Thurmond, CB, Oregon
14. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon
21. Stafon Johnson, RB, USC
29. Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona

Nos. 30, 29 and 28 will be posted this afternoon.

Here's a list of the Pac-10 players invited to the NFL combine, courtesy of The Sporting News.

First of all, it's incomplete. Underclassmen will be added later, such as USC receiver Damian Williams and UCLA DT Brian Price. And a number of seniors also will get invitations.

My immediate guess is that Washington linebacker Donald Butler and Oregon defensive end Will Tukuafu will end up receiving invitations, among others.

Arizona: DT Earl Mitchell, CB Devin Ross

Arizona State: DE Dexter Davis, LB Travis Goethel, OT Shawn Lauvao, WR Chris McGaha, WR Kyle Williams

California: DE Tyson Alualu, WR Nyan Boateng, CB Syd'Quan Thompson, WR Verran Tucker.

Oregon: RB LeGarrette Blount, TE Ed Dickson, CB Walter Thurmond, S T.J. Ward.

Oregon State: QB Sean Canfield, OLB Keaton Kristick.

Stanford: TE Jim Dray, RB Toby Gerhart, OT Matt Kopa, DE Erik Lorig.

UCLA: OLB Kyle Bosworth, CB Alterraun Verner.

USC: OT Charles Brown, C Jeff Byers, RB Stafon Johnson, S Taylor Mays, TE Anthony McCoy, G Alex Parsons, CB Josh Pinkard, CB Kevin Thomas.

Washington: DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim.

Unless a guy plays for Central Michigan, Troy, Alabama or Texas, the 2009 football season is over. For a handful of players, their sights now turn to the NFL, and the next step for many of them is postseason All-Star games.

While there are a number of all-star games, the Senior Bowl is the premier game -- its roster is almost entirely directed by the NFL -- and the East-West Shrine Game is a clear No. 2.

Here's a list -- count on there being some additions in the coming days -- of the invitees.

Arizona

East-West Shrine Game
DT Earl Mitchell
CB Devin Ross

Arizona State

East-West Shrine Game
OL Shawn Lauvao
WR Chris McGaha
DE Dexter Davis

California

Senior Bowl
DE Tyson Alualu
CB Syd'Quan Thompson

East-West Shrine Game
OL Mike Tepper
CB Syd'Quan Thompson
WR Verran Tucker

Oregon

Senior Bowl
TE Ed Dickson

East-West Shrine Game
S T.J. Ward

Oregon State

Senior Bowl
QB Sean Canfield

East-West Shrine Game
LB Keaton Kristick

Stanford

Senior Bowl
RB Toby Gerhart

East-West Shrine Game
DE Erik Lorig
DL Ekom Udofia
OL Chris Marinelli

UCLA

East-West Shrine Game
LB Reggie Carter
TE Ryan Moya
CB Alterraun Verner

USC

Senior Bowl
TE Anthony McCoy
RB Stafon Johnson
S Taylor Mays
OL Charles Brown

East-West Shrine Game
DB Josh Pinkard

Washington

Senior Bowl
LB Donald Butler

East-West Shrine Game
DL Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

Washington State

East-West Shrine Game
C Kenny Alfred

Wow. That was a complete butt-kicking.

Nebraska simply outclassed Arizona in a 33-0 victory in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, a game in which the Wildcats never even produced a whimper of life.

The Pac-10 falls to 2-3 in the bowl season, and one has to start wondering if all that "best conference" talk was just a bit loopy.

How the game was won: Nebraska showed up and punched Arizona in the mouth on both sides of the ball. Over and over and over and over. And over again. It's not an exaggeration to say that Arizona didn't have a single positive moment in the entire football game.

Turning point: This is a stretch because the real turning point was the opening kickoff. But Nebraska, leading 17-0 in the second quarter, had a third-and-8 on the Arizona 33-yard line. Cornhuskers backup quarterback Cody Green threw to his left sideline -- and directly to Arizona cornerback Devin Ross. If Ross had caught the ball, it's likely he would have scored a touchdown. He didn't. Nebraska subsequently kicked a 50-yard field goal and took a 20-0 lead. Like we said, it's a bit of a stretch.

Stat of the game: Six and 109. The first number is how many first downs Arizona collected on the night. The second is the Wildcats' total yardage. Just terrible.

Player of the game: Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee. Lee is the reason the Pac-10 blog -- darrrrhhhhh -- picked Arizona to win this game. (Yes, feel free to comment on that below). The feeling was that Arizona had a huge advantage at the position. But Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles chose the bowl game to post his worst performance of the year, while Lee completed 13 of 23 passes for 173 yards with a TD and no interceptions.

What it means: This was a massive humiliation for Arizona and coach Mike Stoops, suffered at the hands of hometown buddy Bo Pelini. Was the bowl result bad enough to erase all the positives from the 2009 season? Maybe not, but it may not feel that way for a few days around the program. Something went wrong for the Wildcats in their preparation. Perhaps Nebraska was just that much better, but it didn't look that way going in. You have to wonder if something was amiss within the team. Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops' impending departure for Florida State? Offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes' potential candidacy at Texas Tech? Or maybe it was something with the players. Stoops' next task is figuring out a way to make sure this defeat doesn't linger within his program.

Arizona took another step forward under coach Mike Stoops in 2009.

Last year, the Wildcats earned their first bowl berth since 1998. This year, the Wildcats, picked eighth in the preseason media poll, tied for second in the Pac-10, despite breaking in a new quarterback, and earned a berth in the Holiday Bowl.

They also beat rival Arizona State for a second-consecutive year and ended a seven-game losing streak to USC.

The key moment was the decision to change quarterbacks from Matt Scott to Nick Foles after the offense looked terrible at Iowa on Sept. 19. Foles almost immediately established himself as a budding star, and his precise passing and quick release were critical when running back Nic Grigsby suffered a shoulder injury that killed most of his season.

Offensive MVP -- Quarterback Nick Foles.

Foles, a sophomore, didn't make his first start until the season's fourth game but he made up for lost time, completing 66 percent of his passes and throwing for 2,420 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Defensive MVP -- Defensive end Ricky Elmore.

Yes, Arizona fans, it stinks that Elmore didn't earn All-Pac-10 honors. He would have been second-team for the Pac-10 blog if the Pac-10 blog had a second-team. Elmore basically came out of nowhere to lead the Wildcats -- and the Pac-10 -- with 10.5 sacks, and he was particularly important because Brooks Reed battled a sprained ankle much of the season.

Turning point -- The obvious turning point is the decision to go with Foles over Scott, who started the first three games. But, really, the the story of the Wildcats season was perseverance. Multiple times they suffered dispiriting losses -- at Iowa, at Washington, at California and in double-overtime against Oregon -- but in each case they bounced back and didn't suffer a hangover. That is the sign of a maturing program, which in itself is a turning point.

What's next -- The Wildcats figure to be in the thick of the Pac-10 race next year, particularly if tight end Rob Gronkowski opts to return after missing the entire 2009 campaign with a back problem. The defense will take a few significant hits -- safety Cam Nelson, cornerback Devin Ross, tackle Earl Mitchell and all three linebackers -- but that shouldn't be insurmountable, particularly with Reed and Elmore back. Of course, the biggest hit might be defensive coordinator Mark Stoops getting hired away.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

How all occasions do inform against me,
And spur my dull revenge! What is a man,
If his chief good and market of his time
Be but to sleep and feed?

• Unlike Hamlet, Arizona cornerback Devin Ross got his revenge without dilly-dallying.
• Jeff Metcalfe and Dennis Erickson agree: It's way too early -- and unfair -- to blame senior quarterback Danny Sullivan for Arizona State's offensive woes. The Oregon State game is big, and the O-line is banged up.
• With USC coming to town, California needs to move on -- quickly -- from the Oregon game. Still, the Trojans-Bears matchup is deflated.
• Anyone notice that not that many people are still doubting whether Chip Kelly can handle the Oregon job?
• Oregon State needs to heal itself at Arizona State.
• Stanford-UCLA, not Cal-USC, is the Bay Area game of the week.
• UCLA is undefeated but still doubted. It should be a physical game in the trenches.
• USC is banged up in lots of places, including the secondary, but Matt Barkley is feeling better.
• What went wrong for Washington vs. Stanford? Some specific problems described here.
• More on Washington State's QB change. First look at the matchup with Oregon.
• Ken Goe is also slapping his forehead over the dubious voting in the coaches and Harris polls, which determine the BCS standings.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon senior tight end Ed Dickson, Arizona senior cornerback Devin Ross and Stanford sophomore kick returner Chris Owusu are the Pac-10 Players of the Week.

Dickson caught a career-high 11 receptions for 148 yards and three touchdowns, which covered 26, 9 and 36 yards in Oregon’s 42-3 win over sixth-ranked California. He also was named National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

Ross had a game-high 12 tackles -- seven solo -- and picked off a pass in the waning moments to seal the Wildcats’ 37-32 win at Oregon State.

Owusu returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown in Stanford’s 34-14 win against Washington. It marked the second week in a row Owusu returned the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown. In just four games, Owusu has returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, which ties the Pac-10 single season record (Anthony Davis, USC, 1974, and Matthew Slater, UCLA, 2007). Owusu leads the nation in kickoff returns with a flashy 59.2-yard average.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were quarterback Nick Foles of Arizona, wide receiver Damian Williams of USC and running backs Toby Gerhart of Stanford and Dimitri Nance of Arizona State. Also nominated on defense were linebackers Clinton Snyder of Stanford and Michael Morgan of USC, safety Jarrell Holman of Arizona State and end Kenny Rowe of Oregon. Also nominated for special teams play were punters Keenyn Crier of Arizona and Jacob Harfman of USC and kicker Morgan Flint of Oregon.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Here were my preseason All-Pac-10 picks at linebacker.

• Keaton Kristick, Oregon State
• Reggie Carter, UCLA
• Mike Nixon, Arizona State

I felt that was a solid list, though some California fans groused about Mike Mohamed's absence. And all three have played well thus far.

Based on what I've seen after three games, it will be much harder to make a first-team list when the season ends.

For one, Washington's Donald Butler would be first-team if I made the list today. His performance against USC earned him Pac-10 and national player of the week honors, and was one of the best I've seen from an inside linebacker.

Moreover, an argument could be made for Mohamed (two interceptions, four tackles for a loss), USC's Chris Galippo (an interception, a forced fumble, four tackles for a loss), California's Mychal Kendricks (10.3 tackles per game, tied for No. 1 in the Pac-10 with Oregon's Casey Matthews) and UCLA's Akeem Ayers (two sacks).

In the preseason, it seemed most difficult to pick the two cornerbacks among UCLA's Alterraun Verner, Cal's Syd'Quan Thompson, Oregon's Walter Thurmond and Arizona's Devin Ross (not to mention USC's Josh Pinkard now plays the position). But linebacker may end up being just as difficult.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Years ago, a child in a tree with a small caliber rifle bushwhacked a piano through the open summer windows of a neighbor's living room. The child's name was Nicholas Payne.

• Devin Ross, Arizona's All-Pac-10 cornerback, doesn't have pleasant memories from last year's game with Oregon State. A redshirt is coming off Arizona's touted true freshman safety Adam Hall.
• The visit to Georgia provides Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan an opportunity to prove himself.
• California's Jahvid Best gets ready for the big stage at Autzen Stadium. Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory has been solid vs. the spread.
• It appears Oregon won't have safety T.J. Ward this weekend against Cal. Other news and notes. Will Oregon don throwback uniforms? An interesting piece on QB coaching.
• Oregon State found a tight end hidden in the woods. Some Beavers video and notes.
• Stanford is playing a big home game and maybe Cardinal fans will notice. Here's some amusing video of Toby Gerhart. Seems he's thinking about taking up a third sport.
• UCLA defensive end Reginald Stokes is healing quickly and may play on Oct. 3 against Stanford. A Bruins tailback needs to hold onto the ball better.
• USC's offense is back in Matt Barkley's hands -- which some observers found odd because Barkley isn't healthy -- but safety Taylor Mays remains questionable for Washington State. More injury updates.
• Checking in with Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt, who's invigorated the Huskies defense while struggling with self-control. Sounds like practice was physical.
• Washington State -- again -- has some injury news, though not all of it is bad.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

While Arizona's opener against Central Michigan isn't the marquee game of the week, it might be called the sneaky-interesting game of the week.

That's because it matches Chippewas star Dan LeFevour, one of the nation's top quarterbacks, against the Wildcats' no-name defense.

	Dale Zanine
	Dan LeFevour has already passed for over 9,400 yards in his career.

LeFevour, a senior leading a spread-option offense for a third consecutive season, piled up 3,376 yards of total offense last year and accounted for 27 touchdowns. He's a potent threat both running (592 yards) and passing (2,784 yards). Think Jake Locker but as a more refined passer.

"Dan's a great player," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. "He deserves all those accolades. He's one of the best we'll see all year at the position."

Speaking of accolades, at what point does Arizona's defense start to get some?

Arizona welcomes back seven starters from a unit that ranked third in the Pac-10 in both scoring (21.3 points per game) and total defense (313 yards per game), and when you talk to different coaches across the conference, there is widespread admiration for the soundness of the Wildcats' scheme.

"They have had a really disciplined scheme for years," USC coach Pete Carroll said before playing Arizona last year. "They are basically a zone team and they mix their pressures nicely. A lot of zone pressure, not too much man to man pressure, but they just have a real good sense of playing zones and they fill up the field and make it look like the field is too small. There's not a lot of spaces and they break up the ball well and they position and anticipate beautifully. They are going to keep you in front of them. They are not going to give you any big plays which is a good idea in this conference. They are real disciplined at it. So they show real consistency and when their playmakers start to grow up in their system like they have had in the past, they are able to make a lot of things happen."

Carroll can BS with the best of them, but that is clearly a thoughtful, respectful answer.

And guess what? Those playmakers are growing into their system, which means it might not be a no-name defense for long. Defensive end Brooks Reed, safety Cam Nelson, cornerback Devin Ross, strong safety Robert Golden, defensive tackle Earl Mitchell and linebacker Vuna Tuihalamaka each could become all-conference-type players.

But coordinator Mark Stoops isn't eager to celebrate individuals.

"We're not overwhelming at any one position, but we have good players across the board. We're pretty solid," he said. "But if you don't play within the system, for each other, with your hair on fire, you're very average. I don't care if you're Miami, Oklahoma or USC."

Mark Stoops made the point that the only time the defense got blown up in 2008 was the first half against Oregon when the Ducks scored 45 points.

"It was embarrassing," he said. "That was the only time last year that was pure frustration."

Number of Arizona adjustments at halftime? Zero. It was merely a case of reminding players to take care of their technique and responsibilities within the scheme.

After the break, Oregon scored only 10 points, and the Wildcats nearly came back from a 28-point halftime deficit before falling 55-45.

Central Michigan, which is breaking in three new starting offensive lineman, won't likely be able to run the ball consistently. LeFevour has two good receivers in Antonio Brown and Bryan Anderson, so this likely will be a strength-on-strength matchup with the secondary, with LeFevour's scrambles also challenging the Wildcats.

The Chippewas are favored to win their third MAC title over the past four seasons, and LeFevour is looking to make a national statement.

This is far from a gimme for the Wildcats, who have blown nonconference games against inferior foes the past two seasons.

"They're not going to be awestruck by the environment," Mike Stoops said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

As a UCLA observer wryly noted, ESPN.com has Bruins cornerback Alterraun Verner as a first-team All-American, while the Pac-10 blog had California's Syd'Quan Thompson and Oregon's Walter Thurmond III as the first-team All-Pac-10 corners.

Yes, there were coin flips involved. There are a lot of good cornerbacks in this conference.

Fact is, the guy who deserves to gripe the most is Arizona's underrated Devin Ross, who was second-team All-Pac-10 a year ago yet seems to be operating in the shadows.

1. California: Might be the best pair in the nation. Two accomplished, full-time starting cornerbacks from 2008 -- senior Thompson (first-team All-Pac-10) and junior Darian Hagan -- return from a statistically impressive pass defense (24 Ints vs. 12 TD passes).
2. USC: There are questions here -- is Shareece Wright going to be: 1. healthy; 2. eligible -- but even if Josh Pinkard has to move from safety back to corner, the Trojans are strong here based on pure athleticism.
3. Arizona: We've mentioned Ross, but Trevin Wade, who steps in for the departed Marquis Hundley, tied Hundley for the team lead with four interceptions in 2008.
4. UCLA: Verner is as good as anybody in the country, and expectations are high for redshirt freshman Aaron Hester.
5. Oregon: Coach Chip Kelly tells anyone who will listen that Thurmond is the Ducks best player. Talmadge Jackson and Willie Glasper are 1A and 1B veterans on the opposite side.
6. Arizona State: Omar Bolden expects to bounce back after a sub-par 2008 season. A troublesome back has returning starter Terell Carr now listed as second-team, with former walk-on Pierre Singfield now No. 1. Safety Clint Floyd might even see action at corner.
7. Oregon State: The Beavers are replacing both cornerbacks but a strong preseason from Tim Clark and James Dockery ended a lot of hand-wringing over the issue. There's also solid depth.
8. Washington State: The Cougars pass defense wasn't that bad last year, but that might have been because the run defense was horrible. Things are not completely set here. Brandon Jones will start if his ankle is OK, while Aire Justin is the frontrunner opposite him.
9. Stanford: Richard Sherman and Corey Gatewood should upgrade the Cardinal's pass defense, but Sherman was a receiver in 2008 and Gatewood was injured. And Stanford was terrible against the pass last year.
10. Washington: Speaking of terrible against the pass... the Huskies allowed opponents to complete 67 percent of their passes and surrendered 24 TD passes with just seven interceptions in 2008. Quinton Richardson will man one side while the uncertain health of redshirt freshman Justin Glenn means true freshman Desmond Trufant or junior Vonzell McDowell will start on the other side.