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The best way to neutralize the impressive quarterback talent in the Pac-10 this fall is to get someone in their faces as much as possible. That's what pass-rushing defensive ends do, and there is a solid cast of them coming back.

Even the two teams that fall in the "We'll see" category here don't lack for talent or experience. They just have obvious questions heading into preseason camp.

So how do things stack up?

Great shape

• Arizona: The Wildcats were in great shape at the spot last year with the same two players, though Ricky Elmore eclipsed Brooks Reed when he recorded 10.5 sacks while Reed was hurt (ankle) much of the season. Word on the street is Reed has been a maniac in the weight room this offseason. Solid depth here, too.
• USC: Two players worth buying stock in: Armond Armstead and Nick Perry. Perry had eight sacks as a backup in 2009 and Armstead was dominant this spring. Transfer of Malik Jackson hurts depth.
• Oregon: Kenny Rowe led the Pac-10 with 11.5 sacks in 2009, while Dion Jordan was perhaps the breakout player of the Ducks' spring practices.

Good shape

• California: Cameron Jordan has been good, but he has a chance to be great: Is 2010 his year? Trevor Guyton is the leader to replace first-round draft pick Tyson Alualu, while Deandre Coleman and Ernest Owusu provide high-quality depth.
• UCLA: Datone Jones had a great spring, while Keenan Graham looks like the favorite to start on the opposite side. Solid depth with Damien Holmes, Iuta Tepa and touted incoming freshman Owamagbe Odighizuwa.
• Oregon State: The Beavers struggled to rush the passer in 2009 and returning starter Matt LaGrone quit, but Gabe Miller is a talented athlete who came on late and had a good spring. Sophomore Taylor Henry is No.1 on the other side.
• Arizona State: The Sun Devils must replace four-year star Dexter Davis. James Brooks and Greg Smith are the likely starters. Solid depth here but no standouts.
• Washington State: The Cougars are sneaky good with sophomore Travis Long and senior Kevin Kooyman.

We'll see

• Stanford: The Cardinal is hard to rate because they are switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4, so Thomas Keiser and Chase Thomas, returning starters at end, are now outside linebackers and don't qualify. Meanwhile, Matt Masifilo and Brian Bulcke are experienced tackles but are new to end.
• Washington: This is as pure of a "we'll see" as you can get. Four-year starter Daniel Te'o-Nesheim is off to the NFL and potential starter Andru Pulu got kicked off the team. If Everrette Thompson and Kalani Aldrich are healthy and ready to play 12 games, the Huskies are solid. Maybe even better than solid. If not, things are iffy.

Just back from Los Angeles. Sorry this comes a bit late. Some of you might already be at happy hour.

Remember: You can follow me on Twitter. And why the heck wouldn't you want to do that?

Erik from State College, Pa., writes: Maybe since I'm not a PAC-10 fan, I'm missing something here, but what's up with everyone's obsession about the conference being more up-for-grabs than usual because USC is out of the picture. Sure, I'll be the first to admit that USC had an outstanding run over the past decade, but after loosing 4 conference games last year as well as a head coach, did the rest of the conference still view the Trojans as a serious threat to the conference title? I thought last year proved that it wasn't the PAC-1+9 conference where everybody else fought for 2nd place.

Ted Miller: State College, Pa? What are you trying to give the Oregon State fans nightmares?

To answer your question about USC being a threat: Yes and no.

Let's remember first of all that Oregon being tabbed No. 1 breaks a seven-year run for the Trojans atop the media poll. That's a sea change of preseason expectation.

But, further, while USC lost four Pac-10 games, it did go to the house of Big Ten champion Ohio State and take home a victory (and that Buckeyes team went on to beat an Oregon team in the Rose Bowl that blew out the Trojans). My point is that USC was odd last season. While not as talented as most of the USC teams that won seven consecutive Pac-10 titles, it was more talented than its final record indicated. The 2009 Trojans were not mentally tough. They didn't play like a well-coached team. And they didn't seem to be completely bought in. In other words, they underachieved because they lacked that intangible ingredient all good teams have: competitive unity.

The 2010 Trojans, despite all the doom-and-gloom, still own top-10 talent. If they are motivated and focused all season, they will win 10 games and end up a top-10 team.

But there also are eight other Pac-10 teams with legitimate bowl shots. You see a lot of different media doing rankings of all 120 FBS teams. If I were doing that, I'd rank every Pac-10 team -- other than Washington State -- in the top 50. You can make a strong argument for five or so teams winning the conference.

That quality depth is the biggest part of the "wide-open" talk.

The other is this: USC, no matter what it does, isn't going to the Rose Bowl. So one elite team is already out of it, thereby making things more wide open.

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Rance from Camus, Wash., writes: Can you clarify for my dad and I: USC is at 71 scholarship players currently, which is 14 under the 85 number. Does this mean they will not fill 16 more spots over the next 3 years to meet the loss of 30 scholarships total or how will this play out?

Ted Miller: USC is appealing the NCAA sanctions. If its appeal is rejected before national signing day on Feb. 2, then the Trojans will only have 15 scholarships available. If USC doesn't get a ruling before signing day, which is more likely, it has self-imposed a five-scholarship reduction for this recruiting class because it's asked the appeals commit to reduce the scholarship penalties from 10 to five over each of the next three years. So the 2011 Trojans class likely will be 20.

That said, as Scott Wolf noted, USC could bolster its numbers by signing as many as 10 mid-year enrollees in January (they'd be counted against last year's class). Of course, it won't be easy to find 10 quality players who are willing and able to enroll. And, if the appeal is rejected, USC will only be able to sign 15 over the next three classes.

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Aaron from Phoenix writes: Ted, UA grad living in Phoenix forced to listen to ebullient optimism about ASU football. Taking off my blue and red-tinted glasses, I just can't see more than six wins for the Sun Devils (and that's being generous). Am I wrong?

Ted Miller: I live here too but I haven't noticed much "ebullient optimism" from Sun Devils fans. I see more hand-wringing.

Most media sorts agree with you. The Sun Devils were tabbed ninth in the Pac-10 media poll, and that is where I rated them, too. If you look at the schedule, you can pencil in victories over the two FCS foes and, probably, Washington State. After that, it's hard to be confident in many other wins.

That said: The Sun Devils should be good on defense (I get the feeling, though, some are underestimating the loss of seven starters from last year, including end Dexter Davis and linebackers Mike Nixon and Travis Goethel). If they are merely adequate on offense -- say scoring 25 points per game -- they have a chance to surprise some folks and perhaps win seven or even eight games.

There is a problem, though: the schedule. After the two FCS games, four of the next five are on the road versus good teams (Wisconsin, Oregon State, Washington and California) and the lone home game is Oregon. It's critical that the Sun Devils don't lose their confidence during that rugged stretch when they will be breaking in a new quarterback.

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Paul from Tucson wrote: I was curious if you knew who gave Arizona, Oregon, and Stanford their 9th place votes in yesterday's media poll. Is this a secret ballot vote or made public for all? Seems to me the fans of those schools might like to know this in case they wish to question someone in the media with a hidden agenda.

Ted Miller: While many voters reveal their ballot, I haven't seen the ones to which you refer (if any one has, feel free to send the link). And, yes, it is a secret ballot, so the Pac-10 office won't release names.

I would be surprised if any of those three teams finished ninth, but voting Oregon ninth is absurd. I will right now guarantee you 100 percent that Oregon doesn't finish ninth or 10th in the conference. Iron clad.

The person who voted Oregon ninth doesn't really believe the Ducks will finish ninth. It's not a defensible position. It's like a food critic calling the Des Moines Applebees the best restaurant in the U.S.

While the Pac-10 blog is all for that whole free speech thing, if I were in the Pac-10 office tabulating the votes, I would have called said voter and asked him or her to explain. And then I would have revoked their voting privileges. Or posted the nutty voter's e-mail, home address and cell phone number anonymously on Addicted to Quack.

Kidding. Probably.

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"Pac-10 nation" from West Coast of America writes: STOP TALKING ABOUT MASOLI!!!!!! NO ONE CARES we know ruined his career at oregon. we get the point. and we dont care about ole miss either. camps start lets move on.

Ted Miller: I'm not talking about Jeremiah Masoli. He's making news and I'm linking news stories.

As for no one caring, if that were true, thousands of people wouldn't be reading the stories or clicking the links. And Sports Illustrated wouldn't do a big story on him if no one cared.

You might not want people to care. Or you may be sick of seeing him referenced as "former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli." But there are lots of people who are following what he'll do next.

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Josh from Puyallup, Wash., writes: If me and a buddy go to Pullman this year in our USC gear for the USC vs. Cougs game, think we will get mugged, shanked or killed? I've never been to Pullman....

Ted Miller: If you go to the right places, you will be challenged to a beer chugging contest. And you will lose.

I like Pullman. Is Pullman a vacation destination? No. Does it have a bunch of great restaurants? No. Does it get pretty dang cold during the winter months? Oh, yeah. But I've had a good time every time I've covered a game there (and, by the way, Martin Stadium might have the best press box meal spread in the Pac-10).

I recommend Rico's and, if you've got your game face on, The Coug.

And, by the way, a Sept. 25 game in Pullman means you'll get a beautiful fall day.

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Zen from Portland writes: Ted, I'm gonna rant, you are an idiot. You do no research, you are biased, you're just dumb. Best case for Oregon is 1 loss and worst case is 5 losses? USC best case is undefeated? No Ted, you're stupid. I thought these weren't predictions but extreme scenarios, I would then say you're not giving Oregon State enough credit, first off there the favorite to win the Pac-10, with USC sanctions, and ducks losing well every significant player on there Rose Bowl roster. Oregon State has depth and is strong in the secondary, will reload at linebacker, and you rant and rave about there D-Line(the only thing with the exception of Quizz you give them credit for), Katz is great, and as for breaking him in, no meaningful snaps, uh been there done that, Lyle, and Canfield? same situation. Quizz, one year older, one year stronger, one year better. The Beavers, especially the Rodgers brothers, are so excited about TCU, that we will win that game, Boise State is the only game I'm nervous about, USC and Oregon at home, the rest of the Pac-10 is nothing fret over. Oregon State best case is Undefeated you sorry excuse for a college football journalist. I've never enjoyed reading your blog, and ever since I read that I've avoided it. Does none of this even scan your brain when you write?

Ted Miller: No.

Arizona State

2009 overall record: 4-8

2009 conference record: 2-7 (ninth)

Returning starters

Offense: 3, Defense: 4, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners: K Thomas Weber, DT Lawrence Guy, LB Vontaze Burfict, DE James Brooks

Key losses: WR Kyle Williams, WR Chris McGaha, RB Dimitri Nance, OT Shawn Lauvao, DE Dexter Davis, LB Travis Goethel, LB Mike Nixon

2009 statistical leaders (*returning starter)

Rushing: Dimitri Nance (795)
Passing: Danny Sullivan (1,939)
Receiving: Kyle Williams (815)
Tackles: Mike Nixon (73)
Sacks: Lawrence Guy* (4.5)
Interceptions: Mike Nixon, Jarrell Holman, Ryan McFoy (3)

Spring Answers

1. Help at receiver: Even though the Sun Devils lost their top two receivers, Kyle Williams and Chris McGaha, the position appears fairly solid, particularly with Oregon transfer Aaron Pflugrad, who would have started for the Ducks in 2009, and JC transfer George Bell performing well this spring.

2. Em-Bolden: Cornerback Omar Bolden looked like the budding star he was supposed to be as a true freshman, but he struggled mightily as a sophomore and then missed 2009 with a knee injury. Entering spring, there were questions about whether he could regain a starting spot. No longer. Bolden may have turned in his best work yet this spring and should be a leader in the secondary.

3. For the defense: The Sun Devils lost seven starters from their outstanding 2009 defense, but they may be even better this fall. There's lots of speed and young players who excelled in 2009, most particularly linebacker Vontaze Burfict, had a year of seasoning in which to mature and refine their game.

Fall questions

1. Who's the QB? Before spring, many expected Michigan transfer Steven Threet to win the job. At the end of spring, sophomore Brock Osweiler instead emerged as the leader. In the fall, Samson Szakacsy rejoins the competition after sitting out spring drills, hopefully with a healthy arm. All three are capable, so there may be a few more plot twists before this one is resolved.

2. What about the O-line (again!)? The Sun Devils were already replacing two starters on the O-line when veteran guard Jon Hargis injured his knee, ending his 2010 season before it began, so there are lots of questions. For instance, will Zach Schlink and Matt Hustad be available? Both are talented but have been riddled with knee problems. And: Are JC transfer Brice Schwab and redshirt freshman Evan Finkenberg ready for Pac-10 play? Both are slated to start at tackle. It doesn't matter who plays QB if the O-line can't get the job done.

3. What about maturity? Sure, there's loads of talent on defense, but look at the sorts of guys who graduated: end Dexter Davis and linebackers Mike Nixon and Travis Goethel. Each were smart, savvy players and strong locker room guys. In other words, leaders. It's unclear who will fill their shoes. Even with those guys, the Sun Devils had over 1,000 yards in penalties last year -- 200 more than any other conference team. Smarter, more disciplined play might make a difference in close games.

The third of a 10-part series that looks at where Pac-10 teams are strongest and weakest as they begin spring practices.

Arizona State

Strong: Defensive front seven

Why it's a strength: The Sun Devils take some significant hits on defense, losing seven starters, including five of their top six tacklers, but the young talent coming back is impressive, particularly up front. Start with the defensive line. Sure, end Dexter Davis is gone, but he's the only departure on the three-deep. And here's a guess that tackles Lawrence Guy, William Sutton and Corey Adams take a step forward in 2010. Linebackers Mike Nixon and Travis Goethel must be replaced, but rising star Vontaze Burfict returns inside and Gerald Munns, Brandon McGee and Shelly Lyons have experience. Count on this: The Sun Devils, owners of the conference's No. 1 rush defense in 2009, won't be easy to run against again next fall.

Weak: Offense

Why it's a weakness: It will not be a pattern of this feature to indict an entire side of the ball, but the Sun Devils have huge issues on offense for a third consecutive season. Last year, they ranked eighth in the Pac-10 in scoring and ninth in total offense. And only four starters are back this spring. Ouch. Skill positions? There's uncertainty at quarterback. The top two receivers are gone, as is starting tailback Dimitri Nance. The line? Three starters need to be replaced, including the unit's leader in 2009, tackle Shawn Lauvao. Answers may be found this spring. Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler will battle at quarterback, while Oregon transfer Aaron Pflugrad will immediately bolster the receiving corps. Injuries the past two seasons mean lots of returning guys on the line have experience. And there are plenty of choices at tailback. Still, there's a lot of uncertainty here.

Lots of goings on at the NFL combine with Pac-10 guys. Here are some updates.

From Scouts Inc. reports on ESPN.com:

• Everyone expected USC S Taylor Mays to shine in this setting and Mays did not disappoint. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Mays posted an official time of 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash. While we are still concerned about his inconsistencies on film, Mays clearly has early-first-round natural ability, and teams are sure to fall in love with his upside if they haven't already.
• Arizona State's Dexter Davis, TCU's Jerry Hughes, Michigan's Brandon Graham and Utah's Koa Misi all played defensive end in college but are expected to move to 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. Base 3-4 teams looking for help at outside linebacker were interested to see how they ran in the 40-yard dash, and none of them disappointed. Davis (4.56 seconds), Hughes (4.59), Graham (4.69) and Misi (4.69) all are fast enough to play linebacker in the NFL. Those times are unofficial, of course, but it's worth pointing out that the average 40 time for outside linebackers at the 2009 combine was 4.78.
• It should come as no surprise that Campbell, USC's Charles Brown and West Virginia's Selvish Capers stood out during one-on-one mirror drills. All three looked fluid and quick, but Iowa's Bryan Bulaga showed the best poise of the group. Bulaga didn't overreact to head fakes or quick changes in direction and stayed with his man throughout.
• USC G/C Jeff Byers had a hard time sinking his hips and keeping his shoulders back before starting his one-on-one mirror drill, and Byers' technique deteriorated once Idaho OT/G Mike Iupati forced him to change directions. Byers had a particularly difficult time staying low and that's a real concern because hip and back injuries forced Byers to miss two seasons early in his collegiate career and he looks stiff.

From other sources:

• Former Oregon State linebacker Keaton Kristick is making an impression.
• Former Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield had a good combine.
• Danny O'Neil notes that many Pac-10 players helped themselves, including Mays, Jahvid Best, Donald Butler and Toby Gerhart.
• Mays may be overcoming doubters. As did Gerhart. But some think Mays' game tape speaks louder.
• By the way, Best is fast, and San Diego might be interested.
• Speaking of fast, here's more on the speed guys.
• You can find the top performers here.

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

Before listing my preseason All-Pac-10 team in August, I wrote this: "Perhaps this list will be much different by mid-December."

So take a look.


Some changes are obvious. Gronkowski, Best, Thurmond and O'Dowd were switched out because of injuries. That also applies in large part to Carter, who played with a sprained knee much of the season.

Some nagged at me a bit.

Safety: Nelson had a great season at safety, but Moore led the nation with nine picks. I know lots of you folks aren't impressed with the way Mays played this year, but most coaches and scouts don't share your opinion. He's still going to be a first-round pick.

Offensive line: Baxter and Lauvao did nothing wrong. Peat just had a very good season, while Alfred in some ways gets a tip of the cap for a great career playing in obscurity for a lousy team.

Defensive end: Davis and Tukuafu have had great careers, and it was hard to leave off Arizona's Ricky Elmore, who led the conference in sacks. Just how things go.

Quarterback: Masoli is preseason All-Pac-10, puts up great numbers, leads his team to the Rose Bowl and drops off the first team? Yeah, I winced at that, too. But Canfield had a great year and put up great numbers. And, yes, it matters that he is a senior and Masoli will be back next fall.

The Pac-10 office announced its All-Pac-10 team today as voted on by conference coaches.

The Pac-10 blog's All-Pac-10 team will come out tomorrow.

You can see the second-team here.

Some notes:

• Oregon State placed the most players on the first team with seven selections, followed by California, UCLA and USC with five. Arizona and California were next with four.
• Of the 27 first-team selections, 15 are seniors, eight are juniors, four are sophomores and there are no freshman.
• Three players were named on the first-team ballot of all 10 head coaches -- PK Kai Forbath and DT Brian Price of UCLA and RB Toby Gerhart of Stanford.
• Five players are repeat first-team selections from last year -- FS Taylor Mays of USC, DT Brian Price of UCLA, CB Syd'Quan Thompson of California, and Jacquizz Rodgers and James Rodgers of Oregon State.
• Damian Williams of USC is a double first-teamer, being named both at wide receiver and punt returner.
• Two players were named to the first team on both the All-Pac-10 Team and the Pac-10 All-Academic Football Team -- RB Toby Gerhart of Stanford and ILB Mike Mohamed of California. In addition, P Jeff Locke of UCLA was named first-team All-Academic and second-team All-Pac-10.

Offensive Player of the Year: Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year: Brian Price, DT, UCLA

Offensive Freshman of the Year: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Defensive Freshman of the Year: Vontaze Burfict, MLB, Arizona State

Coach of the Year: Chip Kelly, Oregon,

First-team offense
QB Sean Canfield, Sr., Oregon State
RB Toby Gerhart, Sr., Stanford
RB Jacquizz Rodgers, So., Oregon State
WR James Rodgers, Jr., Oregon State
WR Damian Williams, Jr., USC
TE Ed Dickson, Sr., Oregon
OL Chris Marinelli, Sr., Stanford
OL Mike Tepper, Sr., California
OL Jeff Byers, Sr., USC
OL Charles Brown, Sr., USC
OL Gregg Peat, Sr., Oregon State

First-team defense
DL Brian Price, Jr., UCLA
DL Stephen Paea, Jr., Oregon State
DL Tyson Alualu, Sr., California
DL Dexter Davis, Sr., Arizona State
LB Keaton Kristick, Sr., Oregon State
LB Mike Mohamed, Jr., California
LB Reggie Carter, Sr., UCLA
DB Rahim Moore, So., UCLA
DB Syd'Quan Thompson, Sr., California
DB Taylor Mays, Sr., USC
DB Alterraun Verner, Sr., UCLA

Specialists
PK Kai Forbath, Jr., UCLA
P Bryan Anger, So., California
KOR Chris Owusu, So., Stanford
PR Damian Williams, Jr., USC
ST Suaesi Tuimaunei, Jr., Oregon State

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Post-season all-star game invitations will be rolling out over the coming weeks, and six Pac-10 players already have accepted invitations to the East-West Shrine Game.

The 85th East-West Shrine Game is scheduled for Jan. 23 in Orlando.

Those players are (note USC DB Josh Pinkard has been added to this list:

Chris McGaha, WR, Arizona State
Dexter Davis, DE/OLB, Arizona State
Erik Lorig, DE, Stanford
Earl Mitchell, DT, Arizona
T.J. Ward, FS, Oregon
Josh Pinkard, DB, USC

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Here's a list of players: defensive end Dexter Davis and defensive tackle Lawrence Guy -- both from Arizona State -- Arizona defensive end Brooks Reed, California defensive end Cameron Jordan, Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea and Washington defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim.

That is a stout crew. Each is a likely NFL draft pick -- a few on the first day -- when their time comes to go pro.

	Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
	Dexter Davis has 27.5 career sacks, but none so far this season.

Yet those six defensive linemen, each a contender for all-conference honors, have combined for just two sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.

Meanwhile, USC freshman Nick Perry, who's not even a starter and mostly missed the California game due a bruised knee, has six sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Arizona's "other" defensive end, Ricky Elmore, has 4.5 sacks. Stanford end Thomas Keiser has 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss.

In other words, the big names aren't hanging up big numbers while more obscure guys are.

What gives?

Apparently lots of double-teams. And toss in a few injuries.

One thing is clear, however: No coach was ready to rip his putative defensive star.

"Brooks is playing phenomenal," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. "Sometimes statistics don't tell the whole story, and in Brooks' case that's certainly evident. You just turn the film on. He's a very productive player."

It also hurts that Reed has been hurting. He sprained his ankle against Iowa, missed the Oregon State game and is questionable for Saturday at Washington.

Stoops also said Elmore, a junior like Reed, isn't simply benefiting from offenses focusing on Reed.

"I think Ricky's gotten better as a player," Stoops said.

Davis is a four-year starter with 27.5 career sacks but he has zero sacks thus far in 2009, with only one tackle for loss.

"He's not playing bad. He's getting doubled a lot, which we expect," Sun Devils coach coach Dennis Erickson said, before adding. "We're not getting to the quarterback with those other guys. It's not so much Dexter as the other three guys -- or five guys or six guys who play -- when they double him and they are one-on-one."

One of those "guys" is Guy, who had 10 tackles for loss last year. He's only made five tackles this season with 0.5 TFL and zero sacks. He's also been battling a biceps injury that knocked him out of the season -opener.

Still, it's noteworthy that Arizona State, which is tied for last in the conference with three sacks, ranks third in the nation in total defense. If they maintain an elite overall ranking, then there's not much to gripe about, even if Davis and Guy fail to hang up big numbers.

The situation is not the same at Oregon State, which is tied with the Sun Devils with just three sacks. While the Beavers' defense took a step forward at Arizona State last weekend, it's still not the high-pressure unit of years past.

Coach Mike Riley doesn't blame Paea for that, though.

"I think he's doing a great job," Riley said. "He's getting a lot of attention. He is a disruptive force in the middle."

Paea had five sacks and 11 TFL last year, but he's got two new defensive ends flanking him who aren't stressing the opposing offensive line as much as Slade Norris and Victor Butler did a year ago.

As for Jordan (one sack), the junior been overshadowed by the Bears' other end, senior Tyson Alualu, who's recorded 26 tackles -- tops among conference D-linemen -- with 4.5 sacks. At Washington, Te'o-Nesheim (one sack) is much like Davis and Reed -- he's getting lots of attention from opposing offenses.

Of course, Te'o-Nesheim commanded lots of attention last year. He got off to a slow start but still ended up with eight sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. In fact, he got his first three sacks of 2008 in Game 5 against Arizona.

Guess who's coming to Husky Stadium on Saturday?

In other words, there's plenty of time for the "name" guys to still live up to their, er, names.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

The Bay Area is the center of the Pac-10 universe on Saturday, though Oregon State's visit to Arizona State feels underrated to me. Oh, and Washington heads east to take on Notre Dame and the cardiac Fighting Irish.

1. Will the real Cal please stand up? California can't possibly be as bad as it looked at Oregon. You look up and down the roster and check off guys with NFL futures and just shake your head. So, do the Bears put it together and play to their potential against USC? Or will they look out of sync again? It's possible that Cal could put forth a strong effort and still lose, but at least that might leave some sparks for a strong run through the rest of the conference slate.

2. Toby Gerhart vs. Reggie Carter & Brian Price: Obviously, there are 11 guys on both sides of the ball, but the 237-pound Gerhart is the irresistible force and Carter and Price are the immovable objects. If Gerhart prevails and gets his 100-plus yards, he should jump onto the short list of Heisman Trophy candidates. But Carter and Price are bad men -- maybe two of the nation's most underrated players. There will be some pads popping here.

3. Danny Sullivan must play better: Arizona State proved at Georgia that its defense is good enough to get the Sun Devils to a bowl game, but the offense needs to step up, particularly Sullivan. Only problem for him is his already questionable offensive line is banged up -- two or three starters could be out. Still, playing in front of the home crowd, Sullivan needs to make plays in the passing game or coach Dennis Erickson might decide to give talented true freshman Brock Osweiler a serious look.

4. Will Irish run or pass vs. the Huskies' defense? Or both? Washington's primary worry in the preseason was its outmanned secondary, but after Stanford ran all over the Huskies, the run defense now seems like a bigger problem. Notre Dame has been successful both throwing (297 yards per game) and running the ball (158 ypg). Against A-list programs, the Huskies have flashed decent run defense (LSU) and pass defense (USC). What will they have for Charlie Weis and the Irish?

5. Welcome to Autzen Stadium, Jeff Tuel: Sure, Washington State's true freshman quarterback got his first career action in the Coliseum against the fearsome Trojans, but it's much different coming off the bench without thinking time compared to having a first-career start hanging over a youngster for an entire week. Not to mention that Tuel won't be able to hear himself think inside Autzen Stadium -- it's not nearly as loud inside the Coliseum. And the Ducks' defense gives a QB lots of looks -- it certainly confused a veteran Cal offense.

6. The Trojans' offense can't possibly be this bad: The overall statistics don't look terrible, but the Trojans are averaging just 19.3 points over their last three games and only one of those defenses -- Ohio State -- is a first-tier unit. Moreover, the offense is only converting on 25 percent of its third downs, which ranks last in the conference. All of this is happening with an outstanding offensive line and a strong crew of skill players. So, even with young quarterbacks, it's not a lack of talent or experience. The pressure is on Jeremy Bates to earn his substantial paycheck and call better plays. Or, perhaps, Pete Carroll needs to free up Bates to call the game as he sees fit. Either way, this shortcoming falls on the coaches.

7. Is it better to be Crafty or Lucky? UCLA's and Stanford's quarterbacks come at Saturday's game from far different angles. The Bruins' Kevin Craft is the senior backup who lost his job to a now-injured redshirt freshman because he threw 20 interceptions in 2008. The Cardinal's Andrew Luck is a super-talented redshirt freshman who unseated a senior starter and who appears destined for an NFL career. Funny thing is: Craft probably will be more responsible for his team's fortunes. Luck has a powerful running game to rely on. Craft won't have that luxury. Of course, Craft did beat Stanford with a pressure-packed TD drive last year.

8. Bringing the heat in Tempe: Arizona State's defense has been dominant. Oregon State's defense has been disappointing. But here's a number that might shock you: Which two teams are tied for last in the conference with just two sacks? That would be the Sun Devils and Beavers, though the Sun Devils have played one less game. Both offensive lines have struggled, and the Sun Devils are digging deep into their depth chart because of injuries. Neither QB is terribly mobile. And Arizona State gets back suspended defensive end James Brooks, which will allow pass-rush specialist Dexter Davis to return to his preferred weak side. Guess here is one -- or maybe both -- of these teams is going to get to the quarterback.

9. Jahvid Best needs a big day in a big game: Last year against USC, Best had just 30 yards on 13 carries. Last week against Oregon, he had just 55 yards on 16 carries. While it's unfair and untrue to say that Best has not produced good numbers in big games, the Bears need him to step up and make some plays against a rugged Trojans defense that is going to gang up on him. Sure, quarterback Kevin Riley needs to create a passing threat so the Trojans can't crowd the line to stop Best, but if Best makes a few plays early, things probably will be a lot more open for Riley downfield.

10. Locker vs. Clausen: Washington's Jake Locker is 21st in the nation in total offense, but most will see him as the second-best quarterback on the field Saturday. Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen is finally living up to his talent and recruiting pedigree, and the nation's fourth-rated passer is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. But he also has a bum toe. Locker is a team player and a good citizen, but he's incredibly competitive. Bring up Tim Tebow, and Locker's reticence clearly suggests he thinks he's just as good. Locker would love to steal the big stage in front of Touchdown Jesus and turn in a blockbuster performance.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Arizona State went looking for itself at Georgia last weekend and it found half a team.

Actually, the Sun Devils might have found more than that after losing a 20-17 heartbreaker on a last-second field goal, but coach Dennis Erickson still isn't sure what he's got this season.

	Matt Kartozian/US Presswire
	Danny Sullivan, who's completed less than 50 percent of his passes, has had his share of criticism.

The defense, now ranked third in the nation, proved itself a salty crew. The offense hinted at a run game. The passing game was thisclose to making enough plays to win.

But, in the end, the offense only managed to produce 204 yards and score 10 points -- the other touchdown came on an interception return -- against a defense that would be below average in the Pac-10.

"I've got to see how this thing carries out -- we've got nine games left in the Pac-10," coach Dennis Erickson said. "It's really hard to tell where we're at, to be honest."

Erickson said that in response to a question about whether talented true freshman quarterback Brock Osweiler is pushing for playing time behind senior starter Danny Sullivan. He said it immediately after defending Sullivan from some grumbles of criticism among Sun Devils fans.

"He's playing decent," Erickson said of Sullivan.

Sullivan completed 10 of 32 passes for 116 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Bulldogs. He missed some open receivers. And some good passes were dropped.

The struggles in the passing game -- the opportunities were there, just not converted -- certainly covered the long road trip with a what-could-have-been blanket.

"We dropped some [against Georgia], but we made some good catches, too," Erickson said. "We’re not throwing like we want to, but up until then we’ve been throwing it pretty well. We just have to become accountable."

Quarterback may not be the chief concern as the Sun Devils prepare for a visit from Oregon State. The offensive line, which had taken some baby steps forward, has been ravaged by injuries. Guard Matt Hustad won't play against the Beavers because of a knee injury and the top two centers, Garth Gerhart (toe) and Thomas Altieri (knee), are questionable. Guard Jon Hargis is fine as long as he can withstand having his shoulder forced back into joint a few times a game, as was done at Georgia.

Oregon State's defense has struggled against the pass. It's yielded 272 yards per game and eight touchdown passes and has recorded just two sacks. But it's been fairly stout against the run (92 yards per game).

So if the Beavers crowd the line to stop the Sun Devils' running game, which only ranks seventh in the conference in any event, then Sullivan is going to have to make plays.

Or face more criticism.

Erickson doesn't think Sullivan will start pressing because of fan gripes.

“I don’t think that will bother him because he knows that I don’t worry about it," he said. "You can’t play that position and worry about what people say. If you do, you’ve got a problem.

Erickson might not ask his offense to do too much, considering how well his defense is playing. The Sun Devils also get back suspended end James Brooks, which will allow Dexter Davis to move back to the weak side, where he's a better pass-rushing threat -- no tight end to double-team him. While the defense has been strong overall, it's only recorded two sacks so far.

The ASU D has earned a few admirers.

"They have a great-looking defense," Beavers coach Mike Riley said. "They gave Georgia fits in every way. Running the ball, short-yardage situations, many times they just stuffed them."

But that's only half a team.

The Sun Devils will face much better defenses than they've seen thus far in the weeks ahead. If they want to push into the top-half of the wide-open conference race, the offense must improve.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Updating the worst part about the game.

Arizona
Arizona is banged up but it has a chance to get much healthier during its bye week and before it visits Washington on Oct. 10. Receiver Bug Wright is out after knee surgery, but running back Nic Grigsby (shoulder), running back Keola Antolin (ankle), defensive end Brooks Reed (ankle), offensive tackle Mike Diaz (concussion), offensive guard Vaughn Dotsy (concussion) and receiver Delashaun Dean (thigh bruise) all could be ready to go after the bye.

Arizona State
The Sun Devils get defensive end James Brooks back from a three-game suspension, which means senior end Dexter Davis can move back to the weak side, where he has a better chance to get to the quarterback. On the downside, the struggling offensive line has issues. The top two centers, Garth Gerhart (toe) and Thomas Altieri (knee) are banged up, as are guards Jon Hargis (shoulder), Zach Schlink (knee) and Matt Hustad (knee). Hustad is doubtful for Oregon State's visit, while the others are questionable. Also, tight end Jovon Williams (knee) is questionable.

Oregon
Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond is likely out for a few games with a knee injury. Coach Chip Kelly may provide more specifics during his news conference today, but he typically calls every player "day-to-day" and forces reporters to read between the lines. Kelly did say Saturday that he didn't believe Thurmond would be done for the season. Safety T.J. Ward (ankle) and receiver Rory Cavaille (shoulder) are both questionable.

Oregon State
Receiver Darrell Catchings, who just came back from a wrist injury, is now out for 2-3 weeks with an ankle sprain. Also, linebacker Keaton Kristick suffered a stinger against Arizona and probably won't practice much this week.

Stanford
Backup tailback Jeremy Stewart hurt is right knee against Washington. It's unclear how serious the injury is.

USC
Defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo (broken leg) and end Marshall Jones (neck) suffered season-ending injuries against Washington State. Linebackers Jordan Campbell and Nick Garratt sprained their ankles and are questionable for the Cal game as is linebacker Malcolm Smith (ankle), who sat out against the Cougars.

Washington
The Huskies might get receiver Devin Aguilar back for the visit to Notre Dame. Aguilar sat out the Stanford game with a sprained knee.

Washington State
The Cougars can't stay healthy. They probably lost a starting offensive and defensive lineman against USC: Steven Ayers (ankle) and defensive tackle Josh Luapo (knee). Starting guards B. J. Guerra (knee) and Zack Williams (ankle) aren't expected to be ready to play at Oregon. Defensive end Kevin Kooyman (knee) missed the USC game but might be ready for the trip to Eugene.