ESPN College Football

Our topic today: Which team that has a TBA at quarterback is in the best shape?

The choices: Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford and UCLA. (We're leaving Washington State out because Jeff Tuel is a heavy front-runner, no matter how coy Mike Leach is about things).

Kevin Gemmell: Oregon -- by far -- is in the best shape of the teams yet to name a quarterback. For starters, they have the most exciting player in the conference in De'Anthony Thomas. Regardless of whether Bryan Bennett or Marcus Mariota wins the job, Thomas is going to take a 2-yard swing pass and turn it into a 50-yard touchdown. Probably a few times. He's going to make the new guy look really, really good.

And it's not like the Ducks have a history of rebuilding projects whenever Chip Kelly needs a new quarterback. How'd Darron Thomas work out? A berth in the national championship game and a Rose Bowl victory. Not bad. Same could be said for obscure JC transfer Jeremiah Masoli, who only led the Ducks to the 2010 Rose Bowl.

The offensive line should be fine protecting him with key returners like Hroniss Grasu, Carson York and Nick Cody. Plus, Oregon rotates offensive linemen so liberally the quarterback is going to have fresh bodies flanking him.

There are plenty of weapons already in place for the starter-to-be. Be it Josh Huff (status pending), tight end Colt Lyerla, who is a star on the rise, and Kenjon Barner to carry the load on the ground.

When you look at the rest of the teams sans starting quarterbacks, there are just too many questions to confidently say it's going to be a smooth transition. UCLA and ASU are starting from scratch with new coaches and new systems. Colorado is probably headed for a long season and Andrew Luck's successor has to replace -- well -- Andrew Luck. Good luck with that (pun, definitely not intended).

Oregon's transition might not be silky-smooth, but it's going to be a lot easier than the other four teams trying to replace a starter. The schedule works to the Ducks' favor with the first four games at home, which should give the new guy plenty of time to get comfortable. They might find themselves in a shootout at Washington State in the fifth game, but they don't even need to leave the Pacific Northwest until mid-October.

This offense is plug-and-play and whoever gets the job is going to be just fine.

Ted Miller: Sometimes you're screwed on a Take 2 when you go second. Kevin states a strong case. Does anyone really believe the Ducks' quarterback will be a liability this year? The answer is no.

Of course, that level of certainty could be burden, as could taking over the starting job for a top-five team. No team in the nation with uncertainty at QB this spring will be ranked higher in the preseason. Know what a disappointing regular season now looks like in Eugene? 10-2. In other words, this Ducks QB job brings a lot of pressure and high expectations. Being "pretty good for a first-year starter" will rate a fail with many fans.

None of that will be the case at UCLA. Bruins fans are starved for quarterback play that is just north of mediocre. The good news is that they will get at least that this fall. And they may be pleasantly surprised.

Start with this: Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. He transformed Brock Osweiler from a basketball player playing football to a second-round NFL draft pick. Mazzone is a charismatic guy -- though a follically challenged one -- who knows how to teach. He's been called a QB guru. Guys like Tim Tebow, Philip Rivers and Christian Ponder seek him out.

Then there are the three guys competing. You have the quarterback of the future in redshirt freshman Brett Hundley, and you have two seniors who have seen just about everything in Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut. Hundley has tons of potential. He's an athletic guy who's pass-first. Sort of like Osweiler, only 4 inches shorter.

Prince and Brehaut have been maligned by Bruins fans, and not entirely without justification. Both have produced strong games. And both have played poorly. Inconsistency is not a good thing for a quarterback. But both have nothing to lose in their final year of college football. If both are healthy, they can be solid QBs. They certainly are better suited for Mazzone's spread than the pistol they've been running the past two years.

The talent around them isn't bad. There's a good stable of running backs with Johnathan Franklin, Malcolm Jones and the rising Steven Manfro. TE/WR Joseph Fauria is going to be a high NFL draft pick next spring. The offensive line has a chance to be, well, OK.

Mazzone has options here, too. He can hand the job to Hundley, knowing he's got two experienced guys who can play if he needs them. Or he can start one of his veterans and bring Hundley in for special packages, perhaps steadily increasing his reps as the season goes on. (Mazzone, like most coaches, has always said he prefers just one guy, so know that second scenario is mostly me throwing a speculative thought into the air).

Further, whoever wins the job won't be operating under the microscope like the Oregon starter will. Expectations for the Bruins aren't high. If the QB is just solid -- say, ranking sixth or seventh in the conference in passing efficiency -- then he will be widely viewed as succeeding. And if he can get seven or eight wins, Bruins fans will extend new coach Jim Mora's honeymoon a season.

EUGENE, Ore. -- While Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas' decision to enter the NFL draft a year early shocked many outside the football program, it didn't surprise many of those close to him, including his fellow Ducks quarterbacks. Thomas had brought up the possibility a number of times throughout the year, so backup Bryan Bennett and talented true freshman Marcus Mariota knew he was eyeballing a potential departure.

Though the news was greeted with more than a few gasps, many Ducks fans didn't spice their surprise with disappointment. Some had felt that Bennett -- despite Thomas' record-setting numbers -- was a better quarterback, or at least that he had more upside. They had seen what he'd done in limited action in 2011, coming off the bench in a big win over Arizona State and a start at Colorado.

Inside the program, not only was it not a big surprise, it also wasn't viewed as a perfunctory passing of the torch. There was a mystery man, an X factor, with whom fans and media weren't terribly familiar because Oregon has shut down access to practices: true freshman Marcus Mariota.

Mariota, a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder out of St. Louis High School in Honolulu, had shown enough in one impressive redshirt year to be viewed by his coaches and teammates as a legitimate threat to win the job.

"When DT left, I told Brian, 'You got to work for it. Marcus Mariota is a very good quarterback,'" said center Hroniss Grasu, Bennett's roommate and good friend. "It's going to be a great competition."

What you keep hearing when you ask players and coaches about Bennett and Mariota is that they are notably similar. Both are tall and fairly thin -- Bennett is 6-3, 205 pounds. Both are athletic and comfortable running an option attack. Both are capable passers. Both have low-key personalities.

"We feel real confident as a staff in our quarterback situation," said coach Chip Kelly, whose Ducks begin spring practices Tuesday. "They just haven't played significant amounts. I'm real confident in whoever ends up out of those guys pulling the trigger that we'll have a pretty good one."

There's good reason for that. Since Kelly arrived as the Ducks' offensive coordinator in 2007, Oregon has been good to outstanding at the position. He transformed Dennis Dixon from a guy who threw more interceptions than touchdowns in 2006 to a leading Heisman Trophy candidate before he got hurt. He made Jeremiah Masoli, an unknown summer junior college transfer, into a swashbuckling, dual-threat force. And under his tutelage, Thomas ended up throwing more TD passes than any previous Ducks QB.

Kelly insists he has no preconceptions: "Our program is founded on competition," he said. Of course, many coaches throw the "competition" coaching platitude around. What actually happens on the depth chart demonstrates that most still favor seniority, particularly at QB. Coaches believe in the value of experience and they are more comfortable with players with whom they've built up years of familiarity. To win a job, a younger player must decisively demonstrate superiority.

But Kelly has shown he's not like that, and we need look no further than the last quarterback competition in Eugene between senior Nate Costa and Thomas, then a sophomore.

Costa was the feel-good story after Masoli's ugly departure. He was the one-time spread-option prodigy who'd been done in by bad knees, but heading into 2010 spring practices he was again healthy and ready to lead the Ducks with his moxie and still substantial skills. Thomas was a skinny guy from Houston with an odd throwing motion who lacked Costa's polish.

Just about everyone thought Costa would win the job, perhaps even by the end of spring practices. But a funny thing happened: Thomas was announced as the starter in late August.

Bennett was a true freshman observer of that competition, at least the fall camp portion. And, just as Thomas didn't surprise him when he opted to leave for the NFL, he also didn't surprise Bennett when he won the job.

"At first, I saw Nate as the older, senior, who kind of took control more," Bennett said. "I think it could have gone either way, but I wasn't too surprised. I thought it kind of started to lean towards Darron at the end."

Fair to say Bennett knows he can't expect his limited experience -- 369 yards passing, six touchdowns, no interceptions -- to give him a substantial advantage, at least not as baubles that will impress Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. But that experience could become a foundation or launching point that helps Bennett develop faster, which could provide a competitive advantage. The game should be slower to him than to Mariota. He knows how it feels when the lights are on for real, and how his teammates and coaches react. He knows how to prepare as a starter. And he saw how Thomas won the job over Costa.

"Since Darron left, I have taken it on myself to present myself as a leader of this team," Bennett said. "I would like to be the starting quarterback of this team. In my mind, I'm going to continue to tell myself that I need to get better and worry about the things I can control. It could come down neck-and-neck. It could be decided in spring ball. I really don't know. It's more a competition with myself, because I can control what I do. I can't control what [Mariota] does."

When fellow Ducks talk about Mariota, they talk about how quickly he's picked up the offense. Mariota, in a revealing moment of humility that supports that very point, said it took him "a week" -- a whole week! -- to feel comfortable running the offense in fall camp his freshman year.

"I feel we are going in evenly," Mariota said. "Bryan is a very good player. He's been in this system for a while now. I'm just going to take it day by day. We both are. And whoever wins, we'll be rooting for each other."

Mariota adds: "If Bryan wins the job, I will be behind him 100 percent. This is a team thing."

This "team" thing has changed at Oregon. Three years ago, the Ducks starting QB was only of local, perhaps regional interest. After three consecutive conference titles, it's now a position of national import. The last three Ducks QBs have been in Rose Bowl and national title hunts.

The expectations aren't any lower in 2012, even with Thomas' surprising/not-so-surprising decision.

"I know whoever the quarterback is, he will do a great job," Grasu said. "Hopefully even better than last season. I know last season was a great season, but I think with the team we've got coming back everywhere else, we can be very successful."

Welcome to the mailbag.

This is your brain. And this is your brain if you follow me on Twitter.

To the notes.

Peter from Tempe, Ariz., writes: I'm looking at your Top 25 list and I can see that you're not going to add any ASU players this year. I totally understand removing Vontaze from the list, he should've been removed from the team too. But not adding at least Osweiler seems a bit strange. Can you explain your rationale for not even a spot on the list? I know the guy didn't win any games in the second half but there are other QBs on the list from the same state who didn't exactly carry their team either.

Kevin from Eugene, Org., writes: you didn't really leave John Boyett out of your top 25 did you? C'mon man.

Jason from Seattle writes: You really going to leave the Pac-12's leading tackler - Cort Dennison - off the top-25 list?!?

Ryan from Eugene, Ore., writes: Ted, after reading your blog for years I feel there is probably a need to balance out the duck faithful. I think your top 25 is spot on! When you got into the teens I was slightly surprised I hadn't seen John Boyett's name but when it is all said and done (probably could have released the final 3 the same week, btw) I see that there were only a couple DBs in the entire top 25 and I agree that he would be left out. Just hoping to tip the Email scale away from the ones I'm sure you get that think... KNOW your top 25 should the O offense 1-11, the O-defense 12-22 + a few O ST players.

Ted Miller: Thanks Ryan!

When you make a list of the best 25 players -- 26 in the Pac-12 blog's case -- somebody really good is going to get left out. A lot of somebodies, in fact.

My first response to folks with "How could you leave out!" queries is, "Who would you take out?" Oregon fans, would you knock out Ducks tight end David Paulson in order to get Boyett on the list?

Boyett and Brock Osweiler were two of the last cuts on the list (Dennison is a hard-nosed, productive player, but he was not considered).

Lots of factors go into making the list. Production is at the top. NFL prospects do play a role for me. Winning teams get more players, in large part because I see more of their games in person. If your team, say, lost its final six games, that doesn't help a player's cause.

Boyett will be on the preseason top-25. The guy is going to be a four-year starter. Very productive. But USC's T.J. McDonald was the only safety on the list, at No. 19. He's a likely first-day NFL draft pick. So which player gets cut for Boyett?

Peter alludes to Arizona's Nick Foles at No. 18 in his note about Arizona State's Osweiler. It's interesting, because now it seems Osweiler might get drafted before Foles, something that is probably surprising to many of us. But Foles threw for 361 yards per game with 28 TD passes, and ranked fifth in the Pac-12 and 28th in the nation in passing efficiency. Osweiler threw for 310 yards per game with 26 TD passes (he also played one more game than Foles), and ranked sixth in the Pac-12 and 37th in the nation in passing efficiency.

Are there elements that inspire second thoughts? Well, I'm not happy with myself for forgetting one of the Thomases in my original master list, which forced me to do a double-ranking of Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas and Oregon's receiver/running back De'Anthony Thomas at No. 12.

And, yes, there was a long pause over ranking Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas No. 5 ahead of Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who was the coaches pick for Defensive Player of the Year. Well, I picked Thomas for Defensive Player of the Year on the Pac-12 blog, so it was partly to be consistent. And Thomas just made so many plays -- 17.5 tackles for a loss and five forced fumbles.

Some might have rated USC receiver Robert Woods higher. But let me put it this way: Washington State's Marquess Wilson had comparable numbers catching balls from three different quarterbacks against defenses focused on stopping him, because he was clearly the Cougars most dangerous weapon. Woods caught passes from Matt Barkley and had Marqise Lee keeping secondaries honest, not to mention a good running game for support.

But, in the end, it's all opinion. Make your own top-25. It's not easy.

We'll be reviewing our final top-25 next week, and perhaps looking ahead to the preseason version.

Of course, you'll all be waiting on pins and needles wondering who will be No. 1 on Monday, right?

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Peter from Calgary writes: many way too early preseason polls have Oregon ahead of Stanford. Other than getting clobbered the last two seasons by the [Ducks] (which I admit is a big factor), why do you think this is? Given the losses both teams face from their respective offenses from last season, and that Stanford's defense (at least the front 7) is looking very solid, what gives?

Johnny from San Francisco writes: many people are saying Stanford is going to see a huge drop off with Luck, Decastro, Martin, Fleener, and Howell taking their talents to the NFL. With a redshirt sophomore qb in Brett Nottingham, do you expect Stanford to lean even more heavily on the run, and if so, do you think Stepfan Taylor has a chance to put up Toby Gerhart like numbers?

Ted Miller: Some benighted folks still believe Stanford was a one-man team the past two years: The Stanford Andrew Lucks.

Others, who are now aware that NFL draft boards are loaded with Stanford players other than Luck, believe the Cardinal was good over the past two seasons, but is now headed for a decline.

I don't see it. My guess is Stanford won't play in a third consecutive BCS bowl in 2012, but eight or nine wins and a top-25 ranking certainly seems reasonable. The defense will be good, even with some questions in the secondary. I think whoever wins the quarterback job will be a good enough passer to prevent defenses from completely ganging up on the run. And I think Stanford will continue to run well next fall, though, Johnny, I suspect the ball will get shared too much to allow Taylor to put up Toby Gerhart numbers.

Still, Stanford is not a traditional power, so it still has to prove itself to a skeptical nation. But if the Cardinal do well in 2012, post-Luck, you can count on more folks jumping on the bandwagon nationally.

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Josh from Vancouver, Wash., writes: Oregon's receiving corps was a big weak spot last season. Tuinei was the Ducks' best receiver and he had one 100-yard game. Granted, there are a lot of options in Chip Kelly's system and DAT will get lots of touches, but he's going to get a lot of attention from opposing defenses unless some other receivers can step up. With Josh Huff probably being suspended to start the season and a new quarterback coming in, how much improvement or dropoff do you see for the Ducks' passing game this season?

Ted Miller: Huff is a good player, though he's never seemed like a pure, instinctive receiver to me. Losing him -- for however long -- would be a blow, particularly with questions at receiver.

But for some reason, I don't find myself that skeptical about the poor ole Oregon offense, and that woebegone coach of theirs, Chip Kelly.

From what I've seen of Bryan Bennett -- and what I hear about Marcus Mariota -- the Ducks are going to be talented, if slightly green at quarterback. Kelly's track record, however, is pretty strong at quarterback. After his work with Dennis Dixon, Jeremiah Masoli and Darron Thomas, I'm of the mind that I think the Ducks will get good quarterback play, because they've never gotten bad quarterback play with Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich.

As for receiver, yes, there are unknowns. Rahsaan Vaughn flashed some potential last year, but the real question is which of the three touted redshirt freshman step up: Devon Blackmon, B.J. Kelley or Tacoi Sumler. You'd figure at least one or two will, right?

With or without Huff, I expect the Ducks' offense to keep humming along. Will it average 46 points and 515 yards again in 2012? Maybe not. But I'd be fairly surprised if it dropped off by much more than 10 percent, particularly with a more forgiving schedule.

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John from Phoenix writes: Do you think UCLA's decision to ban parents from their Pro Day could have an affect on recruiting? It seems to me it would be something I would bring up if I was recruiting against them.

Ted Miller: My guess is UCLA folks have recognized at this point that closing pro day -- to parents and media -- was a clumsy mistake, and that policy won't continue to be in place next year. It's nonsensical, of course. And, yes, I'd bring it up if I were recruiting against them.

It's particularly bad when the school then acts like it has "exclusive" access on it's website. By doing that, bloggers like me who care about journalism are forced to ignore that web site and not provide links to it until that policy changes.

More and more schools are trying to control information by hiring their own "writers" and then having then provide the public with homogenized "exclusive news." Some, such as Colorado, seem to do a good job. Others are tightly monitored and are given bogus advantages that are played up as "exclusives." It's a lame trend that hopefully won't last.

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Misbehaving from Parts Unknown: Why did you ban me from the comment section, please let me come back. And why did you delete my comment anyway?

Ted Miller: Kevin Gemmell and I have nothing to do with whoever gets banned after falling afoul of community rules in the comments section.

Neither Kevin nor I have access to any administrative functions in the comment section. Neither of us has ever deleted a comment. Not our territory.

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Erik from Seattle writes: What's your best advice for a UW grad who will be marrying an Oregon grad in less than 4 months?

Ted Miller: First off, congrats.

Second, this is the 21st Century. Mixed marriages can work, though you'll certainly draw a fair share of disapproving stares if you go out to, say, Norm's in Fremont, you in Huskies purple and her in Ducks green. Be strong. Love conquers all!

You also might want to discuss some rules, such as limits to gloating when one or the other's team wins. And just how much green and/or purple can be part of the interior design of your living area. There also might have to be some negotiating over friends who could be deemed psychotic about their Duck/Husky hate.

And I'm sure our fine readers might have some ideas and advice here.

Oregon clearly was in trouble. Its opponent had all summer to prepare for the Ducks gimmicky offense, and we all know what that means. The defense could train its eyes. It could memorize the Ducks' feints and misdirection and personnel groupings. The scheme would become second-nature. Heck, stopping the Ducks' fancypants offense would be easy.

Then Oregon beat New Mexico 72-0 to open the 2010 season, gaining 720 yards.

A lot has been made of how teams with extra time to prepare for Oregon's offense seem to gain a significant advantage. And we're going to make something of it, too. But let's first understand something: When you talk about giving a team extra time, it's most likely the "team" part of the formula that is more important than the "extra time."

Oregon has lost six games under Chip Kelly. Only one defeat came against a team that didn't finish ranked in the nation's top five (8-5 Stanford in 2009). Only one came against a team with just one week to prepare (10-2 USC in 2011). But it's the four nonconference losses that are most notable, in large part because the Ducks' offense put up respectable numbers in the two conference defeats.

Those four games include three undefeated teams and 11-2 Ohio State. Auburn beat Oregon for the national title last year. LSU is playing Alabama for the national title on Jan. 9. In 2009, Boise State went 14-0.

So Kelly's explanation for his team's losses reduces each to a fundamental essence that puts the foundational justification for this story at risk.

"The games we lost are because the other team was better than us," he said.

Better on that day would be the way some in the Ducks locker room might phrase it.

Excuses are bad. No one likes to hear a loser making excuses. But let's make them anyway.

• Boise State 19, Oregon 8: Kelly's head coaching debut was a disaster. The game is best known for Ducks RB LeGarrette Blount's postgame punch. This was the one, truly dominant throttling of Kelly's offense: 152 total yards, including just 31 yards rushing. The Ducks were breaking in four new offensive linemen and it showed. Excuse? Oregon just got whipped in every area, including coaching.
• Ohio State 26, Oregon 17: This one was most notable for Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor posting the best game of his career, passing for a career-high 266 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 72 yards. On the Ducks side, QB Jeremiah Masoli had his worst game of the season, completing 9-of-20 passes for 81 yards with an interception. And Ducks fans certainly remember the fumbled exchange between Masoli and Blount in the third quarter on second-and-2 on the Buckeyes 18 with Ohio State up 19-17. While much is made of the Ducks always losing the battle up front in these games, the Ducks outrushed Ohio State 179 to 153, averaging 5.4 yards per carry compared to 3.0 for the Buckeyes.
• Auburn 22, Oregon 19: The Ducks lost on a last-second field goal in the national title game -- there's shame in that? Sure, they didn't score much but they gained 449 yards. In terms of the physical matchup, sure, Oregon couldn't block DT Nick Fairley. The 2010 Lombardi Award winner was pretty good.
• LSU 40, Oregon 27: The excuse here is the most obvious: What if Oregon didn't lose the turnover battle 4-1, including a fumbled punt that gave LSU a TD? But if you won't entertain the excuses, just look at the facts of the season. How many teams scored 27 points on LSU? That would be none. Next highest totals were 21 and 17 points. The Ducks gained 335 yards. Only West Virginia gained more. Said Kelly, "When it was all said and done, that LSU defense, they are pretty freaking good."

Still, excuses are for losers. If the Ducks' ultimate goal is to rank among the nation's super-elite -- the top five -- it must win these games. It can't average 17.8 points and 95 yards rushing against highly ranked nonconference teams, as it did in these four games.

And if the Ducks go down against Wisconsin on Jan. 2 in the Rose Bowl, they will hear the same sort of chatter. Further, the Badgers believe the extra prep time gives them an advantage against Oregon.

"If you got done with a game on Saturday and you had to get ready for (them), I think it would be a very difficult challenge," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "But the extended prep and the opportunity to kind of slow things down a little bit mentally is going to be great."

Added defensive end Patrick Butrym, "It's such a difficult offense to go against. Honestly, it would be very hard to prepare for them if we only had a week. So I'm glad we have that extra time."

The key for the Ducks is the running game. In all four of the above defeats, the Ducks didn't approach their season average on the ground. That's understandable against good defenses, but the Oregon offense isn't the Oregon offense without an effective rushing attack.

Wisconsin has a good defense -- eighth in the nation in total defense and sixth in scoring -- but it's not as fast as LSU or Auburn and it doesn't have the NFL talent up front Ohio State did. The Badgers rank 46th in the nation against the run, surrendering 138 yards per game.

Kelly also pointed out that the Badgers, despite Big Ten stereotypes, have seen plenty of zone-read running plays and spread passing formations this season. The Ducks' offense won't be completely new.

For Kelly, the formula is simple. He needs to get his speedy playmakers the ball in space. The Ducks need balance. They need to convert on third down. And they need to win battles up front.

Extra prep time spelling doom for Oregon? That's probably part of the equation, but in the end it's just, well, football. Players making plays. Or not.

"It's a quick sound bite," Kelly said of the story that won't die until his team wins a marquee nonconference game.

"The answer is the team that has the best players is going to win the football game."

So are Oregon's players finally better?

Oregon coach Chip Kelly recently groused about how hard it is to get elite teams to sign a home-and-home series with his Ducks. While money, as it often is in college football, is an issue, the biggest reason is teams don't want to get their butts kicked. Kelly's crew has won 18 in a row at home, last losing to Boise State on Sept. 20, 2008.

So when you ask Kelly about what he's learned about his team during a pair of home blowouts after it lost to LSU in Cowboys Stadium, he doesn't make any sweeping pronouncements of newfound skill, confidence or maturity.

"We're a good team at home," he said. "What we've got to learn now is how do we play on the road?"

That's a fair point. Though Oregon has lost only five games over the past two-plus seasons, each has been outside the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium.

And the numbers show a decided difference, too. The Ducks averaged 59 points at home last season and 36.7 points on the road. They averaged 41.6 points at home in 2009 and 29.7 point on the road. On defense, the Ducks held foes to 14.8 points at home in 2010 and 22.0 points on the road. In 2009, it was 20.4 at home and 27.7 on the road.

Of course, every team is better at home, and the quality of the home and road schedules matter. But when your team is trying to join the super-elite, those are numbers coaches notice and point out to players. For example, Auburn last season played better defense on the road, and averaged 45.8 points at home and 36.3 points on the road. In 2009, Alabama averaged 32.7 points at home and 31.4 points on the road. Those are the last two national champions.

So Kelly wants his team to take its A-game -- its Autzen-game -- to Tucson to face reeling Arizona.

Speaking of the Wildcats, a lot has been made of their seven-game losing streak to FBS foes. No one likes a seven-game losing streak.

But some perspective, folks. Four of those games were against top seven-ranked foes, and a fifth was against an Oklahoma State squad that finished 2010 ranked 13th. The Ducks will be the Wildcats third top-10 opponent in three weeks.

"This has been a perfect storm and we've got to weather it," said Arizona coach Mike Stoops (a visit to No. 23 USC is next, by the way).

Further, Stoops is a defensive coach. His most infamous sideline frowns and gesticulations come when his defense is not doing what he wants it to do. And that's been happening a lot of late, seeing that his defense ranks 111th in the nation.

Oregon, by the way, will be bringing the nation's No. 6 offense, the third consecutive top-20 offense the Wildcats will have faced, which is also a good reason the defense has looked so lousy. You might be surprised, however, that the fiery Stoops has become philosophical, preaching the power of positive thinking and learning from adversity.

"You have to look at where it's exposing our weak areas, where we have to get better," he said.

Stoops then is probably noting his run game, which ranks 116th in the nation with an anemic 55.7 yards per game. The Ducks defensive weakness, at least thus far, has been against the run, see 214.3 yards per game, which ranks 11th in the Pac-12. So that's an interesting weakness-on-weakness matchup.

It's more likely, though, this one will come down to a showdown of strength on strength: Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles versus a good Oregon pass defense, which ranks No. 1 in the conference.

Kelly is a big fan of Foles.

"I think Nick is one of the top quarterbacks in the country, not only in this conference," he said. "I don't think he gets nearly enough credit."

Of course, we could have another barn burner. The last time the Ducks visited in 2009, they won a thrilling 44-41 decision in double-overtime, a game that it looked like the Wildcats had in the bag. Until they didn't.

"I remember Jeremiah Masoli just running around making plays," Stoops said. "He made some incredible plays down the stretch. We couldn't come up with that last play to win the game."

Oregon doesn't want that. It wants to come in a take care of business -- like Stanford did in Tucson last weekend -- and look like a team that shouldn't yet be written out of national title contention.

Stoops' team is just trying to weather the storm. But he sees "speed everywhere" with Oregon. And he knows no team brings an offensive maelstrom like the Ducks.

Wise folks have said and written many things about dealing with the hills and valleys of life. Most of us are well aware that it's a mistake to get too high when things are good or too low when they aren't. We know it's better to focus on things we can control and to avoid allowing our emotions to overcome constructive decision-making and ensuing action.

And if any of that were easy, wise folks would spend more time talking and writing about other things.

So we have Oregon. No college football program in the country has combined stunning successes and swirling controversies over the past two-plus seasons as much as Oregon has under coach Chip Kelly. Perhaps even more amazing than the frenetic tempo and creativity of the Ducks' offense is their ability to make news in positive and negative ways, yet remained focused.

Year 1 started with a humiliating loss at Boise State and a punch from then-Ducks RB LeGarrette Blount and ended with a Pac-10 championship and a Rose Bowl berth. Year 2 started with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli -- a Heisman Trophy candidate -- getting booted from the team and ended with another Pac-10 championship and a berth in the national title game.

Year 3? It's started with an NCAA inquiry into the recruitment of redshirt freshman running back Lache Seastrunk, who decided to transfer last weekend, and a $25,000 payment to his mentor, Willie Lyles, who is a recruiting scout and alleged "street agent."

Where will Year 3 end? Will this be the year that the Ducks do get distracted and upended by off-field issues?

"I think the media around here is the smartest people I've ever been around my entire life," Kelly said with what sources said may have been some sarcastic shadings.

"If they voted us No. 1 in the conference and No. 3 in the country, they must not think it is a distraction. So we shouldn't let it be a distraction, because I don't think anyone would vote us No. 3 in the country if you guys thought it was a distraction."

Zing! The capacious "Book of Quotable Chip" adds another entry.

Kelly then referred to one of his handful of mantras: "We have the same mentality all the time. We have a vision for what this football program is supposed to be about and we prepare against that vision. We compete against that vision every Saturday and that's how we measure ourselves. ... We are not concerned with any outside influences, whether it be praise or blame."

Kelly's ability to impose that philosophy -- all part of his "Win the day" credo -- has been remarkable, the fuel for the Ducks' rapid rise in the college football pecking order. When you talk to his players, they either parrot what he says verbatim or provide their own little twist.

Said redshirt junior running back LaMichael James: "I focus on my team and that's it. I don't really care what outsiders have to say."

Still, there's just a little bit of double-speak. Don't believe for a moment the Ducks are unaware of -- and not following -- both the intrigue (Lyles & the NCAA!) and hype (national title contender!) that surrounds them. Kelly claims he doesn't pay attention to what reporters write, but he is curiously apt to tweak them for their stories -- Hey, Chip! -- most notably when they are wrong.

And the players, though totally bought into the Temple of Chip, are the same way. They claim they never discuss the day's headlines. Balderdash.

"Everybody wants to say all this about Oregon," redshirt junior quarterback Darron Thomas said. "We don't like that. We've just been working hard, getting ready for the season, ready to shut everybody up, ready to come out and play ball and forget about all these other allegations that are eventually going to come out."

No one knows when things are "going to come out." The NCAA hasn't even gotten around to sending Oregon an official letter of inquiry, which would spell out how the organization plans to apply vague rules about the use of scouting services. Those who say they know the endgame are lying. Nonetheless, there's been lots of guessing that Oregon and Kelly are in big trouble, with a couple of columns suggesting Kelly will be fired.

"I hope whoever wrote that, and I didn't read it, isn't our athletic director or our president," Kelly said. "I'm very confident in everything that will happen."

It's sometimes hard to believe that Kelly has been a coach in FBS football for just four seasons. Recall that in 2006, he was the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire, a guy only a handful of offensive aficionados knew of. His two-plus years of leading Oregon have been more eventful than entire careers for many head coaches.

When asked if Kelly has shown any stress or strain during his tumultuous tenure, James almost seems amused. "He always seems the same to me," James said. "He maybe seems a little more relaxed."

James also called Kelly "a phenomenal coach." While Rich Brooks made Oregon respectable, and Mike Bellotti created a consistent winner, it's fair to say that Kelly's dynamic leadership has pushed the program to heights that no Ducks fans imagined it could reach, even mega-booster Phil Knight. And for that, James said, Kelly deserves predominant credit.

"Coach Kelly changed the whole identity of the program," said James, who redshirted in 2008, Bellotti's final season as head coach. "Everything is 100 percent different from when I was a true freshman."

What did Kelly change? "I literally mean every single thing," James said.

Of course, Brooks and Bellotti were able to avoid any major NCAA issues, too.

What's next for the Ducks? A win over LSU, a third consecutive conference title and another run at a national championship? NCAA sanctions?

Said Kelly, "I don't know what is going to happen next. No one knows what happens in the future."

One thing is likely: With Kelly and the Ducks, it at least figures to be interesting.

Our countdown of the Pac-12's top 25 players continues.

You can see the final post-2010 top 25 here. It doesn't, however, include players from Colorado or Utah.

3. Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon

2010 numbers: Thomas completed 61.5 percent of his throws for 2,881 yards with 30 touchdown passes. He also rushed for 486 yards and five scores. He ranked second in the Pac-10 and 17th in the nation in passing efficiency.

2010 ranking: No. 4

Making the case for Thomas: Thomas, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior, wasn't supposed to be Oregon's starter last year, and we're not just talking about incumbent QB Jeremiah Masoli getting suspended and then kicked off the team. He was supposed to get beaten out for the starting job by savvy senior Nate Costa. But Thomas won the job, led the Ducks to an unbeaten regular season and second-consecutive Pac-10 championship and turned in a gutty performance in the national title game, overcoming two early interceptions to pass for 363 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Auburn. But Thomas isn't ranked this high just because his team did well in 2010. No, he earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors -- behind Stanford's Andrew Luck -- because he accounted for 35 total touchdowns last season, while skillfully leading the Ducks spread-option offense. He showed uncanny poise as a sophomore, playing on an increasingly big stage each weekend. And it's notable the offense became more reliant on him as running back LaMichael James showed signs of wear-and-tear. So what's the encore? The Ducks might not run as well as they did in 2010 with a rebuilt offensive line, but there also are questions at receiver. More will fall on Thomas this year. If he comes through and improves on his performance from 2010, however, he could end up an All-American and see a happy ending in the final game of the season.

4. Chris Polk, RB, Washington
5. Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
6. Matt Barkley, QB, USC
7. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
8. Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
9. Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon
10. Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
11. Shayne Skov, LB, Stanford
12. T.J. McDonald, S, USC
13. Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington
14. Matt Kalil, OT, USC
15. Delano Howell, S, Stanford
16. Mychal Kendricks, LB, California
17. Rodney Stewart, RB, Colorado
18. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington
19. Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford
20. Jeff Tuel, QB, Washington State
21. Robert Woods, WR, USC
22. Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
23. David Paulson, TE, Oregon
24. David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
25. Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State

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: Oregon

QB Darron Thomas

Running back LaMichael James and cornerback Cliff Harris are the Ducks' biggest superstars -- both preseason All-Americans -- but the depth behind them is so strong, it wouldn't be crushing to lose either. Mind you: It wouldn't feel good; it just wouldn't turn the Ducks into an eight-win team from an 10- or 11-win team. And Thomas' backup, redshirt freshman Bryan Bennett, has been impressive at times, so there wouldn't be an absolute panic if Thomas went down. Bennett has impressive dual-threat skills that would work well in Chip Kelly's spread-option attack, and Kelly's record with quarterback development couldn't be much better (Ricky Santos, Dennis Dixon, Jeremiah Masoli and then Thomas). Still, he's a redshirt freshman and he suffered through what was, at times, a humbling spring. No one knows how he might react if he was suddenly handed the keys to the Ducks' high-powered offense. Further, one would think Thomas, who was good enough to earn second-team All-Pac-10 honors as a first-year starter, is headed for an uptick based on his steady improvement throughout the 2010 season. He's a good leader and his mentally tough performance in the national title game -- recall he recovered from a jittery start -- suggests he's ready for an expanded role. Finally, if Thomas went down and Bennett went in, the QB options thereafter would be severely limited: true freshman Marcus Mariota or Daryle Hawkins, a former QB who's been playing receiver.

It's not often that NC State has something to offer the Pac-12, but more than a few of you apparently think the Wolfpack and coach Tom O'Brien have a gift for the Conference of Quarterbacks: Russell Wilson.

Some of you say, "Who?" Others exclaim, "Go west Russell! Go west!"

Wilson, as ESPN.com's Ryan McGee points out , is presently the second baseman for the Class A Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League. But in a previous incarnation he was a dual-threat quarterback for the Wolfpack, one who led the ACC in total offense (3,563 yards passing, 435 rushing).

And O'Brien has released him from his scholarship, which means he can play anywhere free-and-clear next fall (other than another ACC team or NC State nonconference foe).

Hey, California and UCLA: Is that something you might be interested in?

Sure, it might make sense for Wilson to remain in the region, which means the SEC. And South Carolina and Auburn are two schools that might be interested in Wilson. But what about a sense of adventure? Los Angeles or the Bay Area would broaden your horizons, Russell.

There is a catch: baseball. Wilson is under contract with the Colorado Rockies and, as McGee points out, they don't seem terribly flexible about allowing Wilson to skip off this summer for a preseason camp, on the East or West Coast.

[Rockies senior director of player development Marc] Gustafson said he had read the stories and the comments made by Wilson. Asked if he expected Wilson to play for the Tourists until the season ends Sept. 5, he said, "Absolutely."

Sept. 5, obviously, means that Wilson wouldn't be available for the opening of the season on Sept. 3. Would any team be willing to bring him to town, despite missing fall camp and the first game? Well, stranger things have happened but it's not a great formula for locker room chemistry.

Of course, desperate times at quarterback call for desperate measures. And there are always loopholes and politicking that could get Wilson aboard sooner. If Wilson really wants to play football, he will.

The odds, though, seem remote, particularly of him ending up in the Pac-12. But in January 2010, who would have thought that Jeremiah Masoli would end up the starting quarterback at Ole Miss and not Oregon?

Five former Pac-12 players -- six if you include former Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli -- were selected in the UFL draft on Monday.

Here's the list.

No. 4 Martail Burnett, DE, Utah (Virginia)
No. 13 Joe Toledo, OT, Washington (Omaha)
No. 24 Spencer Paysinger, LB, Oregon (Sacramento)
No. 41 Cameron Colvin, WR, Oregon (Las Vegas)
No. 52 Jeff Maehl, WR, Oregon (Virginia)

Note: Former Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli went 38th to Omaha.

Happy Tuesday.

Missed last week's mailbag, so we're coming back at you three days late.

Follow me on Twitter.

Glen from Sacramento writes: What do you think the likelihood of the Fiesta Bowl losing BCS status to the Cotton Bowl is? That is, the New Cowboys Stadium version.Could this benefit the Pac-12, if the Fiesta were demoted, yet still a high profile (New Years?) bowl? Us Pac-10'rs have long been annoyed by the lack of high profile western region bowls available for our conference. We're stuck watching numerous SEC/Big10 matchups in Florida on New Years day, while a 2nd place, maybe 1 or 2 loss, Pac-10 team often plays in the Holiday Bowl (or now Alamo Bowl) on Dec 30, against a 4th or 5th place Big-12 team.With 12 teams now, can we start pulling some weight with respect to bowl arrangements?

Ted Miller: It's certainly possible that the Fiesta Bowl will get the boot from the BCS. But you know what the Powers That Be in college football want? The story to go away. If you took a magnifying glass to other BCS bowl games -- heck, most bowl games -- you'd almost certainly find similar levels of excess, though maybe not on as grand a scale. Know why there are so many bowls, and why so many fight to maintain the present bowl system? We don't even need a word to answer: $.

Understand: Longtime Fiesta Bowl president and CEO John Junker got away -- allegedly -- with such stunningly excesses because he'd built a stunningly successful enterprise.

If the Fiesta Bowl gets banished from the BCS, the Pac-12 would make sense as a suitor, a topic Bud Withers of the Seattle Times visited on Tuesday. And you really can't count out Larry Scott, the conference's aggressive commissioner, from making any move.

But it's not a slam dunk. For one, the conference's bowl contracts are signed through 2013. So, the Pac-12 can't just swoop in and scoop up the Fiesta Bowl, at least not immediately, or without some complicated legal wrangling.

Further, what would the matchup be? Could the Fiesta Bowl, which presently is aligned with the Big 12 champion, and Pac-12 put together a deal that lures the Big Ten or SEC away from one of their Florida Bowls -- the Capital One Bowl or the Outback Bowl? Or would the game automatically go after the No. 2 team from the Big 12, which presently plays in the Cotton Bowl, if the Cotton Bowl becomes a BCS bowl and gets the Big 12 champion instead of the Fiesta Bowl?

And would the Fiesta Bowl even want the Pac-12? If it could match the No. 3 team from the Big Ten or SEC versus the No. 2 team from the Big 12, it might prefer that matchup. Why? Those conferences offer more big stadium teams with fans who travel in large numbers and fill up hotel rooms and stadiums -- particularly ones trying to escape cold weather.

The present situation is complicated and fluid. My guess is the Fiesta Bowl, after cleaning house, won't get dumped by the BCS. But you never know.

And I'd guess Scott at least has a raised eyebrow over potential opportunities here.

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Phillip from Springfield, Ore., writes: Can I ask you a question? Why is everyone --even you -- so high on Oregon winning the PAC-12 hands down. Is their any hope that they will fail big time to get this done. I will give you 2 reasons why i think they will fail.1being they are new at this being on the big time level. 2 they cant stay on the level with the big boys of college football. And now i will throw this out there: Colorado will not be easy for Oregon. I know they are down but it is in their house they can get it done, not to mention a host of teams that i did not mention. And before you think it, no i am not from Colorado i am a Beaver fan. i will listen to any thing you respond about this. i am a fair man i love collage football.

Ted Miller: There's always a chance that Oregon could not live up to high -- read: top-five -- expectations in 2011. There are always disappointing teams, just as there are surprising teams. When quarterback Jeremiah Masoli got the boot, most folks didn't anticipate the Ducks would actually be better off and end up playing for the national title.

In fact, I got no email last preseason from Ducks fans stating, "You're an idiot. Obviously, Oregon will play Auburn for the national title. How can you not see that? Can we get a writer who knows anything!?!"

As to why folks are high on Oregon, well, that's pretty easy.

The Ducks are the two-time defending Pac-10 champions. They have won 41 games over the past four seasons and have finished ranked in the top-11 the past three seasons.

Sure, they lose some key athletes from the 2010 team that played for the national title, including three linemen on both sides of the ball, but the competitions to replace them feature experienced, talented players. As a media member, it's meaningful when a backup is familiar to you.

Further, quarterback Darron Thomas and running back LaMichael James give the Ducks the nation's best backfield, which is nice, the secondary looks outstanding and recent recruiting has been strong. There are no obvious holes that Ducks fans should lose sleep over.

And, you know, this Chip Kelly guy. He sorta seems like he knows what he's doing.

Washington and Oregon State fans -- and Pac-12 fans in general -- don't want to hear this but Oregon is a "big boy." No, the Ducks can't match Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, Alabama, etc., in historical terms, but the present suggests they are every bit those program's equal. Or superior.

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C-Note from San Francisco writes: When's the Pac-10 Blog officially changing its name to the Pac-12 Blog?

Ted Miller: This is the most popular inquiry I get. I've answered a few times, but will reiterate again.

If you go here -- the official conference website -- the conference remains the Pac-10 until the change is official on July 1. That's not just for business purposes: Pac-10 spring sports are on-going.

For our informal purposes, I only refer to the conference as the Pac-12 -- unless I suffer a brain cramp, which I do regularly -- and I am now covering both Utah and Colorado with all the love and respect and pride I have for my other 10 children.

And, yes, when the name change is official, everything will shift over, the blog and the Twitter account. And hopefully the fine folks at the newly minted Pac-12 office will send me some new logos for the background in my videos.

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Dana from Dallas writes: Fact check on your CU-Utah "once a bitter rivalry" piece. I'm proud to announce that CU picked up it's 18th NCAA championship a few weeks ago. Your column only gave CU credit for 17. The Buffs just want to show some more good faith efforts prior joining the Conference of Champions.Utah came into the championships ranked #1 in the nation, only to place second when it was all said and done.

Ted Miller: My bad. And more fuel to the simmering enmity between Utes and Buffaloes.

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Jeremiah from Mukilteo, Wash., writes: You gotta check out this link. The general public has got to know about [Washington State coach Paul] Wulff's shady recruiting practices. This has got to be a secondary violation somewhere, right?

Ted Miller: And, in a first, the Pac-12 blog enters into the field of scatology.

Coaches love talking about explosion plays. You want to get a lot of them and give up very few.

We looked at offensive explosion plays -- plays of 20 or more yards -- on Tuesday and defenses that prevented explosion plays on Wednesday. Thursday we looked at explosion plays in terms of rushing offense and rushing defense. Today, we'll look at explosion plays in terms of passing numbers.

So here's how the Pac-12 stacked up in 2010 (again, thanks to ESPN Stats & Information). The number to the left is national rank. The number to the right is the total number of explosion plays in the passing game in 2010.

14. Stanford... 48
18. Arizona... 46
37. Oregon... 43
40. Arizona State... 42
40. Utah... 42
54. Oregon State... 38
61. Washington State... 37
65. USC... 36
80. Colorado... 32
91. Washington... 30
100. California... 28
120. UCLA... 11

No surprise Stanford is on top with quarterback Andrew Luck, but Arizona at No. 2 proves that Nick Foles isn't just a dink-and-dunk passer. Some might use this as further evidence that USC's Matt Barkley and Washington's Jake Locker were "overrated."

Oh my, UCLA. Very, very bad.

Some other thoughts.

• UCLA was dead last in the country, and only Army in 2008 -- six! -- produced fewer explosion plays in the passing game over the past three seasons.
• To put the awfulness of the Bruins' downfield passing game into perspective: Every conference team more than doubled the number of passing explosion plays the Bruins produced, and Colorado was one play short of having NINE teams at least triple the Bruins.
• And the blame shouldn't fall on Kevin Prince: In 2009, the Bruins produced 35 explosion plays in the passing game with him as the starter for much of the year.
• Keep in mind that Oregon got 43 passing plays of 20 or more yards with a first-year starter at quarterback. Even though the Ducks lose their top two receivers, don't be surprised if that number goes up in 2011 in Darron Thomas' junior season.
• Oh, and anyone remember Jeremiah Masoli? Last year, the Ducks ranked 67th with 36 explosion plays in the passing game.
• Downfield passing was a clear area of improvement for Foles in 2010. The year before, the Wildcats connected on just 31 passing plays of 20 or more yards.
• In 2009, California had 48 explosion plays in the passing game, which ranked 18th in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-10. Discuss, Cal fans.
• In 2008, with Luck redshirting behind Tavita Pritchard, the Cardinal had only 18 explosion plays in the passing game, which ranked 113th in the nation. In Luck's first year as the starter, 2009, that number perked up to 47, which ranked 25th in the nation.
• Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has his critics, but over the past two years the Razorbacks produced 123 explosion plays in the passing game. In 2008, they had 45.
• In 2008, Tulsa had 82 pass plays of 20 or more yards, most over the past three years. In its 14-game schedule, that means the Golden Hurricane averaged just under six such plays per game. Tulsa is also the only program to rank in the top 10 each of the past three years.

But does piling up explosion plays in the passing game correlate to winning? Short answer: Yes. Here's the top 10 in 2010 with the team's record in parentheses to the right.

1. Hawaii... 80 (10-4)
2. Boise State... 63 (12-1)
3. Arkansas... 62 (10-3)
4. San Diego State... 60 (9-4)
5. Oklahoma... 59 (12-2)
5. Oklahoma State... 59 (11-2)
7. Tulsa... 57 (10-3)
8. Tennessee... 54 (6-7)
9. UAB... 53 (4-8)
10. North Carolina State... 52 (9-4)

That's two losing teams -- though Tennessee was a bowl team -- and eight with at least nine wins and five with 10 or more. Nice mix of AQ and non-AQ teams, too.

Now on to defense, starting with the Pac-12.

The number to the left is national rank. The number to the right is the total number of passing explosion plays yielded in 2010.

6. California... 25
16. Stanford... 29
23. Washington... 31
27. Arizona... 32
27. Colorado... 32
27. Arizona State... 32
41. Oregon...33
41. Washington State... 33
58. UCLA... 36
91. Oregon State... 41
96. Utah... 42
102. USC... 44

Well, USC gave up 30 TD passes, most in the conference by five, so the Trojans in the cellar shouldn't be a surprise. Utah is completely rebuilding its secondary heading into 2011 -- so does that many Utes fans feel better or worse about their standing here? A little surprised Washington did well in this measure. And this is another reason for Cal fans to feel good about defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.

Some other thoughts:

• First of all, the difference between No. 23 and No. 41 is two plays, so there should be a little bit of skepticism about writing too much into these numbers.
• Obviously, the Trojans' young secondary didn't do well digesting Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 scheme in Year 1.
• USC gave up 30 explosion passing plays in 2009 and just 14 in 2008, which is the lowest total over the past three years by six.
• Stanford's pass defense was a big question heading into 2010. Why? In 2009, it gave up 44 passing plays of 20 or more yards. So the improvement this past season was dramatic, and probably one of the big reasons the Cardinal defense took a huge step forward.
• Tip of the cap to Washington State: In 2009, it gave up 47 explosion plays in the passing game, which ranked 110th in the nation. So the improvement in 2010 was dramatic. Of course, the Cougars did give up 29 explosion plays in the running game, which ranked 117th in the nation.
• Utah gave up 28 explosion passing plays in 2009, so there was fairly significant regression in 2010.
• No team ranked in the top 10 three consecutive years, though TCU, Florida and Ohio State consistently ranked highly.
• In 2008, Nevada gave up 70 explosion plays in the passing game. That's 11 more than the second worst total over the past three years. That means Wolf Pack fans had to endure 5.4 big passing plays per game thrown against their defense. Still, Nevada did finish 7-6.

But does limiting passing explosion plays on defense correlate to winning? Short answer: Pretty much. Here's the top 10 in 2010 with the team's record in parentheses to the right.

1. Pittsburgh... 20 (8-5)
2. LSU.. 21 (11-2)
3. TCU... 22 (13-0)
4. Kent State... 23 (5-7)
5. West Virginia... 24 (9-4)
5. Texas... 24 (5-7)
6. Florida... 25 (8-5)
6. California... 25 (5-7)
6. Nebraska... 25 (10-4)
6. Temple... 25 (8-4)
6. Syracuse... 25 (8-5)
6. Boise State... 25 (13-1)

Only three of these 12 teams posted losing records, and they each went 5-7. That said, four won just eight games, so success in this stat doesn't correlate to elite status. Auburn gave up 44 explosion plays in the pass game and it went 14-0 and won the national championship. Virginia Tech gave up 45 and won the ACC.

Still, here's a guess that most defensive coordinators would rather rank at the top of this list than at the bottom.

It took a while for Arizona coach Mike Stoops to warm to the idea, but it appears that he's seriously considering redshirting backup quarterback Matt Scott next year, according to the Tucson Citizen, which cited a radio interview with Jody Oehler.

The idea is Nick Foles starts in 2011, stays healthy and heads to the 2012 NFL draft, while leaving behind an experienced backup in Scott who can take over the job the next fall.

Foles will be one of the nation's top senior quarterbacks this coming season, so it's unlikely that Scott, also a senior but with a redshirt year available, would beat him out. But Scott proved in 2010 that he can play at a high level when he stepped in while Foles was injured. In fact, more than a few fans wanted to see more of Scott, who can make things happen as a runner, even when Foles was healthy.

Of course, you know what they say about your best laid plans? As the Citizen article notes:

Some of the guidelines might still have to be established. If Foles were injured, how long would he have to be out for Arizona to consider activating Scott? The Wildcats’ plan is to use senior Bryson Beirne as the backup in 2011. Can he handle the job for a half? For a game? Two?

How late in the season would be the point of no return for taking Scott out of his redshirt?

Put it like this: Say Foles gets hurt in Game 5 at USC. The severity of his injury is unknown. The Wildcats lead by three heading into the fourth quarter.

If the plan in place is to redshirt Scott, that means Beirne would be getting second-team reps in practice ahead of Scott. So you'd think Beirne would be the guy to try to shepherd home a critical road victory against a South Division foe.

Or would Stoops go with Scott, a more talented, experienced player, no matter the practice work? And then what if Foles is ready to go the next week?

In other words, it's an idea that makes sense but requires crossed fingers.

Know, however, that it has worked: Oregon played quarterback Darron Thomas as a true freshman in 2008 and then redshirted him in 2009, which looks like it will turn out great for the Ducks. Of course, the situations aren't the same. The Ducks had veteran Nate Costa backing up Jeremiah Masoli in 2009, and Costa even started and won at UCLA. The Wildcats don't have the same luxury at the position, though it does help that true freshman Daxx Garman is enrolled and will participate in spring practices.

It will be a situation worth watching this spring. Certainly it would help if Beirne -- or Garman? -- steps up and shows his coaches that he can be a reliable backup.

Following the lead of my esteemed blogging colleagues, I'm going to rank the 10 best stadium "atmospheres" from the Pac-10 games I covered in 2010.

Monday we ranked Nos. 10-6. Today, it's the top-five.

There are three major factors: 1. Stadium color and intensity; 2. The "bigness" of the game; 3. The quality of the game and its performances. And, obviously, I'm only ranking games I attended

5. Oregon at California: While Oregon's 15-13 victory here has been wildly miscast as a game the Ducks won because Cal screwed up a go-ahead field goal -- the kick came on the first play of the fourth quarter -- this was Oregon's closest game, the only one decided by single digits until the national championship game. And the closeness created a nice tension in Memorial Stadium as Bears fans entertained for much of the second half real visions of pulling the upset. The Ducks fourth-quarter drive that ate up the final 9:25 off the clock -- 18 plays, 17 runs -- was a thing of beauty: A good team having a bad night that nonetheless asserted its will to take control at the end.

4. Oregon at USC: More than a few folks saw this as the Ducks most worrisome potential stumbling back: A game at once-fearsome, but now just solid, USC. More than a few folks sold it as "USC's bowl game," and a couple of Trojans agreed that assessment wasn't that far off. The Trojans gave Oregon some trouble until the Ducks flicked their switch and won going away 53-32. The atmosphere in the Coliseum, at least for three quarters, was nearly what it was for big games during the Trojans recent glory days. And the torch was passed.

3. Iowa at Arizona: Forget for a moment the Wildcats' five-game losing streak to end the season. This 34-27 win over then-No. 9 Iowa felt like the Wildcats signature win under Mike Stoops, a game in which they advanced from a good program to a top-25, even top-10 program. The 'Zona Zoo went nuts when quarterback Nick Foles led a nine-play, 72-yard touchdown drive for the go-ahead points. And it went even nuttier when the Wildcats recorded three consecutive sacks when Iowa took over, needing its own clutch drive to tie.

2. Stanford at Oregon: This game was Oregon's "hello world" performance, a 52-31 shellacking of a very good Stanford team that once led 21-3. The atmosphere in Autzen Stadium as Oregon poured it on was electric. The game, played on Oct. 2, firmly established the Ducks as a national title contender and LaMichael James as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Further, it established that the Ducks were better with Darron Thomas at quarterback rather than Jeremiah Masoli. And as the season went on, and Stanford didn't lose again, this became the most impressive regular season performance by any team, other than perhaps Auburn's comeback win at Alabama.

1. BCS National Title Game: Speaks for itself: It was the biggest game of the year and one of the toughest tickets in college football history. While Auburn's 22-19 win over Oregon was a bit sloppy as a whole, the final five or so minutes were thrilling.

Here are all the games I covered in 2010-11.

Week 1: Oregon State vs. TCU (Cowboys Stadium)
Week 2: Stanford at UCLA
Week 3: Iowa at Arizona
Week 4: Oregon at Arizona State
Week 5: Stanford at Oregon
Week 6: Oregon State at Arizona
Week 7: No game
Week 8: UCLA at Oregon
Week 9: Oregon at USC
Week 10: Arizona at Stanford
Week 11: Oregon at California
Week 12: Arizona at Oregon
Week 13: Oregon at Oregon State
Bowl week: BCS National Championship game

There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?

• Former Arizona DE Ricky Elmore looks ahead to the NFL. Is a Savage QB considering a transfer to Arizona?
• Former Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber gets rewarded for his work in the classroom.
• Looking back on California's season: Falling short of preseason expectations.
• Some Colorado players get caught misbehaving, but on the plus side recruiting is picking up.
• Oregon season review: Offensive line. A parade for the Ducks.
• A first look -- with predictions! -- at Oregon State's schedule in 2011.
• UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel trusts his new offensive coordinator.
• A USC recruiting profile.
• Norm Chow doesn't expect a dramatic shakeup at Utah. A look at the Utes recruiting weekend.
• Has Washington found the next Jake Locker?
• You don't have to read far into this article to see that Washington State AD Bill Moos has high expectations.
• What did Jeremiah Masoli do this weekend?
• Jon Wilner is still thinking about Pac-12 football.