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Kicker is typically a strong position in the Pac-12. That is not the case -- at least based on preseason appearances -- this fall.

Just five teams welcome back experienced kickers. The pickings is so slim in terms of quality that Phil Steele named Arizona's Alex Zendejas third-team All-Pac-10 in his preview magazine.

So how does this thin group stack up? Read on.

Great shape

Washington: Erik Folk was perfect on 33 PATs last year while also connecting on 13 of 20 field goals with a long of 54 yards. Most years, these numbers would rate as "good" rather than "great," but having the best returning kicker in the conference, even if his numbers aren't scintillating, is a significant boost.

Good shape

Oregon: Rob Beard made 10 of 13 field goals last year -- coach Chip Kelly doesn't like field goals -- and was 63 of 64 on PATs.

Arizona: Zendejas had some, er, notable issues -- we won't even bring up the PATs in the Arizona State game -- but he did make 14 of 19 field goals with a long of 47. His 73.7 percent field goal percentage ranked third in the Pac-10 in 2010, ahead, by the way, of UCLA's Kai Forbath.

Washington State: Washington State only attempted 11 field goals last year. It made seven of those, three from Andrew Furney, who tops the post-spring depth chart. He also was 18-of-18 on PATs.

California: Giorgio Tavecchio is probably not going to be a great kicker, but he's experienced. He made 11 of 16 kicks last year with a long of 53. He missed two of his 39 PATs.

We'll see

Stanford: Jordan Williamson and Eric Whitaker battled this spring to replace Whitaker's older brother, Nate, who was first-team All-Pac-10 in 2010. Williamson seemed to have a slight lead heading into the offseason, though Whitaker has more experience.

USC: True freshman Andre Heidari was the nation's top-rated prep kicker last year. It's unlikely he will do worse than last year's kicker, Joe Houston, who ranked last in the conference in field goal percentage, though he was perfect on 43 PATs.

UCLA: The post-spring depth chart included an "or" between junior Jeff Locke -- the Bruins' punter -- and redshirt freshman Kip Smith.

Oregon State: Trevor Romaine was ahead of Max Johnson after spring practices to replace Justin Kahut. Both missed two attempts in the spring game. Romaine showed a good foot on kickoffs.

Utah: Coleman Petersen beat out Nick Marsh, the Utes' kickoff specialist last year, this spring to replace Joe Phillips. He's never kicked in a game.

Arizona State: Thomas Weber is gone. His replacement looks like redshirt freshman Alex Garoutte, who wasn't consistent this spring.

Colorado: Justin Castor topped the depth chart this spring -- he wasn't terribly consistent -- but incoming freshman Will Oliver might give him some competition.

Special teams -- particularly field goal kicking -- in the Pac-12 in 2011 might not be lacking.

Only California, Oregon and Washington welcome back both their kicker and punter, and the Bears aren't exactly celebrating their experience at kicker from the past few seasons. Arizona State and USC are replacing both positions.

Though both All-Pac-10 punters are back -- California's Bryan Anger and UCLA's Jeff Locke -- both all-conference kickers are gone (Stanford's Nate Whitaker and UCLA's Kai Forbath).

So where do teams stand in terms of specialists?

Arizona: Kicker Alex Zendejas is back, punter Keenyn Crier is gone.
2011? While Zendejas' numbers were mostly solid, he had several notable misses (insert forehead slap from Wildcats fans). Those two blocked extra points against Arizona State were two of five missed PATs. JC transfer Kyle Dugandzic is expected to take over at punter.

Arizona State: Kicker Thomas Weber and punter Trevor Hankins are gone.
2011? JC transfer Josh Hubner takes over at punter, while redshirt freshman Alex Garoutte will do the kicking. Cautious optimism in Tempe.

California: Anger and kicker Giorgio Tavecchio are back.
2011? Anger is one of the best punters in the nation, though he has been known to shank a few. Tavecchio made 11 of 16 field goals last year, but a false start and miss versus Oregon is what most Bears fans remember.

Colorado: Punter Zach Grossnickle is back, kicker Aric Goodman is gone.
2011? Grossnickle averaged 39.47 yards per punt in 2010, which would have ranked last in the Pac-10. Sophomore Justin Castor is No. 1 at kicker after spring practices.

Oregon: Punter Jackson Rice and kicker Rob Beard are back.
2011? Oregon probably feels pretty good about both, though neither put up elite numbers.

Oregon State: Punter Johnny Hekker is back, kicker Justin Kahut is gone.
2011? Hekker ranked eighth in the conference in 2010 (41.7 yards per punt). Hopes are high for Trevor Romaine at kicker.

Stanford: Whitaker is gone, punter Daniel Zychlinski is back.
2011? Eric Whitaker is expected to take over for older brother, Nate. Zychlinski ranked seventh in the conference with a 41.8-yard average, though he only punted 27 times, 13 fewer than Rice.

UCLA: Forbath is gone, Locke is back.
2011? The hope is freshman Kip Smith can take over for Forbath. If not, Locke could end up kicking also. He led the conference and ranked fourth in the nation in punting in 2010 (45.8 yards per punt).

USC: Punter Jacob Harfman and kicker Joe Houston are both gone.
2011? Not to be mean, but good riddance. Both put up lousy numbers last year. Two freshman are expected to take over: Andre Heidari at kicker and Kristopher Albarado at punter.

Utah: Punter Sean Sellwood is back, kicker Joe Phillips is gone.
2011? Sellwood averaged 41 yards per kick, which is mediocre, and three were blocked, which is bad. Sophomore Nick Marsh emerged from spring No. 1 on the depth chart at kicker.

Washington: Punter Kiel Rasp and kicker Erik Folk are both back.
2011? Rasp and Folk are solid but unspectacular. Folk's 54-yard field goal was the longest in the conference in 2010, but he also missed seven of 20 field goals. Rasp ranked fifth, averaging 43.8 yards per boot.

Washington State: Punter Reid Forrest is gone, kicker Andrew Furney is back.
2011? Forrest was one of the best punters in the nation in 2010. Dan Wagner takes over. Furney converted 3 of 5 field-goal, with a long of 51 yards after taking over midseason for Nico Grasu.

Our countdown of the Pac-10's top-25 players is over, and the chief result is annoying Stanford fans, particularly those of FB-LB Owen Marecic.

Their gripe is legit. Not including Marecic kept me up at night -- really -- but this wasn't a list of my favorite players.

On Tuesday, we will look at the players who just missed the cut, which includes Marecic and a significant group of Stanford teammates. It's a long list -- nearly as long as the top-25 -- with a lot of good players. It was easier when I did my first iteration of this list in 2009, which included 30 players.

A lot of Oregon fans disagree with me -- and with Chip Kelly and Nick Aliotti and the Pac-10 coaches who vote for the All-Pac-10 team -- and rank Cliff Harris ahead of Talmadge Jackson. Certainly their right. Not sure Ducks fans have much to gripe about with this list, though, considering there are seven Ducks on it and no other team has more than three.

Feel free to make your own lists. The most difficult part, you'll find, is when you come up with 25 names and then go, "Oh, crud, forgot about X! Can't leave him off!" And then you have to knock someone off your list.

And the next list -- preseason -- will be tougher because it will including Colorado and Utah.

Couple of notes.

Here are the top-25 players by team. The bolded names return in 2011.

Arizona
6. Juron Criner
15. Brooks Reed
18. Nick Foles

Arizona State
11. Omar Bolden
13. Vontaze Burfict

California
8. Cameron Jordan
25. Shane Vereen

Oregon
2. LaMichael James
4. Darron Thomas
12. Jeff Maehl
17. Kenny Rowe
19. Casey Matthews
20. Talmadge Jackson
22. Cliff Harris

Oregon State
3. Stephen Paea
9. Jacquizz Rodgers

Stanford
1. Andrew Luck
10. Chase Beeler

UCLA
21. Akeem Ayers

USC
14. Matt Barkley
16. Tyron Smith
24. Jurrell Casey

Washington
4. Mason Foster
7. Chris Polk
23. Jermaine Kearse

Washington State
None

And here are the players who made the preseason list but didn't make this list. Some tough cuts here.

No. 2. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
No. 6. James Rodgers, WR, Oregon State
No. 7. Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
No. 10. Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona
No. 12. Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona
No. 18: Colin Baxter, C, Arizona
No. 20. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State
No. 22. Owen Marecic, LB/FB, Stanford
No. 23. Kristofer O'Dowd, C, USC
No. 25 Kai Forbath, K, UCLA

Next week, the blog begins a countdown of the Pac-10's top-25 (not Pac-12 when we look back).

Many of you will be outraged.

Why? Because I am outraged at the limits of 25 spots, which means a number of top players -- even high NFL draft picks -- are going to get left off.

A number of players from our preseason top-25 list fall out for no justifiable reason, other than other players are more impossible to not include on the list.

You will send hate mail. I am already sending some to myself.

Just for reference, here's our preseason top-25.

No. 1. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State
No. 2. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
No. 3. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
No. 4. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
No. 5. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
No. 6. James Rodgers, WR, Oregon State
No. 7. Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
No. 8. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA
No. 9. Mike Mohamed, LB, California
No. 10. Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona
No. 11. Mason Foster, LB, Washington
No. 12. Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona
No. 13. Kenny Rowe, DE, Oregon
No. 14. Jurrell Casey, DT, USC
No. 15. Cameron Jordan, DE, California
No. 16. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
No. 17. Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
No. 18: Colin Baxter, C, Arizona
No. 19: Chase Beeler, C, Stanford
No. 20. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State
No. 21. Matt Barkley, QB, USC
No. 22. Owen Marecic, LB/FB, Stanford
No. 23. Kristofer O'Dowd, C, USC
No. 24: Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon
No. 25 Kai Forbath, K, UCLA

Senior Bowl practices are winding down: The players were in shorts on Thursday. Here are a few notes.

Colorado OT Nate Solder may have secured the title of "best offensive lineman available."

Colorado OT Nate Solder was the best lineman here this week. He showed a good combination of size, feet and lateral agility, but the thing that stuck out was his toughness. He was playing with a chip on his shoulder and mixing it up.

UCLA kicker Kai Forbath got this review:

He doesn't have a huge leg, but he's been good inside of 40 yards this week. You can tell, however, that kickoffs are not his strength, as he just doesn't have enough leg. He tries to overcompensate, and it affects his hang time and accuracy. Even Thursday, he did three kickoffs with team drills and unintentionally squibbed two kicks; the one he connected cleanly on reached only the 10.

Washington LB Mason Foster was called a "riser" all week:

Two linebackers who helped themselves this week are LSU ILB Kelvin Sheppard and Washington OLB Mason Foster. Foster showed why he was second in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 163 tackles displaying natural instincts. He finds the ball quickly, reacts quickly and gets into position to make the tackle. He's not the best athlete, but he is a reliable tackler and has enough power, strength and explosiveness in his hips when taking on blockers. He has good coverage awareness and is a big contributor on special teams. At the start of the season, he was a late-round prospect, but after a good campaign and a good week here, he's in the mid-fourth-round range now.

Washington QB Jake Locker got mixed reviews, and that link includes many of them.

Stanford CB Richard Sherman had a good day Thursday:

Stanford CB Richard Sherman had a great day. He’s very big but also real fast. Showed great instincts in the red zone drill, understood where the receiver was going and had enough skill to redirect and/or impede without committing a penalty. Made a couple of good adjustments on the fly, has the balance to change direction quickly and charge under control. He is visibly better than Chris Cook, a CB with similar size who went at the top of the 2nd round last year. The coaches still in attendance gushed over him.

Some more thoughts on California DE Cameron Jordan, including a nice review from an opposing offensive tackle.

Cal’s Cameron Jordan (6 feet 4 inches, 287 pounds) is nearly unblockable.

“He really impressed me,’’ said Boston College offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo. “He’s real strong to go with some good moves and speed. A really good player.’’

Several scouts compared Jordan to former Patriot Adalius Thomas because of his versatility and skill set. Thomas didn’t work out long-term in New England, but Bill Belichick obviously likes that type of player. Jordan is a young, moldable player who will stay within the scheme.

That Boston Globe article also noted Arizona DE Brooks Reed.

While the other top 3-4 outside linebackers will be underclassmen, Brooks Reed (Arizona) and K.J. Wright (Mississippi State) are promising.

Reed is very strong at 6-2 1/2, 257, and has good explosion off the ball. Wright is long-limbed at 6-3 and 246, and played in a passive read-and-react system. He needs to be coached up but has a high ceiling if someone can get him to turn it loose.

More on Reed here:

Arizona LB Brooks Reed has looked very good as an edge rusher in drills. He has been playing with his hand on the ground, as well as on the outside in the Bills' 3-4, this week and has been very impressive getting past tackles.

From the same article, some praise for USC WR Ronald Johnson:

USC WR Ronald Johnson looks like he has some legit run-after-the-catch ability. He's had a good week.

From what I can gather, Jordan, Foster, Reed and Johnson were generally considered the top "risers" among Pac-10 players, and if you go Pac-12, Solder also had a strong week.

Locker, Sherman, Oregon LB Casey Matthews and USC center Kristofer O'Dowd seemed to get mixed reviews, though none of them laid an egg or saw his stock drop drastically.

Thirteen Pac-10 players representing eight different teams will participate in the Under Armour Senior Bowl, the premier postseason college football all-star game.

The 62nd game is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on Jan. 29 in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game and all practices will be televised live by NFL Network.

The Pac-10 players picked for the game are:

Arizona: Brooks Reed, DL
California: Cameron Jordan, DL
Oregon: Casey Matthews, LB
Oregon State: Stephen Paea, DL
Stanford: Sione Fua, DL; Owen Marecic, RB
UCLA: Kai Forbath, K; Christian Yount, DS
USC: Ronald Johnson, WR; Kristofer O’Dowd, OL; Shareece Wright, DB
Washington: Mason Foster, LB; Jake Locker, QB

Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler, Stanford outside linebacker Chase Thomas and Arizona State kick returner Jamal Miles have been named Pac-10 Players of the Week.

Osweiler, a sophomore from Kalispell, Mont., came off the bench when starter Steven Threet suffered a head injury in the first quarter and completed 27 of 38 passes for 380 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in Arizona State’s come-from-behind 55-34 win against UCLA. Osweiler also rushed six times for 35 yards, including a 15-yard TD run, and avoided being sacked.

Thomas, a junior from Marietta, Ga., recorded nine tackles, including 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks in the 38-0 win against Oregon State. He also forced a fumble and added a pass breakup, leading the Cardinal to its third shutout of the season. It’s the first time Stanford has had three shutouts in the same season since 1969.

Miles, a sophomore from Peoria, Ariz., returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in Arizona State’s win against UCLA. Miles became the third different Sun Devil player who has returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 2010. The three kickoff returns for touchdowns set an ASU school record -- and tied a Pac-10 record -- for the most in a single season.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were quarterbacks Nick Foles of Arizona, Darron Thomas of Oregon, Andrew Luck of Stanford, Richard Brehaut of UCLA and running back Chris Polk of Washington. Also nominated on defense were safety Eddie Elder of Arizona State, linebacker Casey Matthews of Oregon, safety Tony Burnett of USC and linebacker Mason Foster of Washington. Also nominated on special teams were place kickers Nate Whitaker of Stanford, Kai Forbath of UCLA, Joe Houston of USC and punter Kiel Rasp of Washington.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, USC safety T.J. McDonald and UCLA kicker Kai Forbath of UCLA have been named Pac-10 Players of the Week.

Luck, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, completed 23 of 32 passes for 293 yards with two touchdowns (45, 5 yards) and no interceptions in the 42-17 win over Arizona. He also rushed three times for 25 yards, bringing his season total to 370 rushing yards, most ever in a single season by a Stanford quarterback. He now has 22 touchdown passes on the season, which is tied for fourth on Stanford’s single-season list.

McDonald, a sophomore from Fresno, Calif., blocked a punt and had a game-high 13 tackles in the Trojans 34-33 win over Arizona State. He also partially blocked another punt and he downed a punt at the ASU 4-yard line. McDonald tops USC in tackles (68) and interceptions (3) in 2010.

Forbath, a senior from Pacific Palisades, Calif., kicked a 51-yard game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock to lift the Bruins to a 17-14 victory over Oregon State. After missing a potential game-winning field goal from 46 yards out with 1:17 remaining, Forbath redeemed himself with the game-winner as time expired. It was his 10th career field goal from 50 or more yards.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were wide receiver Gerell Robinson of Arizona State, running back Shane Vereen of California, offensive lineman Mark Asper of Oregon, quarterback Richard Brehaut of UCLA, and running back Marc Tyler of USC. Also nominated on defense were cornerback Omar Bolden of Arizona State, defensive end Cameron Jordan of California, linebacker Talmadge Jackson III of Oregon, safety Delano Howell of Stanford, and linebacker Sean Westgate of UCLA. Also nominated on special teams were cornerback LeQuan Lewis of Arizona State, punter Bryan Anger of California, kick returner Josh Huff or Oregon, punt returner Drew Terrell of Stanford, and offensive tackle Tyron Smith of USC.

A look back on the week that was.

Team of the week: Stanford rolled up 510 yards of offense against one of the nation's best defenses in a 42-17 win against Arizona. The Cardinal defense wasn't too shabby either while holding the Wildcats to 15.6 points less than their season scoring average. A Facebook page has been set up to promote the Cardinal's potential availability for an at-large BCS bowl berth.

Best game: USC's entertaining 34-33 win against Arizona State included: 1. Two long interception returns for TDs; 2. A 100-yard kickoff return for a score; 3. A blocked PAT returned for a critical 2-points for USC; 4. 46 second-half points after a rather slow first half; 5. A missed potential game-winning field goal by slumping Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber, a former Groza Award winner; and, 6. A personal foul penalty from linebacker Vontaze Burfict (again) that helped set up the Trojans game-winning field goal.

Biggest play: Call this the biggest "replay." With four seconds left in the UCLA-Oregon State game, Bruins quarterback Richard Brehaut completed a 12-yard pass to Randall Carroll to put the Bruins in position for a 51-yard field goal. But it appeared the play clock had expired, as the field officials ruled. But the Bruins challenged the call and won, getting 1 more second to play, and kicker Kai Forbath connected for a 17-14 win.

Offensive standout: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck dominated a good Arizona defense, completing 23 of 32 for 293 yards with two TDs in the Cardinal's 42-17 win. He also ran for 25 yards on three carries and avoided getting sacked even once by a defense that led the Pac-10 in taking down quarterbacks.

Defensive standout: USC linebacker Malcolm Smith, who's missed two games with a knee injury, recorded seven tackles and a sack against Arizona State and he also returned an interception 74 yards for a TD in the Trojans' victory.

Special teams standout: Arizona State's LeQuan Lewis had a 100-yard kickoff return against USC. The return cut the Sun Devils deficit at USC to 29-21 and seemed to ignite a comeback that ultimately fell short.

Smiley face: California, UCLA and USC each have had their heart questioned this year. All three showed heart this weekend while winning games many thought they'd lose.

Frowny face: Arizona State and Oregon State. The Sun Devils mounted a nice comeback but (again) let a game slip away. Lots of what ifs (again). And we are as baffled as coach Mike Riley about the Beavers' spiritless performance at UCLA.

Thought of the week: If Stanford and Oregon keep winning, it seems likely that both Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck and Ducks running back LaMichael James will get invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. The Pac-10 sent two to New York in 2005 (USC's Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush), but the last time two different conference schools produced finalists was 1988 (USC's Rodney Peete finished second to Barry Sanders; UCLA's Troy Aikman was third).

Questions for the week: Is the Pac-1o going to end up top-heavy? It seems like there's a solid chance that Oregon and Stanford will win the rest of their games. But what about everyone else? Arizona is the only other ranked team, and it's got some tough games ahead (USC, at Oregon, Arizona State). It's possible the final rankings will feature two top-five Pac-10 teams and no one else. And could there really be five teams with losing records?

UCLA has risen from the dead. Again.

Kick Kai Forbath, the nation's best kicker, made a 51-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give the Bruins the 17-14 win.

Forbath had previously missed two field goals, which is nearly as shocking as the Bruins beating the previously surging Beavers.

UCLA improves to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the Pac-10 and greatly improves its chances to earn bowl eligibility. It needs to win two of its final three games: at Washington on Thursday, at Arizona State on Nov. 26 and home against USC on Dec. 4.

The Bruins defense, dominated last weekend by Arizona, held Oregon State to just 267 total yards. Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for on 64 yards on 14 carries. He didn't score a rushing TD, which ended a streak of 12 consecutive games with one.

Entering the game, the Beavers, now 4-4 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-10, controlled their own Rose Bowl destiny. That's no longer the case.

If Arizona loses to Stanford, Oregon then could lose any of its final three games and still win the Pac-10.

The Beavers play host to Washington State next weekend.

Oregon running back LaMichael James, Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris and Washington kicker Erik Folk are the Pac-10 Players of the Week.

James, a sophomore from Texarkana, Texas, led No. 4 Oregon to a 52-31 victory over No. 9 Stanford, carrying the ball 31 times for a career-high 257 yards and three touchdowns. His 76-yard touchdown run came on his final carry as he sealed the game with 1:10 remaining. It was his second 200-yard rushing performance this season.

James also was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week.

Harris, a sophomore from Fresno, Calif., collected five tackles to go along with two second-half interception and a pass breakup. His second interception occurred in the end zone when Stanford had a first and 10 on the Ducks 11-yard line. It’s the second Player of the Week honor for Harris -- he won for special teams after game one.

Folk, a junior from Woodland Hills, Calif., came through for Washington for the second straight time against USC as he hit a game-winning field goal to beat the 18th-ranked Trojans. This time, his 32-yarder split the uprights as time expired, giving the Huskies the 32-31 win over No. 18 USC. He was 4-for-4 on field goals for the evening, hitting from 23, 41, 35 and 32 yards. He also made both PAT attempts, accounting for 14 of the team’s 32 points. Last season, it was Polk’s 22-yarder with three seconds to play that made the difference in a 16-13 win over No. 3 USC.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were running backs Deantre Lewis of Arizona State, Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State, Stepfan Taylor of Stanford, Johnathan Franklin of UCLA, Allen Bradford of USC, and quarterback Jake Locker of Washington. Also nominated on defense were defensive tackle Stephen Paea of Oregon State, safety Taylor Skaufel of Stanford, defensive tackle David Carter of UCLA and linebacker Mason Foster of Washington. Also nominated for special teams were punter Trevor Hankins of Arizona State, place kicker Rob Beard of Oregon, kick returner Jordan Poyer of Oregon State, and place kicker Kai Forbath of UCLA.

Sloppy is fine when your team is winning.

Both UCLA and Texas have been sloppy, but the Longhorns have been just a little sloppier as the Bruins lead 7-3.

Neither offense has been gangbusters, but when Texas fumbled a punt on its own 4-yard line -- a baffling decision to even try to field a punt there -- it made things pretty easy.

Earlier, UCLA wasted a first down on the Texas 20-yard line after a Longhorns fumble caused on a sack by Akeem Ayers. Pretty strange to see Kai Forbath miss a field goal.

A fumble from UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin on the Bruins' 19 set up the Longhorns' field goal.

The Bruins have only gained 18 yards, but leading No. 7 Texas is a good thing. The Bruins, particularly the defense, have to feel good about what has transpired thus far.

A Pac-10 QB is atop Mel Kiper's "Big Board," but it's no longer Washington's Jake Locker.

It's Stanford's Andrew Luck.

Here's what Kiper has to say about Locker's terrible game vs. Nebraska:

Still, it's hard to ignore the dreadful showing Jake Locker had against Nebraska. While I noted in Stock Watch that the totals were worse than the tape -- Locker was facing a loaded secondary, and was constantly harassed and forced to simply dump the ball -- he's still due for a fall. It's a developmental issue. NFL evaluators still see significant talent, but they are hesitant to take a QB as high as No. 1 overall if they think he needs significant tutoring at the NFL level. They simply can't have the patience because of the tenuous nature of their own jobs. So Locker takes a hit this week.

Kiper therefore drops Locker to No. 4, though he still lists Locker as the No. 1 senior QB.

Also on the Big Board: The UCLA duo of LB Akeem Ayers and S Rahim Moore are rated 18th and 24th, respectively.

Other top Pac-10 seniors:

• Stanford's Owen Marecic and USC's Stanley Havili rate as the top two fullbacks.
• USC's Ronald Johnson is the No. 2 receiver.
• USC's Kristofer O'Dowd is the No. 3 center.
• Oregon State's Stephen Paea is the No. 2 DT.
• UCLA's Kia Forbath is the No. 1 kicker. Arizona State's Thomas Weber is No. 3.
• Arizona State's Trevor Hankins is the No. 2 punter, while Washington State's Reid Forest is No. 5.

As for Pac-10 non-seniors:

• Luck is the No. 1 QB. Arizona's Nick Foles is No. 4.
• Kiper lists Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon's LaMichael James and California's Shane Vereen as the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 RBs.
• Cal's Anthony Miller, Oregon's David Paulson and USC's Rhett Ellison are the Nos. 2, 4 and 5 tight ends.
• USC's Jurrell Casey is the No. 3 DT. Arizona State's Lawrence Guy is No. 5.
• USC's Chris Galippo, who doesn't start, rates as the No. 5 inside linebacker.
• Ayers is the No. 1 OLB. Moore is the No. 1 safety.
• Washington's Erik Folk is the No. 2 kicker.
• Cal's Bryan Anger is the No. 1 punter

Some quick notes to get you through the hours until Saturday.

• Five Pac-10 players accounted for at least three TDs last weekend: California's Shane Vereen, Oregon's Kenjon Barner (5 TDs), USC Ronald Johnson (4 TDs), Arizona State's Deantre Lewis and Arizona State's Cameron Marshall.
• Three Pac-10 QBs rank among the nation's top seven in passing efficiency: Stanford's Andrew Luck at No. 3, USC's Matt Barkley at No. 4 and California's Kevin Riley at No. 7.
• Seven different Arizona receivers caught at least three passes last week at Toledo.
• Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber is 3 for 3 from beyond 50 yards in his career after booting a 52-yard field goal vs. Portland State. He was one of three conference kickers to connect from beyond 50 yards (Washington's Erik Folk, 54 yards, and Washington State's Nico Grasu, 56 yards).
• Cal is 2-2 all-time with Colorado, but this is its first meeting since 1982.
• Oregon is one of eight teams nationally that produced shutouts last weekend.
• Ducks CB Cliff Harris returned two punts for TDs -- for 61 and 64 yards -- in the win over New Mexico. Two punt returns for TDs has only been accomplished twice before by Pac-10 players: USC's Mike Garrett in 1965 vs. Cal; UCLA's Sam Brown in 1954 vs.Stanford.
• Oregon State safety Lance Mitchell leads the conference in tackles after recording 18 vs. TCU. Fellow safety Suaesi Tuimaunei is tied for third with 14.
• UCLA leads its series with Stanford 45-32-3.
• UCLA kicker Kai Forbath tied two NCAA records after going 3 for 3 vs. Kansas State. His 27 games with at least two field goals ties Georgia's Kevin Butler and his 13 with at least three ties Arizona State's Luis Zendejas. Forbath has made 40 consecutive field goals inside of 50 yards. His 75 career field goals are just 12 short of the NCAA record of 87.
• USC has won 31 consecutive night games (USC-Oregon kicked off at 5 p.m. last year).
• Washington QB Jake Locker made his college debut as a redshirt freshman at Syracuse in 2007. The Huskies won 42-12.
• Dating back to the last part of the 1975 season, the Huskies have gone 35-14 when playing at home the game after a loss on the road.
• Washington State is trying to snap a 10-game losing streak Saturday vs. Montana State. The Cougars are 6-0 all-time vs. the Bobcats.

Oregon running back Kenjon Barner, Oregon State safety Lance Mitchell and Oregon punt returner Cliff Harris have been named Pac-10 Players of the Week.

Barner, a sophomore from Riverside, Calif., carried the ball 17 times for a career-high 147 yards and four touchdowns covering 1, 25, 10 and 41 yards. He also added one reception for 60 yards and a touchdown in Oregon’s 72-0 win over New Mexico. He posted 225 all-purpose yards in the game’s first 21 minutes and nine seconds before taking the bench for the remainder of the game. Barner’s five TDs tied a school record and he currently leads the nation in scoring (30.0 points per game). Oregon rolled up a school record 720 yards in the victory.

Mitchell, a junior from Pasadena, Calif., collected a career-high 18 tackles, the eighth most in Oregon State history, in the 30-21 loss to TCU. He also added his second career interception which set up the Beavers’ first touchdown of the game.

Harris, a sophomore from Fresno, Calif., set a school record, and matched a Pac-10 record, with two punt returns for touchdowns that covered 61 and 64 yards, respectively. The two other times that was accomplished in the Pac-10 was in 1965 by Mike Garrett, USC vs. California; and 1954 by Sam Brown, UCLA vs. Stanford.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were wide receiver Juron Criner of Arizona, running back Cameron Marshall of Arizona State, wide receiver Keenan Allen of California, quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford and quarterback Matt Barkley of USC. Also nominated on defense were linebackers Paul Vassallo of Arizona, Colin Parker of Arizona State, Mike Mohamed of California, Casey Matthews of Oregon and Max Bergen of Stanford. Also nominated for special teams play were kickers Thomas Weber of Arizona State, Kai Forbath of UCLA and Nico Grasu of Washington State, and punt returners Jeremy Ross of California and Ronald Johnson of USC.