ESPN College Football

2011 overall record: 7-6
2011 conference record: 5-4 (3rd, North)
Returning starters: Offense: 8; defense: 7; kicker/punter: 0

Top returners
QB Keith Price, TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, WR Kasen Williams, S Sean Parker, CB Desmond Trufant, DT Danny Shelton, DE Josh Shirley

Key losses
RB Chris Polk, OT Senio Kelemete, WR Jermaine Kearse, DT Alameda Ta'amu, LB Cort Dennison

2011 statistical leaders (*returner)
Rushing: Chris Polk (1,488 yards)
Passing: Keith Price* (3,063 yards)
Receiving: Jermaine Kearse (699 yards)
Tackles: Cort Dennison (128)
Sacks: Josh Shirley* (8.5)
Interceptions: Sean Parker* (4)

Spring answers
1. For the defense: Coach Steve Sarkisian rebuilt his defensive staff around star coordinator Justin Wilcox, and the early returns are promising. And not just because of the coaches. There's more talent on defense than the Huskies showed during a terrible 2011 campaign. The chief task this spring, however, was blending in the new coaches -- five of them, including offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau -- with the players and Sarkisian's ways.

2. Secondary not an issue: The Huskies have some folks who can play -- and have played -- in the secondary, starting with cornerback Desmond Trufant and safety Sean Parker. There's also Justin Glenn, Greg Ducre, Will Shamburger and Tre Watson, a transfer from Central Washington. Plus, touted safety Shaq Thompson arrives in the fall, and redshirt freshman Travis Feeney is promising.

3. Not unskilled: There was reason entering spring to fret about the skill positions, other than quarterback. The Huskies lost running back Chris Polk as well as receivers Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar. But, after spring, things seem at least solid. At tailback, it's probably going to be by committee with Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey, as well as junior-college transfer Antavius Sims and redshirt freshman Dezden Petty. And maybe Deontae Cooper comes back healthy? At receiver, James Johnson, Kasen Williams, Cody Bruns, who redshirted last season, and Kevin Smith (if healthy) give the Huskies a solid crew. Some redshirt freshmen and intriguing incoming players could also get into the mix.

Fall questions
1. Oooooo-Line? The Huskies should be welcoming back four starters, but guard Colin Porter was forced to retire due to injuries, and other guys were beat up this spring. If Colin Tanigawa, who missed all of spring with a knee injury, tackle Erik Kohler and center Drew Schaefer all come back healthy, then things should be OK. But that remains to be seen.

2. LB woes? It's still uncertain whether the Huskies will be primarily 3-4 of 4-3 on defense, so we don't know how things will shake out at linebacker. We do know that the Huskies were bad there last year. Three safeties -- Taz Stevenson, Nate Fellner and Evan Zeger -- moved to LB to bolster things, while John Timu, Princeton Fuimaono -- both returning starters -- Thomas Tutogi, Garret Gilliland and Jamaal Kearse are in the mix. Next to the offensive line, this is a position where fans should feel free to be concerned.

3. Backing up Price? Redshirt freshman Derrick Brown is No. 2 at present, mostly by default. But two touted freshmen arrive in the fall: Jeff Lindquist and Cyler Miles. Brown improved over the course of the spring, but the freshmen are good enough to challenge him immediately. And, keep in mind, the No. 2 QB isn't important until he becomes your most important player.

Some quotes from the Pac-12 coaches conference call earlier today.

• Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez on how his players grasped his philosophy: "I think they grasped it pretty well from the progress from the first practice to the last. We tried to coach them up and educate them on how practice is going to run and the tempo we were going to go out and the things we wanted to achieve in each and every practice. For the first practice, which was tough on guys, about halfway through they were gassed and done and struggling to the end, to the last practice of spring they were moving around a little better ... I think they saw a whole other level of continuing we have to be in just to get through practice, let alone to play at the pace we want to play at."
• ASU coach Todd Graham on the quarterback situation: "Obviously, we're a lot closer than what it appears probably from the outside. It was a great evaluation for us. And to be honest it's very difficult to rep three guys and I was very impressed that we were able to install the amount of the offense that we did install and we did it with three different guys."
• Cal coach Jeff Tedford on the progress of quarterback Zach Maynard: "I thought he did a nice job. We were so far ahead of last year when he was new into the system. We were able to do much more on offense this spring and move along and much more efficient. You could really tell his experience from the season had really paid off with the speed of the game and the management of the game. He really improved obviously through a year. Spring was very effective for him."
• Colorado coach Jon Embree on splitting quarterback reps this fall: "With two to three going after it you have to be creative. We'll do some different things to make sure they get quality reps. It may be by day, it may be by drill ... if it's a clear cut deal, I'm not going to waste time. I think it's important that the team knows and that quarterback know that they're going to be leading the team."
• Oregon coach Chip Kelly on quarterback Bryan Bennett after the spring game: "He was fine. I saw him Monday and he was good. There's not much we can do about the games of the past. He's getting in and watching film on his own because we're in that part of the season. I saw him in there watching tape and getting ready for camp coming up. Everything is a learning experience for everybody in our program. It was a good learning experience for Bryan to go through."
• Oregon State coach Mike Riley on Sean Mannion's progress: "To summarize it, I think he had a very valuable freshman year. He's a tremendously hard worker. Conscientious. So what we're looking for is just continued growth. Quarterbacking is a never-ending story of decision making, getting the ball out of your hands. Getting it to the right guy. I thought he had an excellent spring that way. He'll take all of that work into the summertime and be prepared for fall camp so we're just looking for bigger and better things."
• Stanford head coach David Shaw on The Big Game in October: "I think the biggest change is all of the activities around the game, it's going to be hard to do all of those because they're not at the end of the season. The last couple of years it's been the second to last game of the regular season. But now, so early in the season, we've got too much work to do. We can't afford to have too many distractions. I've talked to coach Tedford and we're going to try to organize that week to where we can still do some of the traditional things, maybe just earlier in the week. We're just mid-season. We can't have too many other things going on."
• UCLA coach Jim Mora on the need to cut scholarships (he said they need to cut three): "Probably a combination of both [grayshirting and current players]. I've talked to all our recruits and all our current players about their futures at UCLA."
• USC coach Lane Kiffin said he wants to see improvements in the running game: "I think we did improve in the second half of the season comparable to the first half ... obviously we lost our left tackle Matt Kalil, so that will be tough to replace. But Curtis coming back after a 1,000-yard season. He's coming into his senior year. I'm looking for him to improve with D.J. Morgan going into his second year of playing with us. We aren't very deep, but we would like to definitely improve our rushing stats."
• Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on what he learned in the first year in the Pac-12: "I don't know if we learned anything new. We had an idea going in that it was going to be very competitive ... it was very apparent on tape that there was a lot of good athletes in this conference and some great coaching and that was the case. I can't say that anything surprised us."
• Washington coach Steve Sarkisian on finding a third wide receiver: "We know who Kasen Williams is. We know who James Johnson is. Who's going to be the third guy that's a consistent contributor. Can Cody Bruns get healthy and do it? Can a young guy? Can a Jamaal Jones, DiAndre Campbell, a Marvin Hall, one of those types of guys, step up. That will be big."
• Washington State defensive coordinator Mike Breske on the new system: "Speaking for my first go-around with coach Leach going through spring ball, it was a little bit unusual in terms of 70-75 percent of the balls in the air from a defensive perspective. Growing process, [it was] coaches learning kids, kids learning about their coaches and how to practice, that type of thing. Once we got to practice 15 we accomplished a lot of the things we were looking for going into the spring."

Last week we gave you our thoughts on who we believed was going to be the breakout player in the Pac-12 this season.

Kevin Gemmell went with Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks, citing the fact that he has a quarterback on the rise in Sean Mannion and an outstanding receiver opposite him in Markus Wheaton, who is likely to draw a lot of the double coverage away from Cooks.

Ted Miller went with defense, selecting Cal defensive end Deandre Coleman. Also noting surrounding talent, Miller stipulates that teams who try to double up on Coleman are going to be in trouble because the rest of the Cal defensive line is so good.

Did we pick the wrong guys?

Stanford linebacker James Vaughters -- who is expected to play a much larger role at middle linebacker -- reportedly had an outstanding spring session and is a budding playmaker on a very talented front seven.

Oregon has an impressive, up-and-coming tight end in Colt Lyerla, who is expected to replace the uber-productive David Paulson. Lyerla caught all of seven passes last year, but five of them were for touchdowns.

Then there is Washington wide receiver Kasen Williams. He may have already broken out last year -- catching 36 balls and six touchdowns while returning 15 punts. What can he do with more playing time and a quarterback under Heisman consideration?

Which of these guys is the breakout player to watch in the Pac-12?

Max Browne (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline), one of the nation's top quarterback recruits, will announce his commitment Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT, according to ESPN Recruiting, which reports, "Browne has narrowed his choices to Alabama, Oklahoma, USC and Washington, although with recent visits to see the Sooners and Trojans, most think it will come down to those two programs."

So USC or Oklahoma for the 6-foot-5, 205 pounder?

Browne leaving for the Sooners would be a blow for the hometown Huskies, who are struggling to build the proverbial "wall" around their home state. During the 2011-12 recruiting season, most of the elite, local prospects crossed state lines to play football. The state featured five elite recruits: Offensive linemen Zach Banner and Josh Garnett, running back KeiVarae Russell, receiver Cedric Dozier and QB Jeff Lindquist. Only Lindquist signed with the Huskies.

Of course, the Huskies did much better in 2011 when they signed TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, WR Kasen Williams, DT Danny Shelton -- three players who, by the way, lived up to their recruiting hype as true freshmen.

Still, in order to return to the nation's elite, Washington must win most of the recruiting battles for in-state prospects most years. That's part of the reason coach Steve Sarkisian was willing to pay top dollar to lure ace recruiter Tosh Lupoi away from California.

While some prospects go in search of a warmer, sunnier climate, and there's little coaches can do to charm them out of that thinking, part of getting the Huskies back into the nation's top 25 is making elite recruits want to stay home. For every Jake Locker who decides to play for the Huskies, there are too many guys like Jonathan Stewart (Oregon), Stephen Schilling (Michigan), Taylor Mays (USC), David DeCastro (Stanford), Deandre Coleman (California) and Jake Heaps (BYU).

As for Browne, the situation at Washington would seem ideal for him. Keith Price would be a senior his redshirt freshman year, giving him a year to acclimate himself before fighting for the job in 2014.

From ESPN Recruiting: "Browne completed 70 percent of his passes for 4,034 yards and 45 touchdowns as a junior. He plans to enroll early at his school of choice and has a good shot to be recognized as the top quarterback in the class of 2013."

It will be a big loss for the Huskies if he opts to cross state lines.

If you missed my Thursday chat, I apologize for the rash that ensued. Hope it doesn't ruin your weekend.

If you'd like to re-live it in its entirety, go here.

Here are some highlights.

David (Salt Lake City): Ted, with all of the new talent at quarterback, do you sense any indication that any of the incoming recruits have a shot at the starting position?

Ted Miller (3:01 PM): It's always a long shot for a true freshman to start at QB, particularly if he doesn't show up early for spring practices, as, for example, Matt Barkley did. I don't think any true freshmen will start at QB in the Pac-12 this year, and that includes Utah and Cal. I do think you will see at least one (maybe two) redshirt freshmen starting.

Ryan (Spokane): Do you expect the Cougs to start competing more, if not winning some of the in-state recruits (Locker, Kasen Williams) now that the Pirate is on the Palouse?

Ted Miller (3:04 PM): Even during Washington State's best years, it didn't typically beat Washington for the state's top recruits. But there's no reason it can't get, say, get three or four of the top ten if Washington gets five or six (others go out of state). Further, winning helps. If the Cougs start going to bowl games under [new coach Mike] Leach, better recruits will come in. But Leach won in the Big 12 without landing A-list recruits, which is a big reason he seems like a great fit in Pullman.

Warren (Lakewood): I believe Oregon state is going to make some noise this year in the pac12 north and that a sleeping giant has been reawakened in the pac12. [Coach Mike] Riley will rally these young guns and behind [Sean] Mannion and that wr corp they have I expect the Beavs to play in a bowl next year. What are your expectations for the Boys of Corvallis?

Ted Miller (3:15 PM): It's good to hear [I actually typed "here" during the chat, which is, well, really embarrassing] Beaver optimism. You guys have seemed kind of grumpy of late. I think the Beavers are good enough to get back to a bowl game in 2012, but it's also hard to project them too high until they answer questions on both lines.

Scott (Tempe): Ted, Heading to the topic of coaching changes in the desert. With Todd Graham displaying to us all his style of recruiting/coaching/discipline, how do you compare him to Rich Rodriguez? Rich Rod gets all the love, but who is the better coach in your eyes and will have the most impact?

Ted Miller (3:18 PM): Rich Rod has won a BCS bowl game and has a long track record of success. That's why he gets the love. But I do appreciate the notes Graham has been hitting: Demanding, discipline, up-tempo, etc. I think Rodriguez was a home run hire. But I also think better of the Graham hire based on what I've seen (and read) about what he's doing. But judgments on coach hires before they play a game is pretty superficial. It's just me -- and others -- yammering.

Nick Stratton (Dewitt, Michigan): How will Stanford's offense look this year without [Andrew] Luck? Who do you think will be the starter?

Ted Miller (3:23 PM): My only slightly educated guess is [Brett] Nottingham, mostly because I heard good things about him last year when he became the backup. I think Stanford will still be very good on offense, though it probably will take a step back without the best QB of a generation. I think the defense also will be good. So I still see the Cardinal as a top-25 team.

Dan (Eugene): Eddie Pleasant will be tougher for the Ducks to replace than Darron Thomas OR LaMichael James. True or false.

Ted Miller (3:30 PM): I would have said true until John Boyett talked up the guys who might step in to me, such as Brian Jackson and Avery Patterson. And I wonder if the transition at QB will be as easy as many fans think. Will Chip Kelly always hit a home run at QB? And as good as Kenjon [Barner] is, LaMike is one of the all-time best Pac-12 RBs.

David (San Francisco, CA): Ted, what do you expect out of Brett Hundley and the UCLA quarterback position this year?

Ted Miller (3:33 PM): I think Hundley will be given every opportunity to win the job, though I'm not sure it's a slam dunk that Kevin Prince won't. Last spring, Hundley wasn't ready, and that was clear. So he needs to be substantially better this spring. But he's a good prospect -- sharp, dual threat, seems to have leadership ability. And I think the work Noel Mazzone did with Brock Osweiler shows he knows how to teach a spread system to a young QB.

Bob (Seattle): Think the dawgs will be alright at LB this season?

Ted Miller (3:42 PM): I don't know... big question. Some guys coming back, but the position was not played well in 2011. You'd hope some of those youthful mistakes will correct themselves. But I saw too many Huskies LBs get stuck on blocks last year to not see it as a question.

Pirates of the Palouse (Pullman): [Jeff] Tuel or [Connor] Halliday?

Ted Miller (3:43 PM): Tuel... folks seem to forget how good he is when healthy. He's an NFL prospect and he has a lot of experience. Also, after being sacked so many times and showing outstanding toughness and resolve, I think he's earned an opportunity to see the postseason.

darrell (tacoma): Who has the weakest nonconference schedule, who has the toughest?

Ted Miller (3:52 PM): Easiest is Oregon (Ark State, Fresno State, Tennessee Tech).Hardest: Oregon State (BYU and Wisconsin with Nicholls State). Hardest game period is Washington at LSU. And USC, with Hawaii, Syracuse and Notre Dame, doesn't have an official patsy.

Daniel (Eugene): What do you think about Arik Armstead also playing basketball for the Ducks? Will dual responsibilities make him a better lineman or just confused, especially with Oregon now contending for March Madness positions?

Ted Miller (3:59 PM): I don't like guys playing hoops and football, though I certainly respect the athleticism it requires. If he asked me my advice, which he won't, I'd say choose a sport. But I'd also then say do what makes you happiest.

Seventh in a series looking at potential dream and nightmare scenarios for all Pac-12 teams.

Understand: These are not predictions. They are extreme scenarios and pieces of fiction. You can read last season's versions here.

We're going in reverse order of my post-spring power rankings (which might not be identical to my preseason power rankings).

Up next: Washington

Best case

It wasn't an impressive 2-0 start, but the hope among Huskies fans was that Washington had kept a lot of scheme under wraps during wins over Eastern Washington and Hawaii. Most believe the Huskies will need to open up a bag of tricks to put on a respectable show against a motivated Nebraska team in Lincoln.

"I'm not taking anything away from Washington," Cornhuskers All-American defensive tackle Jared Crick said. "They beat us in the Holiday Bowl. But we weren't there emotionally. That's out fault, though. We'll be 100 percent focused when in Memorial Stadium. We expect to make a statement."

On the Huskies first play of the game, they try a flea flicker. Keith Price just misses the a wide-open Jermaine Kearse, who'd slipped behind the Cornhuskers coverage.

On second down, Chris Polk rushes for four yards. On third down, Polk rushes for six yards. On first down, Polk rushes for six yards. On second down, Polk rushes for six yards. On first down, Polk rushes for eight yards. On second down, he rushes for two yards. On first down, he rushes for one yard. On second down, he rushes for 16 yards. On first down, he rushes for four yards. On second down, he rushes for four yards. On third down, he rushes for four yards.

On first down, Polk rushes ... no, it's play action: 19-yard touchdown strike from Price to true freshman Kasen Williams.

"That was a physically dominant showing that I don't think many saw coming," ESPN GameDay's Chris Fowler says of the Huskies 28-10 victory. "Polk rushing for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Price taking advantage with a couple of touchdown passes. And a bruising defensive showing on the road for a Pac-12 team."

"Did Alameda Ta'amu really eat Taylor Martinez?" Kirk Herbstreit replies. "I know that start out as just a silly rumor, but I'm hearing no one has seen Martinez since that third-quarter sack."

Martinez is later found safe in an airport bathroom in Lincoln.

The Huskies nip California 24-21 and rise to No. 12 in the rankings. But Price turns in his first poor performance at Utah in a 21-17 defeat, despite 140 yards and a touchdown from Polk. The Huskies bounce back with a home win over Colorado. Up next, a visit to No. 3 Stanford.

"Obviously, Andrew Luck is the leading Heisman Trophy candidate," says Fowler. "But what if Polk puts up a big number in a Huskies victory?"

Polk strikes an early blow, with first-half touchdown runs of seven and 28 yards, and the Huskies lead 14-10 at the break. Luck answers with two touchdowns in the third -- one running and one throwing -- and the score is knotted 24-24 with two minutes left in the game.

On a third-and-five from the Huskies 28, Luck scrambles away from pressure and finds tight end Coby Fleener wide-open in the endzone for a 31-24 lead. The Huskies have 40 seconds and one time out.

On third and 5 from the Washington 40, Price finds Polk on a hot route. Polk breaks a tackle and breaks away, sprinting all the way to the Stanford 17. Price lines up and spikes the ball.

There are eight seconds left. Price evades pressure, then shovels it again to Polk.

"Polk across the 10, to the five, breaks a tackle... dives... tttt... nooo," says Huskies play-by-play man Bob Rondeau. "He's ruled down inside the 1-yard line. Wow. The clock has expired. Unless the officials rule Polk got in, the game is over and Stanford wins."

Play stands.

"Chris Polk is the best player in college football," Luck says.

The Huskies take out their frustrations in a 35-20 win over Arizona, sacking Nick Foles five times. Up next, No. 1 Oregon.

"Yeah, I'm aware Oregon has won seven in a row against us, all by at least 20 points," Polk tells reporters. "I know this because Coach Sark has that factoid typed up and taped in all of our lockers."

Headline in the Eugene Register-Guard: "Will the Ducks overlook the Huskies?"

"We don't overlook anybody," Ducks coach Chip Kelly says. "We play a faceless opponent every week. Every game is a Super Bowl for us. We are not concerned with any outside influences. 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. Win the day."

Coach Steve Sarkisian gathers his team in the locker room. Above, Husky Stadium is throbbing.

"I don't need to tell you guys to play your hardest. I know you're going to do that. I don't need to tell you about this rivalry, or what that team over there has done against the Huskies for the past seven years. Sure you all know that. That's not what this is about. That's not why we're about to shock the nation. This is about us. What I want from you guys is to live in the moment tonight. I want you soak up every bit of joy from every moment of this game tonight. And I want you to take it from them. We have the players. We have the plan. We have prepared perfectly. It's going to be a lot of fun celebrating this victory, but our celebration won't be nearly as fun what will happen between the white lines, as we take this game from them, one play at a time. Go out there and take it, one play at time."

Oregon leads 28-24 with nine minutes left. A Jackson Rice punt rolls out of bounds on the Huskies 1-yard line.

On first down, Polk rushes for three yards. On second down, Polk rushes for eight yards. On first down, Polk rushes for four yards...

"Wow, this is tough to watch," Oregon play-by-play man Jerry Allen says. "16 plays, all Chris Polk runs. He's over 200 yards for the day, and the Huskies have first down on the Ducks 8-yard line with 40 seconds left."

Polk rushes for three yards. Polk rushes for two yards. Polk rushes for 2 yards. Polk scores the winning touchdown as time expires.

"Wow, Chris Polk just ripped the hearts out of Oregon fans everywhere!" says Allen.

The Huskies suffer a classic letdown the following weekend at USC, but roll over Oregon State and Washington State to finish the regular season 9-3 and earn a berth in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State.

Polk finishes second to Luck in the Heisman vote, and wins the Doak Walker Award. The Huskies bury the Cowboys 38-20 and earn a final No. 10 ranking, their first top-25 ranking since 2001.

Oregon is blown out in the national title game by Alabama. Kelly bolts for the Oakland Raiders. The Ducks hire Joe Avezzano to replace him.

Polk opts to return for his senior season. Washington signs the nation's No. 5 recruiting class.

"Gee, I really like this team," says Bill Gates. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Maybe," replies athletic director Scott Woodward.

Worst case

And in the rubber match, Nebraska was plenty motivated.

The Cornhuskers humble Washington 41-10, making Price's day a miserable one with five sacks. It doesn't help that Polk's status remains unclear after arthroscopic knee surgery during preseason camp.

"Things aren't going as fast as we would like," coach Steve Sarkisian says. "He could sure help us but we're not going to rush him back."

The Huskies fall at home to California 21-17, again without Polk, and drop to 2-2 on the year. They lose at Utah in overtime but, with Polk back in the lineup, beat Colorado 27-24.

Things get ugly -- again -- at Stanford, which blasts the Huskies 42-17. The Huskies even their record at 4-4 with a win over Arizona. Up next: No. 1 Oregon.

"Did Chip Kelly run up the score?" a reporter asks after the Ducks whip the Huskies 55-14 in Husky Stadium, their eighth victory in a row in the series, each by at least 20 points.

Sarkisian pauses, "Well, it's our job to stop them. And I guess he thought getting LaMichael James rushing for 300 yards would help his Heisman Trophy chances."

With Polk limited to just 10 carries, USC whips Washington 33-20, intercepting Price three times. Polk sits out, and the Huskies bow out at Oregon State, 28-17.

"No, beating Washington State won't make up for a tough season for us," Sarkisian said. "But there's always a lot to play for in rivalry games. And they're trying to get bowl eligible, so we can ruin their season."

With five seconds left, Cougars quarterback Jeff Tuel takes on knee on the Huskies 5-yard line instead of added to a 35-24 victory. Huskies fans at CenturyLink Field bombard the Cougars with bottles and sundry trash as they leave the field.

"That's not who we are," Cougars coach Paul Wulff said. "We have classy fans. I guess the Huskies fans were frustrated. But we're excited about the postseason. What bowl is Washington going to? Kidding! I'm kidding."

Oregon wins the national championship. Washington State wins the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

Joshua Garnett, Zach Banner, Jeff Lindquist and Cedric Dozier sign with Washington State, giving the Cougars their first top-25 class.

"Gee, I really like the Cougars," says Bill Gates. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Maybe," replies athletic director Bill Moos.

The 11th of 12 quick updates on offseason Pac-12 goings on.

Washington in a sentence

• While QB Jake Locker is gone, the Huskies feel like they have turned a corner under third-year coach Steve Sarkisian after winning four consecutive games to finish 2010 -- including a Holiday Bowl victory over Nebraska -- but a number of young players will need to come through for them to exceed last season's win total.

The big issue

• While most of the focus will be on new starting quarterback Keith Price, youth on the offensive line and at linebacker might be more worrisome.

Quick hit news

• Starting cornerback Quinton Richardson suffered a high ankle sprain in preseason camp and is likely to miss the opener against Eastern Washington.
• Touted redshirt freshman running back Deontae Cooper will miss a second consecutive season due to a knee injury.
• Washington and Oregon were the only two Pac-12 programs that didn't experience any coaching staff turnover this offseason.
• Two touted in-state recruits, receiver Kasen Williams and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins have played well in preseason camp and might end up winning starting jobs.
• JC transfer Antavius Sims and freshmen receiver Marvin Hall and running Kyle Lewis have yet to join the team as they still await approval of the NCAA Clearinghouse.
• More roster attrition: fullback Zach Fogerson and defensive tackle Chris Robinson "retired" due to recurrent injuries. Fullback Kimo Makaula transferred to Idaho State.
• Husky Stadium will begin a $250 million renovation in November that should be completed in advance of the 2013 season. Washington will play the 2011 Apple Cup against Washington State and all 2012 home games at CenturyLink Field, the Seahawks stadium near downtown Seattle.

Pedro offers you his protection.

• Arizona quarterback Nick Foles has some advice for his new, young backup. Jonathan McKnight is stepping up at cornerback.
• Is Arizona State defensive end Junior Onyeali ready to break out? A practice report.
• I am fairly convinced this big guy is going to be a star in the middle of California's defense. The Bears try out AT&T Park.
• Considering Colorado's offensive line. Some notes.
• Oregon coach Chip Kelly talks about the video of Cliff Harris' traffic stop. Does it say something about quarterback Darron Thomas that he was in the car? Practice notes.
• A youngster steps up for Oregon State at receiver. Notes -- it appears a pecking order is emerging at running back.
• Stanford wide receiver Griff Whalen is having a good camp, and that's big for the Cardinal. Lots of good stuff in this notebook.
• With Richard Brehaut hurt, Kevin Prince needs to step up for UCLA. Prince admits he hasn't been sharp.
• USC quarterback Matt Barkley gets riled up. A young receiver is making an impression.
• No question who leads the Utah O-line. A look at Jordan Wynn's backup.
• Receiver Kasen Williams is impressive in a Washington scrimmage.
• Washington State's defensive line looks deeper, better.

It has become a difficult day to rank Pac-12 teams at receiver due to reports of the uncertain health of Arizona's Juron Criner.

Criner is only the best returning receiver in the conference, a potential All-American and the leader of one of the nation's best units. Still, the Wildcats would rate in "great shape" on this list even without Criner, though they wouldn't top it.

As for the conference as a whole at receiver, things look pretty solid, top-to-bottom. Even the two teams in "We'll see," aren't desperate at the position.

So how do things stack up? Read on.

[Note: Stanford was left off the original version -- a cut and paste error, no less -- apologies].

Great shape

Arizona: The Wildcats may have the best collection of receivers in the nation. First-team All-Pac-10 selection Criner is the headliner, but there's also David Douglas, David Roberts, Terrence Miller and Richard Morrison -- each caught between 19 and 52 passes a season ago. Oh, and there's also Texas transfer Dan Buckner, Austin Hill, Garic Wharton and Tyler Slavin. There's size, speed, depth and experience.

Washington: Jermaine Kearse, second-team All-Pac-10, is a 1,000-yard receiver who caught 12 touchdown passes. Devin Aguilar has 90 career receptions. James Johnson struggled to get in sync last season but caught 39 passes as a true freshman in 2009. Kevin Smith turned in a good spring, and hopes are stratospheric for incoming freshman All-American Kasen Williams.

Washington State: Marquess Wilson was a 1,000-yard receiver as a true freshman. Jared Karstetter caught 62 passes. Gino Simone has seen plenty of action, while hopes are high for redshirt freshman Kristoff Williams and Bobby Ratliff. Quarterback Jeff Tuel has plenty of targets for what should be a potent passing attack.

USC: Perhaps no team has more upside than the Trojans. Sophomore Robert Woods is a potential All-American, while Brandon Carswell and Brice Butler are experienced players. But the upside is all about incoming freshman George Farmer and redshirt freshman Kyle Prater. If those two live up to their talents, the Trojans will be tough to stop in the passing game.

Good shape

California: Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones are a potentially strong tandem if the Bears get good quarterback play. Oft-injured Michael Calvin posted a solid spring. Kaelin Clay has a lot of speed, and he and Coleman Edmond need to step up.

Arizona State: T.J. Simpson's knee injury didn't help, but the Sun Devils are fairly deep and experienced at the position. Gerell Robinson was a standout this spring, while Mike Willie, Aaron Pflugrad and Jamal Miles each caught at least 25 passes in 2010. George Bell, A.J. Pickens, J.J. Holliday and Kevin Anderson provide good depth.

UCLA: Just because UCLA couldn't pass in 2010 doesn't mean it's bad at receiver. It certainly will be experienced in 2011 because everybody is back. Nelson Rosario has the talent to be a star, as do Randall Carroll and Josh Smith. Still, the Bruins lack consistency at the position -- too many dropped balls, too few big plays.

Oregon State: With a healthy James Rodgers and Jordan Bishop, the Beavers are in "great shape." But they have enough talent and experience at the position to at least end up in pretty good shape even if they don't. Markus Wheaton caught 55 passes as a sophomore, while Darrell Catchings and Geno Munoz are two guys who can help, if they can stay healthy. Kevin Cummings also should see action in the slot.

Utah: DeVonte Christopher, the second-leading receiver from 2010, and he's the only returning receiver who caught more than 20 passes, but the Utes feel pretty good about the guys they have coming back. With Reggie Dunn, Dres Anderson, Luke Matthews, Dexter Ransom and Kenneth Scott.

We'll see

Oregon: Jeff Maehl and D.J. Davis are gone and they took 119 receptions with them. Lavasier Tuinei caught 36 passes and Josh Huff caught 19, but there's little experience beyond that. The Ducks are stacked at tight end and the incoming class is thick with speedy, touted receivers. But, as we've said before, "we'll see."

Colorado: Colorado has two guys it can count on in Paul Richardson and Tony Clemons, who combined for 77 receptions in 2010. After that, things are fairly questionable.

Stanford: Andrew Luck is the best QB in the nation and the Cardinal is loaded at tight end, but the top-two wide outs from 2010 are gone -- Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen -- and there are a lot of questions here. If Chris Owusu gets healthy and stays healthy, then the Cardinal has a speedy, dangerous deep threat, but that's a big if. And after him, there's not much experience. Drew Terrell, Darren Daniel, Griff Whalen and Jamal-Rashad Patterson need to step up.

Can I borrow your underpants for 10 minutes?

• How did Arizona and Oklahoma State get together? A special deal on Wildcats tickets. A very detailed, math-filled Arizona preview.
• An early look at Arizona State's 2011 potential. An early honor for ASU linebacker Vontaze Burfict.
• California's greatest coaches: Pappy Waldorf.
• Check out this cool Oregon demo. A look at state subsidies for Oregon and Oregon State.
• An Oregon State recruiting update.
• A UCLA walk-on gets his dream.
• Great wins over the Pac-10 in Utah history: We'll call this one "Caregon." A last whiff from the Mountain West on scholar-athletes.
• Washington's best special teams players during the Pac-10 Era. Another honor for incoming frosh wide receiver Kasen Williams.
• The Pac-12 South looks wide open, potentially weak and there's an interesting doomsday scenario, according to Jon Wilner.

Happy Friday.

• Arizona is recruiting Oklahoma well. Previewing the Wildcats receivers.
• More on Arizona State's big QB commitment.
• A Tree's take on the Oregon Ducks. Learn more about Oregon's new "Cleaner."
• Oregon State beat writer Cliff Kirkpatrick wants to hear from you.
• More on Stanford's troika of receiver commitments.
• What does former USC receiver Lonnie White's admission that he took $14,000 worth of extra benefits while on scholarship mean?
• Fair to say that incoming Washington receiver Kasen Williams is a pretty good athlete.

Brave Sir Robin ran away, bravely ran away away. When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled. Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about, and valiantly, he chickened out. Bravely taking to his feet, he beat a very brave retreat. A brave retreat by brave Sir Robin.

• More on a pair of Arizona commitments -- both plan to enroll early. The Wildcats' present and future look good at quarterback.
• A construction update from California. When things are finished, it will be impressive.
• Where does The Sporting News project Colorado in the Pac-12 South?
• The Orlando Sentinel ranks Oregon State 68th. The Beavers will get an early start at Wisconsin.
• Lane Kiffin will face the NCAA this weekend for his issues at Tennessee, but he's been a different coach at USC.
• Norm Chow settles in at Utah. The Utes membership in the Pac-12 likely means a tenfold increase in revenue, which is nice.
• Receiver Kasen Williams, one of the nation's top recruits in 2010, is ready to begin his Washington career.
• Is Washington State quarteback Jeff Tuel the Coug of the Year?

WASHINGTON

2010 overall record: 7-6

2010 conference record: 5-4

Returning starters

Offense: 6, Defense: 8, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners

RB Chris Polk, WR Jermaine Kearse, OT Senio Kelemete, DT Alameda Ta'amu, LB Cort Dennison, CB Desmond Trufant

Key losses

QB Jake Locker, LB Mason Foster, LB Victor Aiyewa, SS Nate Williams

2010 statistical leaders (*returning starter)

Rushing: Chris Polk* (1,415)

Passing: Jake Locker (2,265)

Receiving: Jermaine Kearse (1,005)

Tackles: Mason Foster (161)

Sacks: Foster (6.5)

Interceptions: Nate Fellner* (5)

Spring answers

1. Tight end now a strength: Tight end quickly transformed into a position of strength this spring. True freshman Austin Seferian-Jenkins, an early enrollee, proved equal to his recruiting hype and showed he's ready physically to play at the Pac-12 level. When you toss in a strong spring from Michael Hartvigson, the Huskies now can line up in double-tight formations and make defenses respect the pass or run.

2. Defensive line stands out: Led by massive, disruptive defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu, it appears that for the first time since perhaps the 1990s, the Huskies will have a deep, formidable defensive front. Redshirt freshman Josh Shirley looked like an explosive edge rusher this spring who could compliment Hau'oli Jamora. There are four or five quality guys that could complement Ta'amu inside.

3. There's good depth at receiver: Whoever wins the quarterback competition, he's going to have plenty of guys who can catch the ball: Jermaine Kearse, Devin Aguilar, Kevin Smith, James Johnson, DiAndre Campbell and Cody Bruns. Prep All-American Kasen Williams arrives in the fall. Toss in the improved tight ends, and the passing attack could be solid if things work out at ...

Fall questions

1. Price is right? It appears that sophomore Keith Price surged into the lead over redshirt freshman Nick Montana in the quarterback competition, but there's still fall camp for things to shake up. It will be interesting to see how long coach Steve Sarkisian waits before making a call. Price looked in control in the spring game, showcasing skills passing and running. Montana hasn't looked bad; it's more a matter of Price, who started at Oregon last season, asserting himself.

2. What's up with the offensive line? The defensive line looked good this spring, so perhaps that's why the offensive line struggled. But it's still a concern, even with tackles Senio Kelemete and Ben Riva out with injuries, particularly when you consider the revolving door last fall that included seven different lineups of a starting five. The Huskies figure to be a run-first team in 2011 with running back Chris Polk. The line needs to be squared away for that to be an effective plan.

3. Settling on the 'backers: Cort Dennison returns in the middle, and Garret Gilliland, who played middle linebacker behind Dennison last year, has looked good at weakside linebacker, where Mason Foster starred in 2010, but the "Sam" strongside linebacker spot is still up for grabs. John Timu and Jamaal Kearse were the top guys this spring to replace Victor Aiyewa, but Princeton Fuimaono should be a factor in the fall after not being able to participate in contact work this spring. And there's the question of depth.

Washington concludes spring practices with its spring game on Saturday. Here's a brief primer.

Spring game: The Huskies play their spring game at 2 p.m. ET -- 11 a.m. PT -- at Husky Stadium. Admission is free.

Questions answered: Garret Gilliland's move from middle linebacker to replace Mason Foster on the weak side appears successful. True freshman TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, an early arrival, proved equal to his recruiting hype. He and Michael Hartvigson will provide a huge upgrade at a position that used to be a program strength. Kevin Smith asserted himself as a potential No. 3 receiver behind Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar in what should be a deep crew of receivers. DE Josh Shirley showed a nice burst off the edge as a speed rusher. The defensive front, as a whole, looks sneaky good.

Questions unanswered: Coach Steve Sarkisian has yet to tap a replacement for Jake Locker at QB, though there was a sense that sophomore Keith Price holds a lead over Nick Montana entering the offseason. The offensive line didn't have a great spring, though it hurt that LT Senio Kelemete was out with an injury. Line issues are not a good thing for a run-first offense breaking in a new QB. The pecking order at safety wasn't resolved in large part because of an injury to sophomore Sean Parker. The third LB spot on the strong side remains up for grabs (a number of candidates battled injuries this spring).

Spring stars: Shirley was a revelation as a speed rusher, while Hartvigson answered the challenge from Seferian-Jenkins. Two big, athletic tight ends will provide a nice security blanket for the new QB. Smith asserting himself is important because touted incoming freshmen Kasen Williams is expected to be in the mix immediately.

Happy Friday.

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To the many who asked: I have no idea when the NCAA will rule on USC's appeal. On Saturday, it will be 12 weeks since USC met with the appeals mmittee. I thought it might happen this week. If it doesn't happen next week, the term "absurd" will start to apply.

The notes.

Chris from Seattle writes: You've been calling Arizona's group of receivers "the best in the conference." I'd like to submit that, it's far less clear than you are painting it. The way I see it, UW is equally as deep at receiver. Kearse and Aguilar are two returning seniors who merit pre-season all-conference mention and Kearse is potentially a first teamer and all-american. From there, James Johnson (stellar freshman year who is returning to form), Kevin Davis (really turning it on this spring), DiAndre Campbell (great hands and big plays this spring), and Cody Bruns (another returning senior) are all in the mix for the third spot. But, let's not forget that Kasen Williams (the Parade All-America player of the year - if you have forgotten) will be showing up in the fall. I'd say that group would go toe-to-toe with UA's group any day! Sure, UA has a better QB at the moment, but if we're talking about talent at the receiver position, I think you haven't done your homework and I'd appreciate it if you stop matter-of-factly stating they are the best in the conference. In your UA spring review, you said, "the conference's deepest, most talented crew of receivers." I call BULL! Prove me wrong!

Ted Miller: OK, I'll prove you wrong, you, you, Bull Caller!

Washington has good receivers, but the Huskies don't match up with the Wildcats.

So let's do our homework!

You note Jermaine Kearse (63 receptions, second-team All-Pac-10) and Devin Aguilar. Aguilar caught 28 passes last season. Every one else you mention is a "maybe." Why do I type that? Here are the official stats. Johnson caught one pass last year. Bruns? Seven.

And, really, Kearse has plenty of room to improve -- see dropped passes, see struggles versus physical cornerbacks.

Down in Tucson, you have the best receiver in the Pac-12: Juron Criner (82 receptions, first-team All-Pac-10).

Then you have David Douglas (52 receptions), David Roberts (45), Terrence Miller (29) and Richard Morrison (19). Oh, and you also have Texas transfer Dan Buckner, who caught 44 passes for 445 yards and four touchdowns in 2009 for the Longhorns.

I'd even counter that Arizona's "maybes" are every bit the match of Washington's: redshirt freshmen Tyler Slavin, Austin Hill, and speedster Garic Wharton.

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JJ from McCall, Idaho writes: Looking at returning running backs, it's amazing to see USC in 10th position. What happened to all those 5 star recruits?

Ted Miller: USC isn't exactly hurting at running back. In fact, off the top of my head, I'd rate the Trojans fourth in the Pac-12 at the position behind Oregon, Washington and Stanford.

First, let's recall the Trojans averaged 190 yards rushing per game in 2010. That ranked third in the conference.

Second, Marc Tyler, who rushed for 913 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry, is back. Yes, he's injury prone, but not so injury prone that he didn't nearly crack the 1,000-yard mark in 2010.

And there is plenty of young talent, starting with Dillon Baxter and D.J. Morgan. Further, the Pac-12 blog has always thought that if Curtis McNeal, academically ineligible in 2010, got touches, he'd make plays.

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Matt from Salt Lake City writes: With the Utah Utes bringing in a new O and with [quarterback Jordan Wynn] out of the spring how far behind is Wynn and do you think he can get the new O going and be ready for the fall?

Ted Miller: No matter how much of a "glass half-full guy" you are, it's not ideal for Wynn to be sitting out spring practices after undergoing shoulder surgery. A full spring practice with new offensive coordinator Norm Chow and pro style offense would have been valuable.

But there are a couple of things that work in Wynn and Utah's favor here. For one, Wynn is only a few weeks from full-go throwing again, so he'll have a full summer to work with his receivers and backs and get a general feel for the playbook.

Second, Wynn told me he played a pro style offense in high school, so this shouldn't be an overwhelming transformation. He actually called it a "better fit" than the Utes old spread-option. Third, Chow was most taken with Wynn's intelligence, noting that Wynn seems to be picking things up quickly in meetings and film sessions. Said Chow, "Just sitting in meetings with him, it's extremely obvious he's very bright. To me the key element for a quarterback is you've got to be smart. He gets it all."

Further, Wynn is a one-and-a-half-year starter. He's a veteran who knows game speed. That should help him digest things during fall camp.

Again, not ideal. But far from a cause for panic.

If Utah fans are looking for something to worry about -- and what fan isn't? -- backup quarterback might be a good place to release a harrumph or two. It doesn't seem like either Tyler Shreve or Griff Robles have figured things out.

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Thomas from San Francisco writes: Cal fans are a bit up in arms about a quote from Jeff Tedford in your latest article, and I was hoping for some clarification. Specifically, this quote: "I have it back in focus now, not to worry about the external things," he said. "That one year [2009] we went [8-5] and it felt like we went [5-8], it felt like people were real irritable about that. I was irritable, too. About their reaction to [8-5]. Now, I'm just back to focusing on what it takes to get us back on the upward trend again." You bracketed "2009" and "8-5" which means he didn't actually say those terms, but you interpreted him to be referring to 2009 and 8-5. Is it possible he was referring to going 8-4 in 2005? Or something else? It is concerning because it sounds like Tedford is happy with 8-5, which he should not be (especially because there were a handful of blowout losses in those 5 losses, which you note in the story). Is there any way you can post the full Q&A? Or at least enough to get the context of what he was saying? Or simply why you interpreted him to be referring to 2009/8-5?

Ted Miller: You are an observant reader. Oh, you Cal fans!

What Tedford said was a little confusing to me at the time also. The recording is gone, but, to paraphrase, he said "a couple of years ago" in the context of this quote but said "8-3" as the record, as well as the 3-8 reverse. Obviously, there is no 8-3 season, though he could have been referring to finishing the 2005 regular season 8-3 and then winning the Las Vegas Bowl over BYU.

So I did make an assumption based on a couple of things: He said "couple of years ago," which suggested two to me. And I remembered very little carping after the 2005 season, seeing that was the first season after Aaron Rodgers (Joe Ayoob!), though Bears fans feel free to correct me.

Either way, to me, the gist is the same: In the past, he allowed fan reaction to irritate him after an eight-win season. He's now trying to ignore fan reaction after a five-win season because he's got plenty of other things to think -- and get irritated -- about.

I've never had the feeling that Tedford would be happy with 8-5. I do think that he was a bit surprised how quickly Cal fans became bored with winning seasons.

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Todd from Mission Viejo, Calif., writes: Regarding the Pac-12 media deal, should I be worried about the Pac-12 signing a long-term deal (say 15 years)? Yes, it would provide stability, but if the college sports media market continues to grow, could the media rights become undervalued for the final part of its contract. Would it not be better to sign a medium length media deal, then renegotiate to reflect the new value of the media property?

Ted Miller: Larry "Let's make a deal!" Scott is seeking a 10-year deal worth $220 million, according to multiple reports, including the Wall Street Journal, which I think got the number from the myriad great articles Jon Wilner has been doing on the behind-the-scenes machinations.

If there is a downside to a 10-year, $220 million deal, I don't know what it is. Other than it's not a 10-year $230 million deal, with the extra $10 million going to the Pac-12 blog, which of course would buy a yacht and throw a righteous party for you loyal readers.

Miriam from Stanford, Calif., writes: In addition to reading the stories on the blog, I often go to your lunch links to find interesting news items about Stanford and other teams. I know that you don't always include a link for every team every day, but I've noticed a lot of times when you seem to have a story for every team except Stanford (see 4/6/11, 4/12/11). Is it really that much harder to find news stories about Stanford than about the other teams in the conference? Or is it just my selection bias coming into play, only noticing when my team is the one missing?

Ted Miller: Yes, it is that much harder to find stories on Stanford football, and it annoys me, too. I even groused about this to Wyndam Makowsky of The Stanford Daily, noting that the Daily's enlightened policy of covering all of Stanford's 14,524 sports teams vexed me when, really, people only care about football.

Some teams get so much local coverage, it's often difficult to figure out which articles to post and which to exclude. That's not the case with Stanford, in large part because Bay Area newspapers have significantly rolled back their staff numbers.

Every weekday morning I go through a series of websites -- newspapers, responsible fan blogs, even the official website -- that offer Stanford coverage. If you don't see a Stanford link at lunch, it's because I couldn't find a story.

Same thing goes for every Pac-12 team.

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Daniel from Eugene, Ore., writes: You probably already know this is out there, but I thought it'd be nice if you could post this. Really a quality podcast all about the Ducks.

Ted Miller: Wow, you put the bad boys of podcasting, Ty and Dan of "Solid Verbal," on the same wavelength with The One They Call "Rob Moseley" and you've got the makings of an epic Guy Ritchie shoot-em-up.