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The conventional wisdom is Oregon State's already formidable trip to Wisconsin on Sept. 10 became even more daunting Monday with the Badgers' addition of quarterback Russell Wilson, a transfer from NC State who passed for 8,545 yards and 76 touchdowns in his career with the Wolfpack.

Maybe. Makes sense. Wilson, who has one year of eligibility remaining and can play right away because he has already graduated, is a dual-threat quarterback who also has, by the way, played baseball in the Colorado Rockies' minor league system after being a fourth-round pick last year.

Further, the Badgers' play at quarterback was mediocre to bad this spring, with no one stepping to the fore to replace Scott Tolzien. Wilson, it would seem, is an instant upgrade, even over Tolzien. Wilson completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 3,563 yards with 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and rushed for 435 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Tolzien's 2010 numbers, though good enough to get the Badgers to the Rose Bowl, don't even compare.

The general feeling is this makes Wisconsin the Big Ten favorite. Which makes the Beavers look like road kill, right?

Again, maybe. But we live in a world of unintended consequences. There are no sure things, and the unexpected often happens.

For one, Wilson will be learning a new offense with new teammates with only a month or so this summer and fall practices to prepare. That's not easy. Sure, he's a veteran college QB. But he'll still be the new guy -- not unlike incoming freshmen.

His first order of business? Decisively beating out Jon Budmayr, Joe Brennan and Joel Stave. If Wilson is only marginally better, or if there's doubt within the team that he earned the starting job, then things could get prickly in the locker room.

The ideal situation for Oregon State would be for Wilson to not get a warm-up game before the Beavers come to town. That's not the case. Not only does Wisconsin open against UNLV, it also has a couple of extra days between that Thursday, Sept. 1 opener to iron out the kinks and get ready for the Beavers.

Oregon State opens its season against Sacramento State, giving it a preseason game in which to get in rhythm without revealing a lot. The Beavers certainly should be able to get more from the Badgers-Rebels game film than Wisconsin will from the Sac State film.

Wilson should make the Badgers better, but it's reasonable to believe he will be better as the season matures than he is early-on, when he's still figuring out the offense and his teammates. So Oregon State has that going for it.

With or without Wilson starting, the Badgers will be heavy favorites when Oregon State visits. The Beavers are coming off a 5-7 season with lots of questions and they do not own a distinguished record for starting fast. They've, in particular, suffered a few bad nonconference whippings on the road in the early-going -- see ill-fated trips to Louisville, Boise State, Cincinnati and Penn State.

The conventional wisdom will write this one into the Oregon State loss column before it's played, and the Badgers' addition of Wilson makes it less risky to do so in pen rather than pencil.

Right? Well, maybe. Let's just say lots more folks figure to tune into the Wisconsin-UNLV opener than before.

Every team has hope heading into the offseason. And every team has concerns.

Ergo, we're going to run through the conference and look at the chief matters -- on the up and downside -- for each Pac-12 team.

Next up:

Utah

Biggest reason for hope: The program knows how to win.

The biggest preseason story for Utah's first go-round in the Pac-12 won't be about individual players or player groups. It will be about how well the Utes will do in their first experience competing in an AQ conference, where the depth of talent should be superior to the Mountain West. So forget about Utah's overall talent and positions of strength and concern for a moment, though the Utes' 31 NFL draft picks since 2000 speak for themselves. Utah is a well-coached team that has won 33 games over the past three years as well as two BCS bowl games since 2004. How many teams can match that? This is a confident program that won't be awed by Pac-12 membership. And for good reason: The Utes own bowl victories against Georgia Tech, Alabama, California and Pittsburgh in recent years. In the regular season, they've bounced Michigan, Oregon State, UCLA, Louisville, Arizona, Oregon and Texas A&M. My impression of the Utes during a spring visit is they mostly are amused by the notion they'll get humbled in Pac-12 play. They seemed genuinely baffled by the idea. That confidence borne of having done it before matters.

Biggest reason for concern: Is the secondary ready for a steady diet of NFL quarterbacks?

Utah faced some good quarterbacks last season: TCU's Andy Dalton, San Diego State's Ryan Lindley and Boise State's Kellen Moore. But that troika doesn't match the overall talent and sophistication the Utes will face in 2011, even though their schedule includes misses of Stanford and quarterback Andrew Luck and Oregon and quarterback Darron Thomas (at least, until a potential date in the Pac-12 title game). Toss in receivers such as Arizona's Juron Criner, USC's Robert Woods, Washington State's Marquess Wilson, Washington's Jermaine Kearse, California's Keenan Allen and Oregon State's James Rodgers (cross your fingers, Beavers fans), and the Utes' pass defense will be stressed this fall far beyond what it faced in 2010. Further, Utah is replacing all four starters from a secondary that ranked 88th in the nation in pass efficiency defense -- or ninth in the Pac-10. (Lindley completed 36 of 54 passes for a career-high 528 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-34 defeat to the Utes; Dalton completed 21 of 26 for 355 yards and three TDs in a 47-7 win; Moore was 28 of 38 for 339 yards and two TDs in a 26-3 win). The preliminary returns on the secondary from spring practices were hopeful: There's nice young talent across the board. But if you're looking for an area where the Utes will most feel an uptick in competition in the Pac-12, it's defending sophisticated passing games led by future NFL quarterbacks on a week-to-week basis.

The Pac-10 chant for the 2010 season: "We're No. 2! We're No. 2!"

Hey, it could be worse.

It should come as no surprise that the SEC reigns supreme in ESPN Stats & Information final college football conference rankings for 2010. Sure, the SEC was only 5-5 this bowl season, but it won a fifth consecutive national championship -- with a fifth different team in the BCS Era -- and finished with six teams in the final AP poll.

The Pac-10 blog has taken issue with the almost reflexive assumption of SEC supremacy a number of times in the past, mostly because the Pac-10 blog -- humbly -- only wished to educate the ignorant. The Pac-10 blog, however, will only tip its cap to the SEC this year.

The SEC was way ahead of the Pac-10 in the final tally, while the Pac-10, No. 3 Big 12 and No. 4 Big Ten were fairly tight. More than a few folks from the Big 12 might give the final rankings a "harrumph." The Big 12, after all, had five teams ranked in the final top-25, the Pac-10 just two.

In an interesting twist, it is the Pac-10 that appears top-heavy compared to the Texas-Oklahoma conference. With No. 3 Oregon and No. 4 Stanford, the Pac-10 is the only conference with two teams ranked in the final top-five, but after that no other teams ended up in the top-25, and only one, Washington, received any votes in either final major poll.

And that was just a single vote in the Coaches poll. FYI: Steve Sarkisian was a voter this season.

The Pac-10 is helped in the conference standings by bowl victories against teams ranked in the final AP poll: Stanford against No. 16 Virginia Tech, the ACC champion, and Washington against No. 20 Nebraska, the Big 12 North champ. Further, the Pac-10 posted nonconference wins against Iowa, Notre Dame and Hawaii -- all three received votes in both final polls -- as well as Syracuse and Louisville, which both won bowl games. Victories against Texas, Colorado, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Houston don't carry as much weight as they would in most seasons, but they contributed to a strong 17-12 overall record versus FBS foes and a 12-7 mark against AQ conference foes.

While some are hung up on the Pac-10 only producing four bowl-eligible teams -- it actually was five; USC was just ineligible because of NCAA sanctions -- the tough nonconference schedules and the nine-game conference slate are mostly responsible for that. Arizona State, which lost by a single point at Wisconsin, would have been bowl eligible if San Jose State didn't break a game contract to chase a payday with Alabama, and the same could be said of Oregon State if it didn't schedule a pair of top-10 nonconference foes (No. 2 TCU and No. 9 Boise State).

The Pac-10's arduous schedule is accounted for, by the way, in the highly respected Sagarin Ratings, which rank the Pac-10 No. 1.

Still, the Pac-10 wasn't No. 1 in its final year before it becomes the Pac-12. The SEC earned the top spot after beating the undefeated Pac-10 champion for the national title.

Again, a tip of the cap. No trash talk.

One last thing, though: Oregon-LSU, Sept. 3.

Buckle up.

Folks throw around terms such as "best" and "worst" and "most" and "least" in sports in all the time, even when their application is more symbolic than real. Extremes are easy to understand. Talking about them can be fun. Actually experiencing them is rare, though. Living through the best of times and worst of times? That was just Charles Dickens rolling out a good opening line.

Richard Sherman and the rest of Stanford's fifth-year seniors, however, know both the best of times and worst of times, at least in terms of college football.

In 2006, the Cardinal went 1-11. That was the most losses in school history and worst record since an 0-10 mark in 1960. It was the program's fifth consecutive losing season, and coach Walt Harris was fired after just two years.

Worst of times.

In 2010, the Cardinal went 11-1. That set a school season record for victories. Stanford, ranked fourth in the final BCS standings, hasn't finished ranked in the top five of the AP poll since 1940. It's headed for a date with Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl on Monday.

Best of times.

And, yes, the latter is more fun.

"It's unbelievable," Sherman said. "I can't even express to you the emotions I have and the other seniors have. Coming in the way we did, obviously, 1-11 and now leaving with a record-setting season, one of the best offenses in the country, one of the best defenses in the country. Just a great team. We love each other. I can't explain it to you. It's a combination of joy, happiness, pride, a lot of things. Man, watching these guys grow up. We've all come a long way."

Sherman was a freshman on the 2006 team. It was shut out twice. It lost to San Jose State. It ranked 118th in the nation in scoring (10.6 points per game) and 108th in scoring defense (31.4 ppg), meaning it lost by an average of three touchdowns.

Harris went 6-17, turning in the shortest tenure of any Stanford coach since Rod Dowhower left after one season in 1979 with a 5-5-1 record. It was clear his disciplinarian methods weren't clicking with the sort of players who can get into Stanford.

"It was maybe just a bad fit," receiver Mark Bradford said at the time. "Maybe we didn't respond to the way that was his style of coaching. His style of coaching probably would have worked in a lot of other places. It didn't work here."

Enter Jim Harbaugh, who introduced himself by stating, "I vow I will attack this endeavor with enthusiasm unknown to mankind."

He was the anti-Harris. "It was just a whole different way of coaching. ... Coach Harbaugh definitely brought a different energy and enthusiasm to the program. Basically, he brought a belief in winning that I don't think guys had before he got here," Sherman said.

That can't be undersold. While injuries were a huge issue for Stanford in 2006, there was plenty of talent on the roster: Trent Edwards was the quarterback for the first half of the season before he got hurt, and plenty of guys went on to the NFL. And many names are familiar because of their roles in the Cardinal's recent surge under Harbaugh, from running back Toby Gerhart to Sherman to almost the entire offensive line.

There was talent in 2006. Sherman said the players worked hard and practiced hard. But the results were terrible. The offense only scored as many as two touchdowns in two games all season.

"It was rough coming from high school," said Sherman, who started out as a receiver. "You don't really know what to expect and then you come into that. It's rough to not get wins. You work hard every week, you game plan every week, and things just don't work out for you. It's obviously frustrating."

Just four years later, Stanford became one of the great turnaround stories in college football history. Louisville, which went 11-1 in 2001 after going 1-10 in 1997, was the last FBS team to win one game and then as many as 11 games four years later. Pittsburgh won the 1976 national championship with a 12-0 record four years after posting a 1-10 mark.

The 2010 Cardinal not only won, they dominated. They outscored foes by an average of more than 22 points. They ranked No. 8 in the nation in scoring (40.3 ppg) and No. 11 in scoring defense (17.83). They recorded three shutouts for the first time since 1969. They set a school record for points (484), and quarterback Andrew Luck set a school record with 28 touchdown passes. For the second consecutive year, the program produced a Heisman Trophy finalist -- Luck -- who followed Gerhart, the 2009 runner-up.

"This year was like the perfect storm," Sherman said.

But Sherman & Co. still retain a chip on their collective shoulders. They aren't ready to announce their arrival on the national scene just yet. They won four games in 2007, five in '08 and eight in 2009. It's been a process, and they sense there are still some stragglers who doubt them.

"People don't look at us as a talented team now and they didn't look at us as a talented team then [in 2006]," Sherman said. "Obviously, when you put on the Stanford 'S' it takes your talent and speed away. You're not fast or athletic anymore. It's been that way since I got here. We have great athletes, great players."

Sherman said the Cardinal aren't satisfied with merely earning the trip to Miami for a BCS bowl game. "There aren't going to be many guys trying to live the life in Miami. It's not about the trip. It's about the win," he said.

Winning, of course, is the only way to ensure that 2010 will be remembered as the very best of times on the Farm.

Perhaps Oregon State bit off more than it could chew, scheduling a pair of top-10 teams in its nonconference schedule. Or maybe preseason expectations were just too high. In any event, it's fair to say staying home this bowl season -- for the first time since 2005 -- is a major disappointment in Corvallis.

It started in the offseason when two defensive starters -- middle linebacker David Pa'aluhi and end Matt LaGrone -- quit the team. There weren't A-list players to replace them, and the ensuing promotions hurt depth. The Beavers hoped to steal at least one from TCU or Boise State, but they had to settle for fairly competitive games and a 1-2 start, the win coming over Louisville.

Still, after beating Arizona State and notching an upset win at Arizona, coach Mike Riley said he thought the tough schedule help his team get ready for Pac-10 play. But the win over the Wildcats was costly: The Beavers lost All-American receiver James Rodgers to a season-ending knee injury. The season would never be the same.

The Beavers lost in double overtime at Washington, bounced back by pounding California but then got embarrassed by consecutive losses to UCLA and then -- the nadir -- to Washington State, which ended the Cougars 16-game losing streak. Those two losses are why the Beavers didn't earn a bowl berth as much as the tough early schedule.

The Beavers showed resilience by dominating USC 36-7, and they only needed to win one of their final two games to become bowl eligible. The problem was those two games were against Stanford and Oregon. It wasn't to be.

Offensive MVP: Running back Jacquizz Rodgers didn't get much help from a struggling offensive line, but he was good enough to still post a good season practically on his own. He rushed for 1,097 yards with 14 touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and he caught 39 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensive MVP: Defensive tackle Stephen Paea started slowly, but he finished strong. And, really, there's no question who the best defensive tackle in the Pac-10 is. Just ask opposing offensive linemen. Paea led the Beavers with 10 tackles for a loss and six sacks. He also had 42 total tackles -- despite constant double-teams -- and four forced fumbles.

Turning point: If the Beavers had beaten Washington State, they would have finished 6-6 and earned a bowl berth. That loss at home on Nov. 13 changed the season for the worse.

What’s next: The Beavers have a lot of good players coming back at the offensive skill positions, particularly if -- as expected -- both Rodgers brothers come back. Quarterback Ryan Katz should be better after a year of seasoning. But the key in 2011 will be both lines. Neither played terribly well this season and both lose key starters. The schedule next year is easier but not by much: a visit to Wisconsin and a home game with BYU (a third date is TBA). Still, the Beavers look like they will be a factor in the Pac-12 North in 2011.

Oregon's LaMichael James and Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers are among the 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation's best running back.

The semifinalists are (in alphabetical order):

John Clay (Jr.) Wisconsin
Kendall Hunter (Sr.) Oklahoma State
Mark Ingram (Jr.) Alabama
LaMichael James (So.) Oregon
DeMarco Murray (Sr.) Oklahoma
Bilal Powell (Sr.) Louisville
Jacquizz Rodgers (Jr.) Oregon State
Vai Taua (Sr.) Nevada
Daniel Thomas (Sr.) Kansas State
Ed Wesley (So.) TCU

The 175 members of the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast their votes to determine the 2010 finalists. On Nov. 22, three finalists will be named live on ESPNU, and a second vote by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will determine the recipient. The 2010 Doak Walker Award recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 9 on ESPN.

The Award is named after three-time SMU All-America running back and 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker.

It has to start somewhere. It has to start sometime
What better place than here, what better time than now?

• Special teams played a big role in Arizona's win against Iowa. The Wildcats fought through adversity multiple times.
• A look back at Arizona's performance at Wisconsin.
• What to make of California falling short at Nevada? An interesting breakdown of a Cal defensive breakdown (and a bad no-call).
• Oregon turns its attention to Arizona State.
• The Louisville aftermath for Oregon State and looking forward to Boise State. Some Oregon State notes.
• Stanford is sticking to a backfield-by-committee approach.
• UCLA bounced back nicely vs. Houston, but Texas on the road is a whole other beast. Grading the Bruins.
• USC isn't going to change its starting tailback. Grading the Trojans.
• With outside expectations diminished, Washington tries to bounce back.
• A look back at SMU before Washington State turns its attention to USC. A big-picture look after three games.

If you don't like where you are in the power rankings, play better.

1. Oregon: Ducks slapped Portland State aside just like they should. The matchup Saturday at Arizona State is suddenly a lot more interesting based on how the Sun Devils played at Wisconsin.

2. Arizona: A signature win against Iowa that was significant because the Wildcats were physically dominant, and when the screws tightened they asserted that dominance while the Hawkeyes wilted.

3. Stanford: Wow. That was just mean what Stanford did to Wake Forest. Seems like Jim Harbaugh was still mad about the officiating in Winston Salem last year. Andrew Luck, the nation's third-rated quarterback, has 10 TD passes vs. zero interceptions. Is it just me or is Luck good?

4. Oregon State: The win against Louisville was inconclusive as to how good the Beavers are. The game at Boise State on Saturday could make a significant statement, though.

5. USC: You know that annoying hourglass you look at when your computer is making you wait? That's what we have with the Trojans. Folks continue to be eager to write them off. I'm not so sure that's wise.

6. Arizona State: An excruciating, what-might-have-been loss at Wisconsin. But the important take-away is this, Sun Devils: You guys look like a bowl team now. Now, what can you do vs. Oregon?

7. California: Ah, Cal. There is so much we want to say. But the salient fact is this: Nine games remain. Make a stand.

8. UCLA: There was blood in the water, but the Bruins responded with an impressive win against Houston (and, by the way, UCLA established dominance well before Case Keenum went down). Now the schedule eases up with ... a visit to Texas.

9. Washington: Three things came out of the home blowout loss to Nebraska: 1. The Cornhuskers are very good; 2. Washington's rebirth should eyeball .500 before it aspires to grand expectations; 3. The "Jake Locker is overrated" contingency is dancing in the streets over Locker's career-worst performance on the big stage.

10. Washington State: The big question for the Cougars is will they muster four-quarters of fight in every game the rest of the season. The Pac-10 blog continues to believe, if they do, that will eventually yield a tangible reward.

Oregon State struggled to put Louisville away, but the Beavers got a late interception from James Dockery to secure a 35-28 victory.


The Beavers led 35-14 in the third quarter before Louisville made things interesting. The Cardinals outgained the Beavers 453 yards to 319.

Jacquizz Rodgers ended a three-game slump with 132 yards on 24 carries. He scored two TDs and also caught five passes for 27 yards.

Ryan Katz turned in a solid performance, completing 15 of 26 for 142 yards with two TDs and no interceptions.

The problem is the Louisville offense on the road isn't going to be anything like the Boise State offense at home, which is what the Beavers face next weekend.

It will be another big-stage game for the Beavers against a top-10 foe from a non-AQ conference. It should be interesting. More than a few teams across the country -- from AQ conferences -- will be cheering for the Beavers.

Happy Friday.

• Arizona is getting its biggest offensive lineman back for its game with Iowa.
• Arizona State must slow down this big guy if it hopes to upset Wisconsin. Some bad news for the Badgers passing game, though.
• Nevada's pistol offense will test California.
• Oregon has a new Duck, courtesy of the NCAA.
• Oregon State needs to tackle better than it did versus TCU.
• Safety Michael Thomas is one of the reasons Stanford's defense has improved.
• UCLA's offensive line, seen as a major weakness, has actually been respectable.
• USC receiver Ronald Johnson stands by his school.
• Washington and Nebraska have a history together.
• Washington State needs to contain the SMU run and shoot, which actually runs more than you'd think.

Some quick notes to get you through the hours until Saturday. Many thanks to ESPN Stats & Information.

• The Pac-10 enters "Measuring Stick Saturday" with a 4-2 record against AQ conferences.
• Since 1990, Pac-10 teams are 25-6-1 at home against Big Ten teams. Both teams were ranked in seven of those 32 games, and the Pac-10 team won all seven.
• Arizona and Iowa have split 12 prior meetings. Iowa won last year’s meeting 27-17 in Iowa City. Prior to that, the teams hadn’t played since 1998 in Tucson.
• Since 2004, the Pac-10 is 15-8 against the Big Ten (including bowls). Three of those Pac-10 losses, however, have been by Arizona. The Wildcats have lost seven straight against Big Ten teams, last winning in 1998 against Iowa.
• Arizona is one of three FBS teams that hasn’t allowed a touchdown this season (Alabama and Baylor are the others).
• Wisconsin has won eight of their last nine against Pac-10 teams, with the only loss coming in 2001 vs Oregon. But Arizona State has won four straight against Big Ten teams, starting with its win vs Purdue in the 2004 Sun Bowl.
• California has won 12 straight against Nevada but the teams have only met once since 1945. Cal has only played in Reno once, and it was all the way back in 1915 (Cal also played a rugby game there in 1911).
• Oregon has scored 120 points in 120 minutes of action this season.
• Oregon has returned five punts this season. Three of those have gone for touchdowns. Only one other team has more than one punt return TD (Oklahoma State with two). The Ducks have the nation’s top punt return average at 43.6 yards per return.
• Oregon State has won eight straight home openers. Oregon State has won 26 of its last 27 home nonconference games (lost its last -- 28-18 vs Cincinnati in 2009).
• Louisville is 3-1 all-time vs current members of the Pac-10 and won the only meeting with Oregon State (63-27 in 2005).
• Stanford is 2-0 for the first time since 2004 and is looking for its 1st 3-0 start since 2001 under Ty Willingham. The Cardinal have started 3-0 just 4 times in the last 35 seasons.
• Stanford has won 12 of its last 14 home games. This is the first time Wake Forest is playing a game in the state of California.
• Wake Forest is 4-0 all-time against Pac-10 teams, with three of those wins coming in bowl games.
• Houston and UCLA have split their four all-time meetings. Each team has one home win and one road win in the series. The last time Houston played UCLA at the Rose Bowl, they lost 66-10 in 1997.
• UCLA is 0-2 for the first time since 1997. The Bruins haven’t started 0-3 since 1971 (0-4 that season).
• Houston leads the nation in scoring, averaging 61 points per game. It has also scored more touchdowns (17) and is tied for the most red zone trips (15) in the nation. The Cougars also lead the nation in third-down conversion percentage (73.7 pct, 14-19).
• USC and Minnesota are meeting for the first time in 30 years. USC has won 10 straight games against Big Ten teams, with four of those wins coming in the Rose Bowl. USC has won 18 straight nonconference games and a school-record 11 straight nonconference road games.
• The Golden Gophers are coming off an embarrassing loss to South Dakota last week. South Dakota isn’t even officially recognized as an FCS team yet (they are transitioning from Division II).
• Nebraska and Washington are tied 3-3-1 in seven all-time meetings. The two teams last met in 1998, a Nebraska 55-7 win.
• Washington receiver Jermaine Kearse has 287 receiving yards through two games, but 159 of those yards have come after the catch.
• The Nebraska game is the start of a brutal stretch for Washington. Six of the Huskies’ next seven games are against teams currently ranked in the AP Poll.
• Washington State beat SMU 30-27 last year in overtime. The Cougars overcame a 24-7 deficit in the third quarter, with a pair of long interception returns keying the comeback. It is the only previous meeting between the two teams. It also was the Cougars last victory until they came back from 15 points down last weekend to beat Montana State 23-22.

You do not understand. This is a clean and pleasant cafe. It is well lighted. The light is very good and also, now, there are shadows of the leaves.

• Arizona LB Paul Vassallo gets ready for the biggest game of his life.
• The Arizona State defense hasn't impressed this guy.
• This California linebacker has lofty goals. Reasons for Cal fans to worry about Nevada. Is linebacker Mike Mohamed ready to go?
• Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas is generous and knows how to work the crowd. Portland State isn't afraid of Oregon.
• Oregon State is eager to get back on the field. Interesting note here on Beavers defensive tackle Kevin Frahm and his observance of Yom Kippur.
• Stanford safety Michael Thomas had a good week.
• UCLA's defense is also a concern, so younger guys are getting looks. Some Bruins notes.
• USC is already dealing with a thin roster. And it's not trusting Monte Kiffin's defensive system.
• The defensive coordinators in the Nebraska-Washington game are a little nutty. Here's a pick for the Huskies, citing a true freshman quarterback in Husky Stadium. Linebacker Mason Foster came from nowhere.
• A visit to SMU is a homecoming of sorts for a pair of Washington State players.

Went 8-0 last week but it was an 8-0 that felt like USC's 2-0. Sorta "neh."

Season record is 15-3. To the picks.

Friday

California 38, Nevada 30: Warning, warning, warning, Cal Bears! Nevada is not a push-over, particularly not at home. The Wolf Pack has averaged 592 yards and 50 points in its first two games. Cal fans, if you want my advice, you should feel nervous about this one.

Saturday

Iowa 28, Arizona 24: Arizona is better on offense and Iowa is better on defense, but the Hawkeyes are better-er on defense than the Wildcats are on offense. That said, this one should be far more competitive than the game in Iowa City last fall.

Wisconsin 27, Arizona State 17: Expect Wisconsin to have a significant advantage in time of possession, and that's why I think the Sun Devils defense will wear down in the second half. I also think the Sun Devils earn respect on the road in a tough venue and feel pretty good going forward about their chances of surprising some folks in the Pac-10.

USC 41, Minnesota 17: I am picking USC to roll for a third week in a row. Why do I think I might be correct this time? Well, for one, as in the previous two games, USC has a lot better players. And, second, I think the Golden Gophers are about as uninspired as a team can be, see a narrow victory over Middle Tennessee and a loss to South Dakota.

SMU 41, Washington State 24: What the Cougars need is a soft nonconference schedule that helps them build confidence. What they've got is a road game at a good SMU squad that will be highly motivated after its mistake-filled loss last year in Pullman.

Nebraska 28, Washington 21: The Huskies are going to challenge the Cornhuskers. But they aren't going to beat them.

Oregon State 35, Louisville 24: Beavers QB Ryan Katz will be comfortable at home, and that means distributing the ball to his playmakers, the Rodgers brothers, who are going to hang up some big numbers.

Oregon 1,000, Portland State 3: And then the second half starts. No, actually, my guess is Chip Kelly doesn't want to play his starters much after halftime.

UCLA 27, Houston 24: Just when you think the Bruins are going to go belly-up, they will rally and win. It will make a huge difference that Kevin Prince got a full week of practice. Not to mention that Houston QB Case Keenum is questionable with a concussion.

Stanford 45, Wake Forest 24: The Wake Forest defense gave up 48 points and 487 yards to Duke. Duke isn't terrible or anything, but you'd think QB Andrew Luck will represent a slight step up from sophomore Sean Renfree. And the Cardinal should be pretty salty based on how things went in the second half last year in Winston-Salem.

Alright, boys, this is the last shot we got! We're gonna run the picket fence at 'em! Jimmy, you're solo right! Everett, Merle should be open on the other side of that fence! Now, boys, don't get caught watchin' the paint dry!

• Last year against Iowa, Arizona became Nick Foles' team. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz talks about the Wildcats.
• At least one Arizona State player knows how to beat Wisconsin: Steven Threet has done it before. Some changes on the Sun Devils' O-line.
• California's backups are more than just a second team. Should Cal fans be worried about LB Mike Mohamed's foot?
• Oregon's special teams are playing well.
• Jacquizz Rodgers hopes to break out of a mini-slump for Oregon State. A Beavers notebook.
• QB Andrew Luck has become a running threat for Stanford. And Wake Forest may be sleepy at Stanford.
• Talented freshman RB Malcolm Jones may get more touches for UCLA. Norm Chow stands behind QB Kevin Prince, who might look better now that he's actually practicing.
• The USC defense is banged-up. Speaking of the defense, what about Minnesota?
• Jake Locker vs. the Nebraska defense is the money matchup, but what about the Washington defense vs. the Cornhuskers' O? Huskies-Cornhuskers is a big-money game.
• Were Washington State's prayers answered during a comeback vs. Montana State?
• Money probably will keep Colorado in the Big 12 in 2011.

Byron listened quietly, thinking to himself how people everywhere are about the same, but that it did seem that in a small town, where evil is harder to accomplish, where opportunities for privacy are scarcer, that people can invent more of it in other people’s names.

• Iowa is bringing Big to Arizona Stadium. It's also bringing a large contingent to Tucson, where they're still hoping for a red-out.
• Wisconsin's offense will be a big challenge for Arizona State's defense.
• It wasn't a typical Monday practice for Cal. Some thoughts on the Golden Bears.
• Oregon gets ready for Portland State, which might be in a bit of trouble. Checking in at Monday's practice.
• Oregon State turns its attention to Louisville. A scouting report.
• Grading Stanford's game with UCLA.
• UCLA has issues at QB, even if Kevin Prince remains the starter. Say this about Prince: He's a standup guy. And the heat is turning up on coach Rick Neuheisel.
• The way USC is playing, it can't take Minnesota for granted.
• Washington gets ready to defend a mobile QB. Notes and quotes from the Huskies.
• A Washington State perspective on SMU.