ESPN College Football

I've got the Dungeon Master's Guide; I've got a 12-sided die; I've got Kitty Pryde, and Nightcrawler too; Waiting there for me, yes I do, I do.

• Nick Foles couldn't watch himself on Jon Gruden's QB Camp.
• Is there anything Jamal Miles can't do? Some thoughts on Vontaze Burfict's recent radio interview.
• Mychal Kendricks isn't concerned with his height, so NFL teams shouldn't be either.
• Colorado inks a game with Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium in 2014.
• Chip Kelly says Oregon's spring has been filled with "give and take" on both sides of the ball.
• Mike Riley got fired up at practice yesterday and Scott Crichton backtracked on his earlier marijuana comments.
• An extensive video interview with Andrew Luck reflecting on his career at Stanford.
• Interesting note from Jon Gold that UCLA is one of only three schools with top 12 recruiting classes in football and hoops.
• Breaking down USC's depth chart.
• A story from over the weekend on Utah quarterback Travis Wilson making an impact.
• Extensive quotes from Steve Sarkisian following practice on Monday.
• Cougars will go full pads for their final practice.

Hot new bracelet for NFL GMs: WWMKD?

What Would Mel Kiper Do?

Glad you asked. Kiper has projected how he would pick in the first three rounds if he were the GM of every NFL team.

Here are his picks for the NFC and here are the AFC picks.

You can also see Kiper's Big Board here. And Todd McShay's top-32 prospects here.

Before we give you his Pac-12 picks, here's what he says about the exercise:

For this, I was asked, "What would you do if you were picking?" So I gave it a shot. I've listed what I see as the top needs for each team, and I've gone ahead and made the picks that fill needs based on where I have players ranked. A few ground rules:

1. At each spot, I'm making the pick best for that team at that spot. I won't pass on an ideal pick for the Bills at No. 10 just because that player would be a great fit at No. 11.

2. There are no duplicates anywhere.

3. I will suggest good spots to trade down, but I won't rearrange the board.

4. This is for fun! One pick can derail a whole draft, so in no way do I think this is how it might look.

So here's what he thinks about Pac-12 players.

New York Giants: Rd 1 (32) TE Coby Fleener, Stanford

Comments: I've liked Fleener to the Giants for a while. I think he just provides something that passing game doesn't have. Remember, Fleener won't just line up off tackle; you can split him out and utilize his size and speed to work matchups with smaller corners or slower linebackers. Teams will spend a lot of time looking at how to slow the momentum the Giants should carry over with their passing attack, and Fleener adds something new to account for.

Minnesota Vikings: Rd 1 (3) OT Matt Kalil, USC (attempt to move down)

Comment: Corner is a big need for me if I'm Minnesota, which is why I can see them very tempted on Morris Claiborne, but left tackle is equally important. If they don't protect Christian Ponder, they really won't be able to effectively audit his progress. I put trading down as an option because I do it if it's clear a team will give up a ton of value to get into that No. 3 slot, so the Vikings should be entertaining offers all the way. But if that can't happen, they should be plenty happy to add Kalil, a rare tackle ready to come in and start right away on the left side.

Carolina Panthers: Rd 2 (40) DE Nick Perry, USC

Comment: Perry is just major value in Round 2. It honestly wouldn't shock me if some team took him in the mid-first round, so getting a pass-rusher like him here is a huge get.

Buffalo Bills: Rd 2 (41) OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford; Rd 3 (71) LB Mychal Kendricks, California

Comment: Martin is a guy who once carried a solid first-round grade and could be a total steal at No. 41. ... Kendricks has immense physical talent and could be plugged in immediately, something the team did with Kelvin Sheppard last year.

Cincinnati Bengals: Rd 1 (21) G David DeCastro, Stanford; Rd 3 (83) G Tony Bergstrom, Utah

Comment: DeCastro is a big-time prospect at guard, and the Bengals can draft him and assume improvement in the run game, where they really struggled in 2011. He may be the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson, and guard is a big need for them. ... Bergstrom can play early if needed, but is good insurance.

Indianapolis Colts: Rd 1 (1) QB Andrew Luck, Stanford

Comment: I'm a pretty savvy GM, taking this Luck kid, huh? Really out in front of the pack! Needless to say, I think Luck is a lock on my board and Indy's as well. That's your Week 1 starter.

Denver Broncos: Rd 2 (57) RB LaMichael James, Oregon

Comment: I love the idea of James keeping linebackers' eyes in the backfield on play-action fakes or swinging out into the flat for Peyton Manning. He's not quite Darren Sproles in terms of elusiveness, but he's in that category. He'll provide a change of pace the offense needs.

Kansas City Chiefs: Rd 3 (74) NT Alameda Ta'amu, Washington

Comment: Ta'amu is a wide body and good insurance piece for the Chiefs at NT. In fact, I can see Dontari Poe and him on the field at the same time.

BERKELEY, Calf. -- California's defense needs to replace both starting defensive ends from 2011. And both safeties. And both inside linebackers, including Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Mychal Kendricks.

Looks like the Bears won't have much of a chance to lead the conference in total defense a third consecutive season, right?

Looks, however, can be deceiving. And, in fact, looks are also a good reason to suspect the Bears are going to be pretty salty on defense this fall. During a scrimmage-heavy and rare open practice last weekend, they looked big up front, fast in the back half and athletic everywhere. This is a young but fairly experienced unit with plenty of upside. It would be surprising if it doesn't rank near the top of the Pac-12 in most categories in 2012.

"I see us playing faster and faster every practice," coordinator Clancy Pendergast said.

Young? Based on conversations with Pendergast and head coach Jeff Tedford, the Pac-12 blog has calculated that about 28 guys are in line for action next fall. Six are seniors and 17 are sophomores or younger.

Experienced? Eight of those youngsters saw significant action in 2011. Five started games.

Further, this will be the Bears' third year using Pendergast's 3-4 scheme. Unlike the previous two seasons, the Bears have mostly grown up with this system while landing three consecutive top-25 recruiting classes that were particularly strong on defense.

"The biggest thing to me is this is the third year in the system," Pendergast said. "These guys know a lot more about this system than they did two years ago and even a year ago. We've got it built here now where as guys come up through the program, they are learning the defense, and when it's their time, they understand what they are supposed to do by learning from guys ahead of them."

Start up front, where Pendergast and Tedford are practically giddy over the maturation of 6-foot-5, 311-pound end Deandre Coleman. Said Tedford: "He may be one of the best that we've ever had." Keep in mind that Bears have produced two first-round NFL draft choices at end -- Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan -- over the past three seasons.

At the other end is true sophomore Mustafa Jalil, who surged late last season. Kendrick Payne and 347-pound sophomore Viliami Moala give the Bears a good combo at noseguard, while 2011 noseguard starter Aaron Tipoti is playing nose and end.

While this line might not have a dominant edge pass-rusher, it's deep with guys who will be difficult to account for with just one blocker, which should make things much easier for the linebackers.

As for replacing Kendricks and D.J. Holt at inside linebackers, veterans Robert Mullins and J.P. Hurrell, both seniors, are battling to hold off a youth movement that includes David Wilkerson, Nick Forbes, Jalen Jefferson and Jason Gibson, who are all sophomores or younger. This is the most competitive spot on the defense.

"It's not really like the well is empty there, but it's which guy or two is going to step up," Tedford said.

At outside linebacker, Chris McCain had six tackles for loss as a six-game starter in 2011. Returning starter Dan Camporeale holds down the opposite side, but true sophomore Brennan Scarlett could make a move when he returns in the fall from a knee injury. Scarlett's potential as a pass-rusher should get him on the field, and the same can be said for Cecil Whiteside, who started three games in 2011 and recorded three sacks.

Finally, there's also talent, depth and experience in the secondary, even with two 2011 safety starters to replace. Pendergast is particularly high on Josh Hill, who moves to free safety from corner. Alex Logan leads the competition at strong safety, but Avery Sebastian (who changed his last name from Walls) and the injured Michael Lowe (who changed his last name from Coley) saw action last year and could push for starting jobs.

There are three experienced, top-flight corners in Marc Anthony, Steve Williams and Stefan McClure, who is sitting out spring practices with a knee injury.

Of all these guys, only Payne, Tipoti, Hurrell, Mullens, Anthony and Hill are seniors. So the future looks perhaps even brighter than the intriguing 2012 present. For one, Coleman, Moala and Jalil across the defensive front look like a troika of potential All-Pac-12 performers in 2013, if Coleman opts to return for his senior season.

This depth and veterans vs. youth dynamic can be constructive, too. The fluidity of the depth chart ensures players take competition seriously this spring and into fall camp. Serious competition means quality reps in practice, which means you have a two-deep full of guys who are ready to play because they were forced to practice hard in order to stay in the mix.

Or as Sebastian, a true sophomore, explained it: "We want to come out and be better than the people who are in front of us. We want to take their spots. That's our mentality."

In 2010, Pendergast and then-Stanford defensive coordinator Vic Fangio brought 3-4 schemes from the NFL to the Pac-12 when everyone else was running a 4-3. It's meaningful that six conference teams will be base 3-4 in 2012 (including Arizona with its 3-3-5) and a couple of others will extensively use odd-front looks. The 3-4 seems to work well against the proliferation of spread teams in the conference, and it's easier on the West Coast to find linebacker recruits than defensive tackles.

But no matter how many teams adopt the scheme, it's reasonable to project that this Cal defense will remain atop the conference pecking order.

ESPN NFL draft guru Todd McShay has broken down his list of top-100 draft prospects by seven tiers in order of draft grade .

He writes: "The tiers show which portions of the class are deep and which are lean. There are some lean tiers near the top of the board, but the class is solid in Tiers 3 and 4."

His list includes 15 Pac-12 players. Here's how things stack up as well as his explanation for each tier.

Tier 1: These are the elite prospects, those who have the potential to come off the board in the top five overall picks.
1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford (Luck's 99 grade is the best in the draft, two points higher than Baylor QB Robert Griffin III)
3. Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Tier 2: This tier is composed of players who are a notch below elite but are still top-10 quality.
None

Tier 3: The prospects will offer good value between picks 10 and 20.
14. David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

Tier 4: These prospects have the tools to be good value picks in the late-first round.
26. Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
30. Nick Perry, DE, USC

Tier 5: These are the players teams will begin targeting as value picks early in Round 2 should they fall out of Round 1.
34. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
39. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
50. Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State
52. Mychal Kendricks, LB, California

Tier 6: This tier contains prospects who are worthy of mid-to-late-second-round consideration.
62. Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
63. Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington
67. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Tier 7: These players rank as solid third-round prospects.
87. Tony Bergstrom, OT, Utah
96. Chris Polk, RB, Washington
100. Trevor Guyton, DE, California

ESPN NFL draft guru Todd McShay has published his latest mock draft -- rounds one and two! -- and the Pac-12 is well-represented.

Here's how he projects things.

First round
1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Indianapolis Colts
3. Matt Kalil, OT, USC: Minnesota Vikings
17. David DeCastro, OG, Stanford: Cincinnati Bengals
19. Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford: Chicago Bears

Second round
34. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford: Colts
38. Nick Perry, DE, USC: Jacksonville Jaguars
41. Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State: Buffalo Bills
43. Mychal Kendricks, LB, California: Seattle Seahawks
49. Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington: San Diego Chargers
63. Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California: New York Giants

Here are McShay's top-32 players overall .

As for Mel Kiper, here are the Pac-12 players on his 25-man "Big Board ."

1. Luck
3. Kalil
14. DeCastro
24. Fleener

And you can review his top-5 by position here .

The great companies did not know that the line between hunger and anger is a thin line. And money that might have gone to wages went for gas, for guns, for agents and spies, for blacklists, for drilling. On the highways the people moved like ants and searched for work, for food. And the anger began to ferment.

• One standout from Arizona's weekend scrimmage was a forgotten running back.
• Arizona State may have found a tight end.
• A tribute to former California LB Mychal Kendricks.
• A quick look at Colorado's new QB transfer, Jordan Webb.
• A preview of Oregon's receivers, which is a primary area of concern. Linebacker isn't a worry, though depth is a question.
• Oregon State looks good at receiver. There are some questions at LB.
• Receiver will be an interesting position to watch this spring for UCLA. This is funny: Might Jim Mora and Lane Kiffin barbecue together?
• Some notes from USC. No exaggeration: It's possible both first-team All-American receivers will play for USC.
• If you missed it, here's Utah coach Kyle Whittingham working demolition. With the addition of touted JC transfer Kelvin York, the Utes look good with RB depth.
• Washington gets its first commitment for 2013.
• Some notes from Washington State. And if that's not enough, there are more here.

The latest draft rankings are out from ESPN's Todd McShay and Mel Kiper and there isn't much change involving the Pac-12 players projected for the first round.

On McShay's top 32 , Stanford offensive guard David DeCastro climbed closer to the top 10, moving up from No. 13 to 12.

McShay on DeCastro: DeCastro's physical, dominating style made him the top interior lineman in the country in 2011, and he is a plug-and-play prospect who will be a starter from the moment he sets foot in camp.

DeCastro's teammate, offensive tackle Jonathan Martin, fell from No. 22 to 24 while USC defensive end Nick Perry moved up one spot to No. 28. Andrew Luck and Matt Kalil held their No. 1 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

For those of you curious about what an NFL draft board looks like, McShay and the Scouts Inc. team put one together .

On Mel Kiper's Big Board , DeCastro moved up from No. 15 to 14. Luck and Kalil also remained at Nos. 1 and 3.

Kiper on Luck: His pro day has arrived. Last week, got good news with Reggie Wayne staying in Indy. Luck has worked hard during the draft process, confirming a lot of what evaluators felt about his mentality. Status quo remains in terms of profile. The total package: arm strength, size, smarts, demeanor. Ready to play.

Finally, Kiper also updated his top five draft prospects by position . It's the usual suspects in their usual spots. Brock Osweiler sits as the No. 5 quarterback, LaMichael James is the No. 2 running back; Rhett Ellison, Coby Fleener, Mychal Kendricks, Vontaze Burfict and Bryan Anger all appear in the various rankings.

Starters in, starters out. That's college football. Players' eligibility expires and they leave for the rest of their lives, whether that includes the NFL or not.

And they leave behind shoes of various sizes that need to be filled.

Our concern with this series? The biggest shoes -- in some cases Shaq-like size 23s.

Big shoes: Linebacker Mychal Kendricks

The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Kendricks piled up 258 career tackles, including a team-high 107 his senior season. His 14.5 tackles for a loss were tied for second in the conference. He also had three sacks, two interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries. But it's not just a production void: Kendricks was the centerpiece of the Bears 3-4 defense. He had 25 more tackles than anyone else on the team. He knew the scheme and he knew where everyone was supposed to line up.

Stepping in: J.P, Hurrell, Robert Mullins, Dave Wilkerson, Nick Forbes, Jason Gibson, Steven Fanua

Considering both inside linebackers -- Kendricks and the solid D.J. Holt -- need to be replaced, it's difficult to handicap this one exclusively for Kendricks. Mullins and Hurrell, both juniors, were the backups inside last year, with Hurrell listed behind Kendricks. Wilkerson started three games on the outside, and the sophomore is an intriguing talent who may be more natural inside. But he needs to stay healthy. Forbes, a sophomore, and Gibson, a redshirt freshman, are talented youngsters who could be poised to break through. It's possible that there might be a rotation of three or four guys here getting regular playing time early in the season.

The rest of the "Big Shoes" series can be found here.

It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.

• Arizona will play its spring game at Kino Stadium.
• Arizona State showed improvement on day two.
• Former California players make an impression: First it was linebacker Mychal Kendricks, now it's receiver Michael Calvin.
• Colorado receiver Paul Richardson has a gift.
• Former Oregon running back LaMichael James gives back to Eugene.
• Watch out for Oregon State receiver Brandin Cooks (for me, I need to be on-guard for that sneaky "I" in his first name).
• Stanford hits Hawaii for a commitment.
• USC might be even deeper at linebacker than we thought, which is a major reversal from 2011.
• Utah begins spring ball on Tuesday, and it has released its depth chart. The Utes move to the Pac-12 is paying off -- for the school and the state.
• Washington has closed spring practices to the public.
• There is so much stuff packed into this entry from the WSU Football Blog that it can't be contained by a single sentence.

The see-saw analysis of the NFL draft continues. This week, Todd McShay was considerably generous when dealing with the Pac-12 in his Top 32.

Naturally, there was no movement at No. 1, where Stanford's Andrew Luck has and will continue to hold the top spot until draft day. USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil was the only Pac-12 player to drop in McShay's Top 32 -- though it wasn't too drastic of a fall. Kalil moved from No. 2 on McShay's board to No. 3, paving the way for Robert Griffin III to move into the No. 2 spot and presumably to the Washington Redskins, who paid a hefty price for the honor of drafting second.

McShay on Kalil: Kalil's showing in Indianapolis blew the rest of the offensive tackle class out of the water. He is a potential franchise left tackle with a combination of size, balance, light feet and finishing ability. It will be hard for the Vikings to avoid him with the third overall pick.

The Stanford offensive line duo of David DeCastro (OG) and Jonathan Martin (OT) both saw upward movement -- DeCastro up three spots to No. 13 and Martin up from 24 to 22. USC defensive end Nick Perry, who was previously unranked, checks in at No. 29 this week.

McShay on Perry: Perry shows a good first step and active hands, is stout at the point of attack, flashes solid pass-rush skills and could even transition to a 3-4 outside linebacker.

McShay's frequent debate partner, Mel Kiper, has only three Pac-12 players on his latest Big Board. Luck at No. 1 and he also slots Kalil in the No. 3 spot this week. DeCastro drops from 13 to 15 and again, Martin is nowhere to be found on Kiper's board.

Finally, Kiper also updated his top 5 draft prospects by position. Luck and ASU's Brock Osweiler highlight the quarterbacks and LaMichael James is now the No. 2 running back prospect according to Kiper.

Stanford tight end Coby Fleener assumes the top spot among the tight ends in Kiper's eyes.

Kiper on Fleener: This is now Fleener's group to lead. He has come on, and I now have him as a guy who could crack the first round

Other ranked players include USC fullback Rhett Ellison, Kalil, Martin, DeCastro, Perry, Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks, ASU linebacker Vontaze Burfict and Cal punter Bryan Anger.

For many of the former Cal football players who weren't invited to the NFL combine last month, Wednesday was their lone chance to show the NFL scouts what they are capable of -- even if the weather wasn't completely cooperating.

Wide receiver Michael Calvin logged a consensus 4.32 in the 40-yard dash -- a mark that would have been faster than any player at this year's combine.

"When I got to the end, I turned around and everybody was staring at me and looking down comparing times, trying to make sure it was a consistent time," Calvin said in a news release from the school. "I knew it was a good thing, to see that I ran something fast."

Calvin also showed well in the broad jump (11'1") and the vertical jump (40.5"). The broad jump mark would have matched the best jump at the combine and the vertical jump would have tied for fourth best.

"It's a chance for me to show the assets that I have," Calvin said. "Being under the radar, it's good to get this kind of exposure. Showing some speed definitely helps, but I would also have liked to have run some routes. Everything looks great on paper, but I know these guys want to see what you can actually do as a far as position work goes."

The uncooperative weather rained out the position drills.

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks -- who posted a 4.47 in the 40 at the combine, which was tops among inside linebackers -- shaved a tenth of a second off his 20-yard shuttle time.

"Anything can happen in this draft,” Kendricks said. “You just want to get your foot in the door, and once you do, you have to take full advantage. Whether it’s in the first round, second or seventh, you just want to get picked somewhere you fit in. It’s all about what you can do on the field after you get picked. I plan on doing a lot of work on and off the field.”

Some results made available by the school and notes from the pro day:

• Calvin: 4.32 40-yard dash; 40.5” vertical; 11’1” broad jump; 4.09; 20-yard shuttle; 6.79 3-cone drill.
• Safety D.J. Campbell: 4.51 40-yard dash; 38” vertical; 10’7” broad jump; 4.18 20-yard shuttle; 22 bench press reps.
• Wide receiver Coleman Edmond: 41” vertical; 11’1” broad jump; 4.10 20-yard shuttle.
• Kendricks: 4.09 20-yard shuttle; 6.70 3-cone drill.
• Defensive lineman Ernest Owusu: 4.76 40-yard dash; 30” vertical; 9’4” broad jump; 39 bench press reps.
• Campbell’s 22 bench press reps would have been tied for first among safeties at the 2012 combine, while his 4.51 40-yard dash and 38” vertical jump would been second-best, and his 10’7” broad jump would have been tied for second-best among safeties.
• Kendricks’ time of 6.70 in the 3-cone drill would have been the best among linebackers and tied for 10th overall at the 2012 combine (Kendricks did not do the 3 cone drill at the 2012 combine).
• Former Cal players punter Bryan Anger, wide receiver Marvin Jones, offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz were in attendance at pro day but did not participate in any measurable drills (all three participated in the combine last month).

Our postseason list of the Pac-12's top-25 players is complete.

You can review it here.

Here are some quick breakdowns for you to chew on (remember, because we had an, er, tie at No. 12, there are 26 players on the Pac-12's top-25).

By unit
Offense: 19
Defense: 7

The Pac-12 is an offensive league. The SEC doesn't have to worry about leaving off a quarterback who might be a first-day NFL draft pick (Arizona State's Brock Osweiler).

Also, offensive players are easier to evaluate. A defensive tackle who clogs the middle but doesn't get many numbers is harder to measure than a quarterback, running back or wide receiver.

By team
USC ... 7
Stanford ... 6
Oregon ... 5
California, Utah, Washington ... 2
Arizona, Washington State ... 1
Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon State & UCLA ... 0

USC, Stanford and Oregon dominated. Makes sense: All three were top-10 teams, and no other Pac-12 squads were ranked.

As for the teams with no players: Arizona State's top candidates were Osweiler, running back Cameron Marshall and receiver Gerell Robinson. If the Sun Devils hadn't finished with a six-game losing streak, it's hard to imagine at least one of them wouldn't have made the list.

Colorado had only All-Pac-12 player: second-team offensive tackle David Bakhtiari. Oregon State cornerback Jordan Poyer, who earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors, was given consideration. He's almost certain to be on the preseason top-25.

UCLA didn't have any All-Conference players.

By position
QB ... 5
WR ... 5
RB ... 4
OL ... 3
TE... 2
LB ... 2
DE ... 2
DT... 1
CB ... 1
S ... 1

Every position group -- other than special teams -- got at least one player. That happens in large part because while making the list you think, "Who's the best guy in the conference at this position?"

Who's coming back?

2. Matt Barkley, QB, USC
5. Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford
7. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
8. Robert Woods, WR, USC
11. Keith Price, QB, Washington
12 De'Anthony Thomas, WR-RB, Oregon
13. Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State
15. Keenan Allen, WR, California
16. Marqise Lee, WR, USC
19. T.J. McDonald, S, USC
20. Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon
21. John White, RB, Utah
23. Nickell Robey, CB, USC
24. Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford

With 14 guys from the list coming back in 2012, that means 11 spots open up for the preseason top-25.

Want a reason folks think so highly of USC: Five of the 14 guys coming back in 2012 are from USC. And it's a heck of a list.

And how tough is it going to be to earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors at receiver in 2012?

Our countdown of the Pac-12's top 25 players ends at No. 1.

You can see Ted Miller's preseason top 25 here.

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2011 numbers: Luck passed for 3,517 yards and 37 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 2011, completing 71.3 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 150 yards and two TDs. He ranked fifth in the nation in passing efficiency.

Preseason ranking: No. 1.

Making the case for Luck: Luck not only is going to be the top overall pick in the NFL draft this spring, he would have been the top overall pick in 2011. Simply, he's the best QB prospect in a generation. Of course, you've heard this all before. He was No. 1 in this ranking in 2010 as well. First, there's the physical side: A 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame that ran a 4.69 40 at the NFL combine and jumped better than any QB. Luck is the pure pro-style pocket passer who secretly moonlights as an outstanding all-around athlete. Then there's the head. Luck is not just a smart guy, he's a Stanford smart guy. The architectural design major had a 3.48 GPA. And he's not just Stanford smart: He's football smart. No college football player in the nation -- perhaps in years -- had as much play-calling responsibility at the line of scrimmage this year as Luck. The Cardinal offense, playing with second-tier talent at receiver, averaged 43.2 points per game, which ranked seventh in the nation. Finally, there's character and moxie. While Luck is highly competitive, he's also as humble as they come -- authentically so. An NFL team is never going to have to worry about Luck getting into trouble. Luck has been burdened with high expectations since 2009 when NFL scouts started whispering about him. He's not only lived up to those expectations, he's eclipsed them. The only wart on his résumé? All together Oregon fans: He failed to beat Oregon the past two seasons, which cost him shots at the national championship.

2. Matt Barkley, QB, USC

3. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

4. Matt Kalil, OT, USC

5. Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford

6. Mychal Kendricks, LB, Cal

7. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

8. Robert Woods, WR, USC

9. Chris Polk, RB, Washington

10. Jonathan Martin, LT, Stanford

11. Keith Price, QB, Washington

12 (tie). Darron Thomas, QB & De'Anthony Thomas, WR-RB, Oregon

13. Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State

14. David DeCastro, OL, Stanford

15. Keenan Allen, WR, California

16. Marqise Lee, WR, USC

17. Nick Perry, DE, USC

18. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

19. T.J. McDonald, S, USC

20. Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon

21. John White IV, RB, Utah

22. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

23. Nickell Robey, CB, USC

24. Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford

25. David Paulson, TE, Oregon

Welcome to the mailbag.

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

To the notes.

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

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

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

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

Ted Miller: Thanks Ryan!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ted Miller: First off, congrats.

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

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

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

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

You can see Ted Miller's preseason top 25 here.

2. Matt Barkley, QB, USC

2011 numbers: Barkley completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,528 yards, with 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also scored two rushing TDs.

Preseason ranking: No. 6

Making the case for Barkley: Barkley earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors behind What's-His-Name and third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, leading USC to a final top-five ranking and 10-2 finish. He ranked eighth in the nation in passing efficiency, and his 39 TD passes ranked first in the conference. Further, over the season's final four games, he completed 72.7 percent of his passes with 17 TDs and just two picks, ending Oregon's 21-game home winning streak at Autzen Stadium along the way. In that 38-35 victory, he passed for 323 yards and four TDs. And get this: Barring injury, he is almost certain to write his name atop the Pac-12 record book's two most important categories for quarterbacks: career passing yards and career TD passes. He needs 2,765 yard passing to eclipse former USC standout Carson Palmer's 11,818 yards, and 20 TD passes to beat former Trojan Matt Leinart's 99 career scoring tosses. Barkley enters the 2012 season as the decided front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.

3. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

4. Matt Kalil, OT, USC

5. Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford

6. Mychal Kendricks, LB, Cal

7. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

8. Robert Woods, WR, USC

9. Chris Polk, RB, Washington

10. Jonathan Martin, LT, Stanford

11. Keith Price, QB, Washington

12 (tie). Darron Thomas, QB & De'Anthony Thomas, WR-RB, Oregon

13. Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State

14. David DeCastro, OL, Stanford

15. Keenan Allen, WR, California

16. Marqise Lee, WR, USC

17. Nick Perry, DE, USC

18. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

19. T.J. McDonald, S, USC

20. Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon

21. John White IV, RB, Utah

22. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

23. Nickell Robey, CB, USC

24. Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford

25. David Paulson, TE, Oregon