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Most Pac-12 teams will have new faces on hand this spring -- early-entry high school or JC players or transfers -- who are expected to provide immediate help, if not win starting jobs.

Here are seven we expect to make a mark in 2012 (feel free to comment on how you can't believe we left out so-and-so).

LB Brian Wagner, Arizona: Wagner was prolific tackler at Akron, collecting at least 100 stops in three years as a starter and earning All-MAC honors in two out of his three seasons with the Zips. He might not have top-flight Pac-12 speed, but the Wildcats are fairly desperate at linebacker.

QB Connor Wood, Colorado: Wood, a Texas transfer, was expected to win the job even before Nick Hirschman re-injured his foot. But with Hirschman out, it's Wood's offense -- at least for the spring. In the fall, Jordan Webb, a two-year starter at Kansas with two years of eligibility remaining, is expected to join the fray.

DE Arik Armstead, Oregon: The true freshman arrives in Eugene this spring after one of the more closely watched recruiting sagas on the West Coast. While more than a few folks believe the 6-foot-8, 280 pounder is a prototypical left OFFENSIVE tackle, he's going to at least start off on defense at Oregon. He's athletic enough to play end, and could immediately be in the picture to replace the departed Terrell Turner.

TE Caleb Smith, Oregon State: The Beavers use both a tight end and an H-back, and Smith, a touted recruit from Kentridge High School in Renton, Wash., looks like a good candidate to replace departed -- and productive -- H-back Joe Halahuni. He could challenge sophomore Connor Hamlett, the backup tight end in 2011, for the starting job.

DE Brandon Willis, UCLA: Willis' wanderlust has been almost comical -- he's transferred between UCLA and North Carolina twice -- but he was once a touted recruit and could compete for immediate playing time on an experienced but underachieving Bruins D-line.

RB Kelvin York, Utah: York, a 5-foot-11, 225-pound transfer out of Fullerton College, picked the Utes over a host of suitors. At the very least will be Robin to John White's Batman. It's also possible they could be 1A and 1B, almost splitting carries equally.

RB/WR Antavius Sims, Washington: Sims is a JC transfer who signed with the Huskies in 2011 but didn't qualify academically. He was expected to play cornerback, but has been shifted to offense so he can use his speed both as a runner and receiver.

Athlon Sports takes a look at transfers to watch in 2012, and a number of comings and goings involve Pac-12 players.

Some of the top outgoing transfers: Former Oregon State QB Ryan Katz to San Diego State, former Oregon RB Lache Seastrunk to Baylor and former USC WR Brice Butler to San Diego State.

Here is what Athlon has to say about four top incoming Pac-12 transfers:

QB Connor Wood, Texas to Colorado – Wood made a push for playing time last spring with Texas, but eventually fell behind David Ash, Garrett Gilbert and Case McCoy in the fall. With playing time unlikely in Austin, Wood transferred to Colorado and will be expected to contend for the starting job this season. He ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation coming out of high school, but never found his way onto the field with Texas. Wood will have to compete with Nick Hirschman for the No. 1 job, but Hirschman might miss spring workouts with a foot injury, giving the Texas transfer an early edge in the quarterback battle.

DL Brandon Willis, North Carolina to UCLA – Willis has transferred from North Carolina to UCLA twice, but finally appears to be staying with the Bruins and will be eligible in 2012. Willis has yet to play a down of college football, but ranked as one of the top defensive linemen coming out of high school. Willis is expected to contribute to the UCLA defensive line rotation this season.

LB Brian Wagner, Akron to Arizona – Wagner didn’t gather the fanfare of some of the transfers on this list, but he could end up being one of Arizona's most productive defensive players in 2012. He was a tackling machine in his three seasons at Akron, collecting at least 100 stops in every year. Wagner also picked up All-MAC honors in two out of his three seasons with the Zips.

Many are projecting Wood to win the starting job at Colorado. Wagner seems almost certain to start due to the Wildcats thin corps of LBs.

It seems likely Willis will get plenty of chances to break through with the Bruins. While UCLA welcomes back plenty of experience on its defensive line, that line was mediocre to bad in 2011, despite having a number of once-touted recruits.

Davonte' Neal didn't show up for his own news conference Tuesday to announce his decision between Arizona, Notre Dame, Arkansas and North Carolina.

The nation's eighth-ranked player from Chaparral High in Scottsdale, Ariz., left 600 at Kyrene de la Esperanza Elementary -- his old school -- in the lurch.

And, by the way, national signing day was three weeks ago. Yes, each year the excesses of recruiting and the behavior the hype inspires hit us squarely between the eyes.

There's this from the Arizona Daily Star:

The issue, apparently, is a power struggle between Neal and his father, Luke. Luke Neal has been pro-Notre Dame in recent weeks, while Davonte has been leaning toward the UA.

Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez made recruiting Neal a priority shortly after he was hired Nov. 21 as Mike Stoops' permanent replacement. Rodriguez hired Charlie Ragle, Neal's coach at Chaparral, as Arizona's new liaison to in-state high schools. The Wildcats then signed two Chaparral players, linebacker Cody Ippolito and defensive end Dylan Cozens, with hopes Neal would follow.

The solution here is simple. Someone should ask Neal where he wants to go to school. Then Neal should send his letter of intent there. End of story.

This is Neal's decision. Why? He's the only one who's going to college. He's the only one living with the decision.

And, by the way, he's the one who earned the free ride.

ESPNU 150 athlete Davonte' Neal from Chaparral High in Scottsdale, Ariz., will announce his choice between Notre Dame, Arizona, Arkansas and North Carolina on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. ET at his old elementary school.

Here's a breakdown of his finalists that believes Neal, the nation's No. 8 prospect, will choose Notre Dame.

This was the only school in which Luke Neal accompanied his son. The tradition is second to none. The electric current felt walking into the stadium is something Neal probably wouldn't experience anywhere else. The Irish signed five-star quarterback Gunner Kiel, who is already enrolled. Neal could start the season returning kicks and probably figure in at receiver if not at cornerback. Neal is open to playing any position. He would be surrounded by top talent. Brian Kelly's offense is tailor-made for Neal. It's important to Luke that his son graduates, and Notre Dame's 97-percent graduation success rate is the best there is.

FoxSportsArizona.com will have live Internet coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

Recruiting season ain't over until the last hat has been pulled from a grubby high school backpack. And there is hope in Tucson that the final name hasn't been inked on Rich Rodriguez's first recruiting class with Arizona. Specifically, hope that the Wildcats' new coach still has a shot at landing five-star athlete Davonte Neal.

Neal, from Chaparral High in Scottsdale, is the last player remaining on the 2012 ESPNU 150 list not to have committed to a team. He's reportedly going to make a decision next week. Among the schools still in the hunt for his services are Notre Dame, Arkansas, North Carolina and Arizona.

This could be a huge get for Rodriguez. Aside from the obvious on-field contributions that a wide receiver with 4.4 speed brings to a pass-happy offense, or a potential lock-down corner, it would go a long way in Rodriguez setting up stakes in his new home state.

New coaches love to come in and make promises -- that they are going to put up fences to keep top-flight athletes in and out-of-town poachers away. It's a cliche I hear all too often in Southern California, where it seems like you can pick up a four-star player next to the cereal aisle at Vons.

But nabbing a top-10 prospect like Neal would go a long way in winning the hearts and minds of a fanbase still sour after a 4-8 season.

Consider the signing of D.J. Foster at Arizona State. No new coach in the country entered his new digs with as much animosity in his wake as Todd Graham. But just a few weeks later, when one of the top prospects in the state spurns 15 other schools -- nine of them from within the conference -- and opts to stay at home, it's a big deal. Suddenly people start singing a different Graham tune. Graham promised to hit Phoenix and the surrounding areas hard. And he did. He goes from oath-breaker to promise-keeper. Now Graham looks like a guy that can get the job done.

The same can happen for Rodriguez. He's hired former Chaparral coach Charlie Ragle to be his in-state recruiting liaison and he's locked up a pair of Chaparral recruits already. If the Wildcats don't land Neal -- who some think is headed to Arkansas or Notre Dame -- it won't be the end of the world. The fact that Rodriguez is still in the hunt for the last remaining five-star is promising.

And he's already signed a pretty respectable class -- given the time crunch-- headlined by quarterback Javelle Allen. But if Rodriguez can reel in the 5-foot-10, broad-shouldered fish, it will alleviate concerns that his Big East/Big Ten ties are tough to overcome and that despite a shortened recruiting season, he can be a major player in Arizona recruiting.

Breathe, USC fans, breathe.

In fact, I'd suggest you ignore what happened Tuesday with Ohio State and its slap on the wrist from the NCAA for a massive systemic breakdown and a coverup by head coach, Jim Tressel.

Yes, when you hold up the Ohio State case and the USC case, it's impossible not to conclude the Ohio State case was far more severe. It was, of course, without question. No informed, objective person believes differently.

But here's the thing: Being outraged will accomplish nothing. You will be unhappy and your team will still be docked 30 scholarships over the next three years for what one player secretly did while Ohio State will be down just nine scholarships over the same time period for the rule-breaking of five with full knowledge of their head coach. And your unhappiness will provide great joy to folks who don't like your team.

Adopting a placid pose — at least as best as you can — will be good practice for handling potentially more infuriation ahead. The NCAA also likely will give even worst upcoming cases — North Carolina and the University of Miami at Paul Dee — less severe penalties than it gave USC.

Why? Because the NCAA treated USC unfairly — everybody in college sports knows this — and it likely won't revisit such irrational harshness. In the end, the justification for such severe penalties, meted out in contrast to past precedent, was little more than "just because."

But the NCAA, an organization not endowed with a sense of self-awareness, failed to foresee when it curb-stomped USC that among the lawbreakers in college football, the Trojans were jaywalkers amid a mob of bank robbers. Ohio State's sanctions, in fact, represent a return to NCAA normalcy: Mostly toothless penalties that will have little effect on the program's prospects, other than a single-season bowl ban.

There we go again: Fretting the particulars and the injustice of it all.

The point is USC fans have been quite reasonably been shaking their fists at the heavens or, more accurately, the NCAA home office in Indianapolis for two years. That anger has accomplished nothing, other than emboldening taunts from opposing fans.

You know: Fans whose teams didn't finish 10-2 and ranked No. 5 in the nation.

And therein lies the ultimate revenge: Winning.

It's hard to imagine the next five years won't see a USC downturn. Losing 30 scholarships is a tough burden. Things could be particularly difficult in 2014 and 2015, when the true cumulative impact arrives. And it could be even more galling if Ohio State is back in the national title hunt those years. Maybe playing Miami in a Fiesta Bowl rematch!

But if the Trojans can somehow remain in the picture, perhaps playing in a Rose Bowl -- or two -- along the way that would be a heck of a panacea, wouldn't it?

It's a longshot, sure. But other than that, we've got nothing for you USC. Sorry.

Easy, now. Breathe, breathe. Happy place. Happy place.

Oh, no. That's exactly what we were trying to avoid.

ESPN.com analyst Brock Huard took a look at the college football landscape after a flurry of recent terminations and ranked Arizona State and UCLA the Nos. 2 and 4 best available coaching jobs.

Huard ranked North Carolina No. 1 (and didn't include Penn State because, well, things are complicated over there).

His methodology? He "asked a handful of current and former collegiate coaches and ESPN analysts to get their opinions, accounting for eight factors: facilities, tradition, committed administration and boosters, coaching staff budget, captive local population, livability, centralized recruiting base and current talent level."

Here's some of what he said about Arizona State:

While North Carolina was the clear-cut winner among the coaches and analysts I asked, the ASU job is desirable for many of the other factors I listed in the introduction. The stadium and facilities help with recruiting, athletic director Lisa Love and the boosters have proved they are willing to spend the necessary money, the Tempe area ranks very high in the livability equation for the staff and the campus environment has the capability to lure in recruits.

This last factor, however, also can make it difficult to succeed as coach of the Sun Devils. As one former college coach put it, "The weather, the campus, the party environment can be a distraction, and difficult to focus the student-athlete." Another challenge for the next Arizona State coach is that Phoenix is a pro sports town, one with many residents who come from other parts of the country, and the Suns, Diamondbacks and Cardinals tend to dominate the conversation, especially when they are winning.

And here are some of his thoughts on UCLA:

Much like North Carolina, UCLA historically has been viewed as a basketball school. Unlike Chapel Hill, however, facilities are not in place on campus, and as a very urban school, UCLA lacks the small college town environment. As a result, Rick Neuheisel wasn't able to capitalize on playing in the nation's second-biggest media market and in fertile recruiting territory, and the job he hoped would be a Monopoly turned into a sunken Battleship.

The Bruins' talent level isn't bad, as while Neuheisel didn't capture Park Place or Boardwalk on the Monopoly board, he did put together the No. 17 and No. 10 recruiting classes in 2009 and 2010 and left behind a talented young QB in Brett Hundley.

The sanctions and loss of scholarships that follow the USC Trojans for the next few years should open the door a little for UCLA, but the recruiting turf war is fierce in California with the Utah Utes, Colorado Buffaloes and now Rich Rodriguez entering the fray.

He also added a quick thought on Washington State: "The school needs to hire a coach with a proven track record of success, and one with charisma and name recognition would be a bonus. Sounds like Mike Leach could be the perfect fit."

The Los Angeles Times' Gary Klein tracked down Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott to see if he had any reaction to the Miami scandal and that the Hurricanes athletic director at the time, Paul Dee, was the man who sat in stern judgment of USC.

And Scott didn't beat around the (Reggie) Bush when asked "whether he agreed with national college football columnists who had described Dee as hypocritical."

"If the allegations prove true," Scott told the Times, "the words irony and hypocrisy don't seem to go far enough."

Zing!

This also was interesting from Scott. Is it possible that the NCAA is too impotent to police itself?

From the Times:

An advocate for change, [Scott] noted: "I like considering bold, new ideas in terms of reform. If I worry about anything, it's that the reform effort moves too slowly and does not go far enough."

Scott emphasized he was not advocating for the NCAA to move the enforcement and penalty process outside the organization. But he endorses considering it.

"I think we need to step back and consider bold new ideas, including the possibility of bringing in outside resources," he said.

This makes sense to me: Enforcement from an objective, unaffiliated body that reviews evidence and makes decisions without a proverbial horse in the race.

One of my takeaways from USC's session with Dee's Infractions Committee was an off-the-record comment from an individual who sat in the room. He noted that one individual on the committee was so antagonistic to USC that this individual misstated facts of the case a number of times.

Remember this widely mocked comment from then-USC athletic director Mike Garrett shortly after the NCAA hammered the Trojans?

"As I read the decision by the NCAA," he told the group, "… I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy. They wish they all were Trojans."

It was a stupid things to say for political reasons. But understand: Garrett isn't a stupid man. He was expressing an impression -- poorly, yes -- that many in the room had in front of Dee's Infractions Committee: The NCAA was going to get USC, no matter what the facts of the case were.

In its appeal, USC tried to point this out: Yes, you got us. You hammered us. But we both know this punishment doesn't fit the crime. And no matter how you try to downplay precedent when judging cases, it will come back to haunt you when far worse sets of violations come around the bend.

And so we have North Carolina, Ohio State and, with a thunderclap, Miami.

None of this will help USC. The NCAA isn't going to come back and say it's sorry.

But it might lead to major reforms, which I think we all can agree need to happen as soon as possible.

Two interesting articles published Wednesday on USC, which touch on the larger controversies of college football that are barking at us from the headlines seemingly every other day.

The Los Angeles Times' Gary Klein tries to assess the financial damage from USC's Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo scandals. One word: Millions.

This much is clear: The football price tag already runs well into the tens of millions in lost bowl appearances, sagging attendance, attorney fees and other direct and ancillary costs.

Then former LA Times writer and USC player Lonnie White writes about his experiences as a Trojan receiving extra benefits -- or bags of money, if you prefer -- in the 1980s under John Robinson and Ted Tollner.

Once back in his own car, the player smiles when he looks into a small brown bag filled with money. It’s $5,000 cash and it could not have come at a better time.

Sounds like a bad movie. It isn’t. It was life for me when I played college football at the University of Southern California in the 1980s. I wasn’t old enough to drink legally, yet if I was caught, my actions would have had an impact on thousands connected with the program.

To this day, it’s something I’m ashamed about. Rent was overdue and my household bills were delinquent. I needed the money to live. So accepting the $14,000 in different forms of “benefits” over my college years three decades ago was an act of survival.

White seems to believe that more happened in during his time at USC than today because technology makes it more difficult to get away with things.

With today’s media in love with scandals, people would have a field day with some of the “unknown” things that happened within college football programs decades ago.

Everything from $100 handshakes (when players are slipped cash during meet-and-greet events) to sponsored party trips (often featuring women, sex, drugs and alcohol), would be exposed.

But he also writes that he has knowledge of violations going on at present.

I know at least five athletes, who are either a relative or close family friend, who played at the BCS level last season. And they all agree, there’s more rule-breaking going on than people know.

It’s the “dirty secret” of college football that will continue to grow as money and power are connected to the sport.

Obviously, these two stories are related, and they fit in with our present, scandal-ridden time in college football: USC, Ohio State and North Carolina, not to mention the strange situation with Oregon and Willie Lyles.

Big-money ventures are often high risk, high reward. College football is a big-money venture, and cheating to gain an advantage is high risk and high reward.

Further, big stakes often inspire rationalizations at every level that attempt to justify behavior. One thing I've noticed over the past few years: When someone is asked about NCAA rules violations, they reply, "I didn't do anything wrong."

A beautiful non-response.

Did you take money? "I didn't do anything wrong."

Did you provide extra benefits? "I didn't do anything wrong."

Did you steer a player to Program X? "I didn't do anything wrong."

It's not a denial of breaking the rules. And, in the respondent's mind, it's not a lie. Not really. The rules are bad, so breaking them isn't wrong, this thinking goes. Coaches, the NCAA and universities make millions off of sports and the athletes are unpaid. So taking some gifts or money under the table isn't wrong, even if it's against the rules.

And, in a sense, it's not a black act of moral turpitude. It's not like beating up an innocent person just for fun.

Do you always drive the speed limit? Now, think of your sputtering frustration when you get a ticket for going 67 mph in a 55 mph zone. You want to tell the police officer to go stop a real criminal or something, right?

Still, rules are rules, even if the system seems out of whack.

Is there a massive, systemic change that can end corruption and epidemic rules violations in college football? Probably. But it would require a redistribution of wealth, and we know how that goes over in this country. Folks who have it don't like to share it. And we also likely would have to change some laws (read: Title IX).

It's been the wildest offseason I can remember -- at least since last offseason -- and we're not even finished with June. The sport is as exciting and popular as it's ever been. But the enlarged spotlight has revealed the cockroaches scurrying around in the shadows, which is the unpleasant and unintended consequence of that increased popularity.

Under the new made clouds and happy
as the heart was long,
In the sun born over and over,
I ran my heedless ways.

• Colorado coach Jon Embree on full-contact practice: "Some guys got exposed." Youth is the center of attention here.
• Oregon has stopped talking about football program’s use of scouting services with ties to suspected “street agents.” Previewing the Ducks' QBs.
• Oregon State wide receiver Aaron Nichols was the big winner at the football banquet.
• Seventeen former Stanford players will participate in pro day.
• The transfer of DT Brandon Willis from UCLA back to North Carolina is final.
• A familiar -- and famous -- face will visit Utah on Thursday.
• Some details on a Washington State coaches clinic.
• For those of you interested in what the Big 12 is doing with its TV deal, click here. It might provide a map of what's ahead for the Pac-12.

USC will meet with the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee on Saturday, and if the Appeals Committee is fair and reasonable it will significantly reduce sanctions imposed on the football program when a ruling is made public in four to six weeks.

Of course, seeing that the NCAA Committee on Infractions was unfair and unreasonable when it clobbered USC in June, Trojans fans would be well-advised to not hold their breath.

It doesn't appear new athletic director Pat Haden is. While he turned down an opportunity to talk to the Pac-10 blog this week -- I know; why would anybody do that? -- he's repeatedly told people he's not optimistic because he's realistic.

Why? Because, in 2008, the NCAA changed its bylaws to make it incredibly difficult to win an appeal. From the NCAA website:

An appeal is not a new hearing or a second chance to argue the case. The Infractions Appeals Committee does not consider evidence that was not presented to the Committee on Infractions. The Infractions Appeals Committee will reverse or modify a ruling of the Committee on Infractions only if one of the following standards is proven:

• The ruling by the Committee on Infractions was clearly contrary to the evidence.
• The individual or school did not actually break NCAA rules.
• There was a procedural error that caused the Committee on Infractions to find a violation of NCAA rules.
• The penalty was excessive and is an abuse of discretion.

Contrary to evidence? While there's scant evidence that supports the notion that former USC running backs coach Todd McNair knew what Reggie Bush, his parents and a couple of would-be agents were up to, that scant evidence, nonetheless, became the club with which the NCAA bludgeoned USC, imposing a two-year bowl ban and a loss of 30 scholarships over three years, penalties that were worse than even the most egregious pay-for-play cases in recent years. It would be a massive repudiation of the Infractions Committee to reverse course on said evidence, and it appears USC isn't even going to venture in that direction.

NCAA rules? They were absolutely broken. Bush and his parents took all kinds of extra benefits that were not allowed by NCAA rules.

Procedural errors? That appears to have happened multiple times, but mostly with the treatment of McNair, whose case the NCAA separated from USC's. Don't expect USC to venture in that direction, either.

Penalty was excessive and is an abuse of discretion? Bingo.

"Our primary contention is given what we were found to have done, these are the harshest penalties ever handed out," USC's associate athletic director J.K. McKay told the LA Daily News.

That is the case that Haden, McKay, new USC President Max Nikias, David Roberts -- the school's vice president for athletic compliance -- and a university lawyer are expected to make in a brief presentation.

The reason Haden is not optimistic is that only one appeal out of the past 11 has been successful since the Appeals Committee bylaws were changed. The odds are not good, at least based on recent cases.

Haden also has told reporters he doesn't believe recent controversies involving preseason agent cases centered on North Carolina and other schools, the Auburn and QB Cam Newton imbroglio and the oddly ruled Ohio State case will have any affect on USC's appeal. He said it was like comparing "apples and oranges."

With all due respect to Haden, I'm not sure that's correct, particularly with the Trojans going with the "harshest penalties ever handed out" defense. Members of the Appeals Committee will be well-aware of the current climate as USC pleads its case. There's a lot of sordidness out there that makes using USC as a benchmark for serious violations dubious and problematic.

The Trojans are going to ask that the scholarship penalties be reduced from 30 to 15 -- so five per season over three years -- and the bowl ban be reduced to one year, which means the Trojans would be eligible for a bowl game in 2011.

Again, not likely. But not impossible. And there could be a middle ground, where the Appeals Committee splits the difference.

What it will take for USC to get its sanctions reduced is simple: A fair and reasonable assessment.

Three Pac-10 linebackers are among the 15 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which is presented annually to the nation's best linebacker: UCLA's Akeem Ayers, Washington's Mason Foster and Oregon's Casey Matthews.

(Note: This list has been changed. It originally left off Matthews due to Pac-10 blogger stupidity -- treating a two-page document as just one page!)

My bad.

Here's the complete list of semifinalists:

Akeem Ayers, UCLA
Bruce Carter, North Carolina
Mason Foster, Washington
Mario Harvey, Marshall
Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
Justin Houston, Georgia
Nate Irving, North Carolina State
Greg Jones, Michigan State
Luke Kuechly, Boston College
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
Casey Matthews, Oregon
Von Miller, Texas A&M
Keenan Robinson, Texas
Sean Spence, Miami (Fla.)
Manti Te'o, Notre Dame

UCLA was 0-2. Texas, the defending Big 12 champion, was ranked. When they met in Austin, no one could have predicted the outcome.

66-3.

UCLA.

"Last time they were here it wasn't good for us," Texas coach Mack Brown said, recalling the historic defeat in 1997 that was the cornerstone of Texas firing John Mackovic and luring Brown away from North Carolina.

Is there a chance of history repeating itself when the 1-2 Bruins visit No. 7 Texas, the defending Big 12 champions, on Saturday?

The odds are probably close to zero, but Brown is taking the game seriously. He called the matchup "dangerous," particularly with the possibility that some of his players might be looking ahead to the red letter date with Oklahoma on Oct. 2. But the Longhorns profess respect for the Bruins.

"You just say UCLA, and people’s eyes kind of open," Texas safety Blake Gideon said. "So it will be fun, and it will be a challenge. It will be a blast playing against guys like that."

UCLA certainly seems like a different team than it did a week ago when it was coming off a 35-0 drubbing vs. Stanford at home. That change is due to a 31-13 whipping of No. 23 Houston, which included 266 yards rushing from an offense that had been sputtering.

Of course, that newly potent running game will be severely tested by the Longhorns, who rank No. 1 in the nation in run defense (44 yards per game) and second in total defense (206.67).

It's not just the run defense, though. Texas may have the nation's best secondary. It completely bottled up Texas Tech last weekend. Just let Brown list the ways.

"We forced three turnovers and had a fourth down stop," he said. "They were 3-of-14 on third down situations, 8-of-23 on first down situations. We had 14 hits on the quarterback, ten three-and-outs, five sacks and we handled sudden change 100 percent. We only had three missed tackles for 33 yards."

So this is a heck of a unit to test the Bruins newfound confidence.

The biggest boost UCLA got last week was getting a full week of practice from quarterback Kevin Prince, who'd battled injuries all of fall camp and over the first two weeks. That certainly helped the offensive rhythm. Still, the passing game, despite what looks like a deep and talented receiving corps, is sputtering.

"We're getting closer, there's no question," UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said. "We're not where we want to be yet, especially with the throwing game, and mixing and matching that to the run."

Speaking of running, that is an interesting matchup on the other side of the ball. Texas has struggled to find its running game for a couple of years and it presently ranks 65th in the nation with 152.33 yards per game. Moreover, its running backs are banged up and the offensive line has been inconsistent.

The Bruins would love to stop the run and force new starting QB Garrett Gilbert to beat them by throwing into a highly skilled secondary led by safety Rahim Moore. The only problem is UCLA ranks 105th in the nation in run defense, yielding 210.67 yards per game. So who wins? The movable object or the resistible force?

UCLA doesn't have a prayer if it continues to be sloppy with the football. See: 10 turnovers in three games, which is twice as many as any other Pac-10 team.

"We can't do anything to help them beat us," Neuheisel said.

UCLA has won two in a row from Texas. The year after the drubbing in Austin, Brown and the Longhorns lost 49-31 in the Rose Bowl, but what Brown most remembers was his fans cheering a tough second-half effort after his team trailed 35-3 at halftime.

That Texas team was rebuilding, as the Bruins presently are, though at a deliberate pace that has some fans grumbling.

Brown, however, took a moment to give Neuheisel a vote of confidence.

"Rick is really bringing UCLA back," he said. "I think you will see them back on the map soon."

Just don't expect a case of 66-3 deja vu.

Washington State has won just one Pac-10 game over the past two seasons -- three overall -- and the Cougars are a consensus pick by media pundits to finish last in the conference in 2010.

That has many believing third-year coach Paul Wulff is on the hot seat, even though it's been widely acknowledged that he was handed a monumental rebuilding job in 2008 when he returned to his alma mater from Eastern Washington.

The expectations outside the program aren't just low: Many tweak the Cougars as among the worst BCS programs in the nation.

It shouldn't be surprising that, in Pullman, the view is quite different. Wulff sees a strong offseason, improved recruiting and a more experienced depth chart. He sees potential.

What does he keep saying? "We're going to surprise some people."

The Cougars face a tough opener at Oklahoma State on Sept. 4, so it seemed like a good time to check in and see how the rebuilding is going on the Palouse.

The pundits have you guys pegged at 10th in the conference: How do you deal with that negative outlook when you address your team?

Paul Wulff: A lot of that is based on what happened in past years. It's a new year. We're a new team and we've changed a lot. The players know we've worked hard and we know we are getting better. The people predicting don't know what's happening in the offseason. But it is what it is. We probably deserve to be picked there. I don't know if that's a surprise. It doesn't mean that's where we're going to end up. We sure don't think so. We'll keep working hard. And we believe we will be able to put ourselves in position to surprise a lot of people and win a lot of ballgames and take that step to a bowl game.

I know we've talked about this before and I know you are tired of the topic but there's a general perception that you are on the proverbial coaching hot seat: What's your feeling on that perception?

PW: My feeling again is that's a natural thing for people on the outside that don't understand the situation to think when you have a major rebuilding job. It's never pretty. You go back to Mack Brown, who was 1-10 his first two years at North Carolina. There are a lot of examples: Randy Edsall and Connecticut. We [Eastern Washington] actually beat them as a I-AA school in 2001. We went back there and beat them. We've had to build something here, and like John Wooden says 'good things take time.' We're trying to build something special for the long haul. We're not trying to bring in a bunch of transfers and JC kids to try to win a few games one year. I'm not here to do that. I'm here to build a program that can compete for the Pac-10 title and be in the Rose Bowl and win one and put ourselves in position for a national title. Those programs in those situations didn't get there in one night. It's a five- to six-year building process. You've got to climb a ladder. I care about this university because it is my school. I came here to do that. If I have to take the bullets, as [former WSU basketball coach] Dick Bennett told me I would, I'm just going to have to do that. He was a guy who knew the situation. So I'm doing it and I'll continue to do it. But it's going to turn and when we turn we're going to be an awfully good football team.

On the football side of things: What is better about QB Jeff Tuel in Year 2 after he was forced into action as a true freshman?

PW: His comfort level with the offense and comfort level with some of the players who he's had the offseason to work with. There's a little better continuity there. He's making better decisions, he stronger. Things are happening at a quicker pace for him in his own brain. Obviously that helps our offense. We think highly of Jeff, but he's still got to prove lot of things in ballgames on a consistent basis. But there's no question in practice we see flashes of some really great things.

Where are some prime areas of competition on your team that have yet to be resolved?

PW: Running back is definitely one. We feel like a lot of guys are battling in there. We're hoping two or three really emerge come game day. Because we've got a lot of guys, no one has gotten a tremendous amount of reps. We're hoping that kind of sorts itself out in the first few games. At wide receiver, we're still battling through there, getting a lot of guys time, trying to see who's going to make the plays when the games are live. But we like the young nucleus we have. We think we have a couple special ones that are going to great players here the next four years.

The comeback of James Montgomery is pretty cool: How is he doing?

PW: He's doing great. I think it's got be one of the best stories in the country to do what he's done. He didn't just battle compartment syndrome. He battled a knee surgery that was a pretty extensive one. To do both and to come back and to perform where he is right now is impressive. He's not 100 percent, not in shape and as crisp, as sharp, as he's going to be. We're hoping by the time he gets to Game 3 or Game 4, he'll have caught back up with all that. But where he is today, he's a very good player. He's going to play and be our starter in the opening game and were hoping he progresses from there.

Who are your playmakers in the passing game?

PW: I think Jared Karstetter will be back -- there's no question we can rely on him. We're taking a hard look at Marquess Wilson, a true freshman. He's as dynamic a true freshman receiver as I've been around. Even coach [Mike] Levenseller, who's been here for 19 years, thinks Marquess is a special talent. I think Isaiah Barton and Gino Simone, our slot receivers, will make a difference, along with Jeffrey Solomon and Daniel Blackledge. Those guys will be good players for us. I'm excited to see how they will perform for us.

What have you seen out of your offensive line this spring? How close are they to breaking through as a quality unit?

PW: They're close. Coach [Steve Morton] has done a great job melding those guys together. We're getting better, no question. I'm excited. I think we have some raw talent. It's a relatively young unit -- we really have two seniors who will be contributors on a consistent basis. We have 15 others who are younger. If we can stay healthy there, we're going to surprise a lot of people with our production on the offensive front.

Let's look at defense: How are things stacking up at linebacker?

PW: The thing that's hurting us is two players who aren't playing this fall, who we have high hopes for, and that's Louis Bland, who we're going to redshirt, and Andre Barrington, a redshirt freshman for us, who is academically ineligible this fall. But I do like Alex Hoffman and Myron Beck, those guys have done well. Mike Ledgerwood, Hallston Higgins, Arthur Burns and CJ Mizell -- he's come along. We feel like we've got some makings there. It's a young unit from an experience standpoint, but I like our speed there. If we can stay healthy, it will be a big improvement from where we've been.

And the defensive line: Has tackle Brandon Rankin continued to impress?

PW: He has. He's a good player. He has a chance to show a lot of people what he's all about this fall. He's already doing things in practice that make it pretty obvious. We need him to have a big year. I think he's going to do extremely well. Bernard Wolfgramm is back and it's the first time he's healthy for us. Those two at defensive tackle are probably as athletic at pass rushing as we've had here in years. They will be quality pass-rushing D-tackles that you don't get a lot. They are not just pluggers, they're fairly active guys. I'm very encouraged about those two guys.

You guys are pretty salty on the defensive line. There's four pretty good players.

PW: I think our front four is right up there right now with most people in the Pac-10. We got two fifth-year seniors and a fourth-year junior in Brandon Rankin and a second-year kid, an excellent player, in end Travis Long. It's our most experienced group on our football team. It's probably the best unit we have right now. It goes back to having fifth- and fourth-year players in your program. When you have that consistently throughout, you have a chance to be pretty salty. Right now, if those guys can stay healthy, they give us the most experienced group on our football team.

Finally, the secondary: It sounds like there's some depth back there.

PW: It's been good -- good, healthy competition. It's a young, young group, but there's some really good football players. We've kind of been hit a little bit over the last couple of days with the injury bug. LeAndre Daniels is going to battle a neck issue that we're still working through. We don't know that he'll be healthy at safety. Nolan Washington has been a little nicked up with his hip at cornerback. If those guys can come back, I'm not sure, but I like our talent there. It's a young and green group but we have some kids who can run for the first time in a while. We need to stay relatively healthy because we're youthful back there. I like the group. Our team speed on defense is far and away faster than we've been. I think people are going to notice that pretty quickly.

What is your expectation for this team: What would be a successful season?

PW: I don't want to put any limitations on them. These guys have trained so hard since the end of last season. They've done everything right to get better. We finally got the culture changed to what we expect. So when you work that hard, I refuse to put a limitation on what they are capable of doing. Right now we truly are trying to take it just one game at a time. But we're going to break this thing up into four segments. We've got 12 games, with three games in each quarter. We're going to take it one quarter at a time. We're going to block it like that, and move our way up the chain. I think this team is capable of surprising a lot of football teams, a lot of people out there. I really believe people are going to see a much improved team from what you saw last year. How many wins that's going to equate to, I'm really not sure. It just depends on a few breaks here and there and staying healthy at the right spots.

UCLA apparently has picked up a marquee freshman defensive tackle, as Brandon Willis has decided to transfer from North Carolina and join the Bruins in September.

UCLA couldn't confirm the transfer until it receives a signed letter of intent.

Willis, a member of the 2010 ESPNU 150, would redshirt this season.

The 6-foot-2, 260-pounder from Duncan, S.C., originally picked UNC over UCLA, Tennessee, Auburn and Florida State.

Here's a statement from UNC coach Butch Davis, courtesy of the ACC Blog:

“Brandon Willis and his father informed us that he is going to withdraw from school. It’s a sad situation. Brandon lost his mother less than a year ago and they’ve gone through some family hardships and some family difficulties. His father has been looking for employment and was informed yesterday that he was able to find a job. The unfortunately (sic) thing is he found a job in Southern California and he is really adamant about trying to keep his family together. He’s asked both of his sons to join him in moving out there. That’s all that we really know at this time. We’re happy that his father was able to find a job in this economy. Brandon is a good kid and we wish him the best."