ESPN College Football

Cornerback Cliff Harris admitted during media interviews at the NFL combine that he likes to drive fast -- see his citation for driving 118 mph last June, a significant step toward his ultimate dismissal from Oregon.

His biggest problem now, however, is his apparent inability to run fast. Harris clocked a 4.64 40-yard dash Tuesday, a pedestrian time for a prospective NFL cornerback.

Writes ESPN.com's Steve Muench:

Former Oregon CB Cliff Harris played in just six games in 2011 before being dismissed form the team, so he needed a solid week both on and off the field. No word yet on how he interviewed, but Harris did not perform as well as expected during drills. He stumbled early on, didn't show great body control overall and failed to field the ball cleanly, including two double-catches in the final drill.

It's also worth noting that the defensive backs end their session with a ball-skills competition, and an excited Harris punted the ball after that second double-catch. While it's good to see competitive spirit coming out and it's important not to exaggerate here, Harris should be more careful and avoid drawing any kind of attention that could be viewed as negative. He needs to show teams he's not going to be a distraction going forward.

Harris wasn't the only Pac-12 DB to run poorly. Former California safety Sean Cattouse ran a 4.74.

Former Arizona CB Trevin Wade ran a middle-of-the-pack 4.59. Former Arizona State CB Omar Bolden didn't run the 40, but did lead all defensive backs with 24 reps at 225 pounds.

Harris will get an opportunity to run again during individual workouts with NFL scouts, as will Bolden, who's status on draft boards won't be established until he shows how well his surgically repaired knee is responding.

California's Sean Cattouse is a good safety. A sure tackler. An NFL prospect. And you already know where this is going, right?

Cattouse was cast as the part of roadkill for one of Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck's most replayed highlights -- his 58-yard scramble in last year's Big Game blowout of the Bears. "Roadkill" is not a role any football player wants.

"A lot of jokes. It's all fun and games," Cattouse said when asked -- again and again -- this week about the play. "I'm just more sickened with myself with how I went about trying to tackle him. It looked like nothing I've done before."

How much do you think Cattouse enjoys hearing about that play? How much do you think he wants a rematch with Luck, one on one? And how much do you think all the Cal players enjoy hearing about how super-awesome Luck and the Cardinal are?

The Big Game is always a big game. It's a rivalry game between elite schools that like to tout how they are more elite really than the other.

And it means plenty to Cal.

For one, they'd get the Axe back. While the Bears have split the last four Big Games, they have won seven of nine under coach Jeff Tedford.

Tedford is another issue. While he's been successful against the Bears' biggest rival -- Stanford was riding its longest winning streak in the series with seven consecutive Big Game victories from 1995-2001 when he arrived in Berkeley -- there is considerable fan frustration with his program's inconsistency over the past few years. A win over a highly ranked Stanford team would mute that, at least in the short term.

Further, Cal is playing for its own stakes. If it beats the Cardinal, it improves to 7-4 and moves up in the pecking order with bowl selections.

That said, there are unintended consequences of playing the spoiler. It would cost the Pac-12 about $6 million because Stanford wouldn't be the pick for an at-large BCS bowl berth. And then the Cardinal likely would end up in the Alamo Bowl, which would knock every other bowl-eligible team down a notch.

"It's not about spoiling anything for them," Cal quarterback Zach Maynard said. "It's a huge rivalry game for us."

Cal also has a strong history of upsets in the series, particularly when the Cardinal boasts a celebrated quarterback.

The Bears beat John Elway twice, producing the greatest play in college football history -- "The Play," in fact -- to do so in 1982. They knocked off Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett in 1970. And, of course, they upset Luck in 2009, 34-28, with Cal linebacker Mike Mohamed grabbing an interception in the waning moments with Stanford on the Bears' 3-yard line.

That, in fact, was one of the worst games of Luck's career. He was 10-of-30 for 157 yards with no touchdowns.

Before that game, Tedford repeatedly tweaked his players with how the media and fans believed then-No. 14 Stanford and running back Toby Gerhart were too physical for the Bears. In response, Cal's Shane Vereen rushed for 193 yards on 42 carries with three touchdowns and outplayed Gerhart.

It was a successful motivational angle that Tedford might revisit. Young people often seem to respond well to the underdog, no-respect role.

"Those are always motivational pieces," Tedford said. "We have a great deal of respect for them. Their accolades -- they are worthy of them."

Still, in the end, all rivalry games are like this. There are Cal men and Stanford men. Blues and Cardinal. And when they meet -- their own and the other -- they will remember who won, and when and how it went down.

Said Cattouse, "It's a big game every year. Every year we want to win it."

He's the wolf screaming lonely in the night
He's the blood stain on the stage
He's the tear in your eye
Being tempted by his lies

• Arizona talked to Urban Meyer about its coaching job, and a look at other candidates of note. The cupboard is not empty at Arizona -- consider true freshman defensive back Tramayne Bondurant.
• The Zendejas family knows the Arizona-Arizona State rivalry. The Sun Devils' defense has taken a step back.
• Words of wisdom from Joe Kapp. California safety Sean Cattouse has been a standup guy about his, er, meeting with Stanford QB Andrew Luck in the 2010 Big Game. He's looking forward to a second chance.
• Colorado coach Jon Embree is comfortable predicting an end to the Buffaloes' 22-game road losing streak at UCLA.
• Oregon coach Chip Kelly isn't going to politic for his team or his players. The Ducks may not be as good as last year, but that still should be good enough to beat USC.
• Oregon State tries to stay focused.
• Luck is no longer a lock for the Heisman Trophy. Checking in with safety Michael Thomas.
• Is UCLA going to get its best defensive player back?
• USC QB Matt Barkley thinks Oregon's defense is vulnerable. Some injury concerns for USC.
• Utah's defense gets ready to go on Halliday.
• Washington and Oregon State went in different directions after last year's game.
• Some notes from Washington State coach Paul Wulff's news conference.

Happy Friday, the last before a game-less weekend!

• Arizona coach Mike Stoops opens about his fancy self.
• Arizona State LB Brando Magee is out for the season, but upbeat (if you've ever talked to him, that won't surprise you).
• California safety Sean Cattouse is a leader in more ways than one.
• Colorado coach Jon Embree has restructured the Buffs locker room. The Buffaloes will rotate centers.
• Oregon gets a lot of crap for its uniform, but these are truly righteous threads. Checking in with the Ducks specialists. LSU has completely upstaged Oregon in terms of the off-field stuff, which is a real drag because it's diminishing an epic season-opener.
• Despite issues, the Oregon State defensive line is coming together. A training camp report.
• If you really take a look at Stanford QB Andrew Luck you actually find out that, despite what everyone says, he is really, really good. The O-line is coming together.
• It was hot at UCLA practice, but we still don't know who the QB will be. Or is Kevin Prince going to be the guy? This guy is going to help the defense this fall.
• USC's pecking order at tailback is unclear.
• Utah LB Chaz Walker: "Long hair, don't care." The Pac-12 blog looks favorably upon that. Some kinks still need to be worked out.
• Free safety has proven to be quite a battle at Washington. Camp is over; time to focus.
• Washington State is eager to prove it's better. The best news out of Thursday's scrimmage is no injuries.

Whereas the truth is that fullness of soul can sometimes overflow in utter vapidity of language, for none of us can ever express the exact human measure of his needs or his thoughts or his sorrows; and human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars.

• Arizona quarterback Bryson Beirne’s sprained right knee means true freshman quarterback Daxx Garman might see action in order to preserve Matt Scott's redshirt. Even more quality depth at receiver?
• Injured Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee plans to redshirt and return next year. A sympathetic take on linebacker Vontaze Burfict.
• California's touted freshman runing back Brendon Bigelow might redshirt. Sean Cattouse, one of the Pac-12's best safeties, talks about his biggest regret.
• Colorado receiver Tony Clemons needs to be more consistent. Are things clearing up at cornerback?
• Oregon in 2010: The numbers didn't add up. What do things look like at linebacker? And running back?
• Has the Oregon State offensive line found its nasty? Linebacker Cameron Collins just wants to stay healthy.
• This guy bolsters Stanford's depth in the secondary.
• Some UCLA practice notes. Things are unsettled at kicker. The quarterback competition continues to favor Richard Brehaut.
• USC running back coach returns to his roots -- and his real last name. Behind the scenes at USC's scrimmage.
• Utah coach Kyle Whittingham isn't bothered by Twitter. Tim Davis is back leading the Utes' offensive line. The scrimmage was only mediocre.
• A highly detailed report from Washington's practice. An updated depth chart.
• Washington State has developed depth at receiver, but is it quality depth? Ten questions with Nolan Washington.
• John Henderson takes a crack at what further expansion might look like -- for the Pac-16 and elsewhere.

Happy Friday. Welcome to the mailbag.

If you've been thinking, "I wish I could follow the Pac-12 blog on Twitter, only I don't know how!" Click here.

To the notes.

Mike from Fullerton, Calif., writes: What are the chances that Barkley puts up better numbers than Luck this year? Barkley is now in his third year as a starter and second with his offensive coordinator. He has what appears to be a budding college superstar in Robert Woods and long list of unproven but talented skill players around him. He obviously needs some help at o-line but if they can even give him some protection he should be able to convert. Luck is coming off a monster year with a new HC and lost his number one WR. i know luck has a dump truck load of good TE but so does SC. With an unproven o-line and talented but raw RB's isn't it foreseeable that Barkley just starts hurling it all over the field?

Ted Miller: That could happen.

Barkley actually attempted more passes in 12 games last year than Luck in 13 games. Luck passed for more yards -- 257 yards per game compared to 233 -- because he completed 71 percent of his passes compared to 63 percent for Barkley.

Both teams want to be balanced, so the likelihood is neither will abandon the running game. But Stanford is better off on the offensive line, so it might be able to stick its desire to maintain balance more than the Trojans, who are thin and questionable on the O-line. And USC is more talented at receiver.

If I were betting, I'd guess Barkley's numbers are going to be better in 2011 than 2010 while Luck's will remain about the same -- mostly because it's difficult to be much better passing than Luck was in 2010.

---

Eric from Mountain View, Calif., writes: Ted, your post today about the New Mexico Bowl was the first I heard the Rose Bowl will not be on New Years Day. To whom do I direct my vitriol over this?

Ted Miller: I understand the tradition of the Rose Bowl always being played Jan. 1, but New Year's Day falls on a Sunday this year, meaning it could be in conflict with the NFL schedule. So no bowl games will be played on Jan. 1.

Here's the BCS release on the scheduling:

As a result of continued uncertainty involving the upcoming National Football League schedule, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) group today announced a change in dates for three of its upcoming bowl games in order to avoid possible conflicts with NFL Monday Night Football.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl will be played Tuesday, January 3; the Discover Orange Bowl will be played Wednesday, January 4; and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be played Thursday, January 5. The Rose Bowl presented by VIZIO will remain Monday afternoon, January 2, and the Allstate BCS National Championship game remains Monday, January 9th.

“We consulted the involved parties and made a careful decision to choose dates that will ensure a prime-time showcase for our student-athletes while also being mindful of the potential for change in the NFL’s schedule,” said BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock. “At this point in time, we want to create certainty in a somewhat uncertain scheduling environment.”

---

Jeff from Boston writes: With their new defensive coordinator, how good can UCLA's safeties be? Best tandem in the PAC12? I expect BIG things from Tony Dye and Riley, especially with how good our D-line can be.

Ted Miller: Tony Dye and Dietrich Riley are a very good tandem, but there are a lot of good safety tandems in the Pac-12. Dye is a proven quantity who should emerge from the Rahim Moore's considerable shadow this fall, while Riley is a touted 2010 recruit who has flashed plenty of ability.

I'd rate Stanford (Delano Howell and Michael Thomas) and Oregon (John Boyett and Eddie Pleasant) ahead of Dye-Riley at this point, in terms of best tandems. And Washington State's Deone Bucannon and Tyree Toomer are pretty good, too.

Keep in mind USC's T.J. McDonald, California's Sean Cattouse, Oregon State's Lance Mitchell and Washington's Nate Felner are back this fall, while talented youngsters not unlike Riley -- Arizona's Marquis Flowers, Arizona State's Alden Darby, Utah's Terrell Reese and Washington's Sean Parker -- will be trying to make their marks.

Safety, in fact, seems like a strong position in the conference this fall.

---

Michael from Salt Lake City writes: When viewing your entry about ASU's schedule I noticed there was no mention of having to play a pivotal game at Utah on Oct. 8, one week before ASU plays Oregon. If you over looked the games importance, my hope is that ASU will too? This could be a huge trap game for ASU, as they look ahead to a top ten matchup the following week. My guess is that the winner of the Oct 8th game will represent the south in the Pac 12 title game.

Ted Miller: I mentioned the game without typing "Utah."

Key stretch: Is Arizona State just a solid bowl team, or something bigger? The Sun Devils will know by Oct. 16, after a six-game stretch that includes two tough nonconference games, two games with top South Division rivals and winds up with a trip to Oregon.

The "two games with top South Division rivals" would be USC and Utah.

As for the game being a "trap," I'd expect not. To me, a trap game is one that potentially might be overlooked. The Sun Devils would be well-advised not to overlook the Utes and I don't think they will.

---

Jim from Bellevue, Wash., writes: I've been reading your articles since you were at the Seattle PI. Normally I think you do great work, but I've noticed lately a lack of OSU info on your "lunch links". Is that because there is just no news of late from OSU, or is it because they finished 5-7 last year, or are there too many teams to cover now in the new PAC12 and OSU is getting the slight? What gives?

Ted Miller: You can blame the Pac-12 blog for a lot of things: the weather, the economy, the inexplicable popularity of "The Situation." But not a lack of links for Pac-12 programs.

I want to find links for every school, every day, but I have to depend on the work of others. When you don't see a link from your school, know that I spent more time looking for -- and failing to find -- one than with the schools that actually get a link that day. Not finding links makes my life harder, not easier.

A lack of Oregon State links? It's because I couldn't find any articles. The present explanation for the lack of Beavers links has to do with this little baseball team of theirs taking up all their beat writers' time.

---

Kona from Phoenix writes: I have two wonderful questions that your blog followers are dying to know:(i) How many emails do you get in your mail bag per week?(ii) What do you feel the odds are of a person getting their question posted and answered on your blog? A ball park estimate is fine.Bonus Question: Which university in the PAC-12 has the best mascot? It is a tough call with newcomer Colorado in the mix, but I still will not cross the Devil, so my vote is for ASU.

Ted Miller: ESPN.com is a busy place. I get a lot of mail. Not sure exactly how many. I know it's too many to read each week. I often hear from friends that they sent me a note and I never responded but that's typically because I didn't read their message.

Odds of getting a question posted? Not sure. I give the mailbag a first glance Friday morning and start flagging questions that catch my fancy. Then I start typing. I try to get a handful of diverse topics and tones. My general feeling, depending on the week, is I will review about 50 notes to get five to seven questions.

Mascot? The Tree.

---

Tom from Chicago writes: You sound like a real loser writing a USC article like an opposing fan. Just remember, your bosses at ESPN are bigtime USC fans. I'm sure they'll enjoy reading your biased rubbish. Furthermore, I'm sure your measely paycheck reflects your opinions. Enjoy your six pack of cheap bear and deli sandwich. You wish you were a Trojan.

Ted Miller: You misspelled "measly."

And, yes, I could use a turkey sandwich and a cold Bud right now.

SMU’s legendary "Pony Express" backfield, Craig James and Eric Dickerson, have teamed up again for an award that recognizes college football's best tandem -- on either side of the ball -- the "Pony Express Award."

The award, the press release said, "will look at two- and three-player tandems from across the nation, ultimately honoring the combination whose work ethic, desire, on- and off-field leadership and playmaking ability best fuel their team."

The award will be "voted on by a blue ribbon panel of experts that will form the award’s board of directors," and will be announced at the end of the regular season.

“Eric and I were able to complement each other on the field in such a way that together we formed a much more potent weapon than even our individual talents would have suggested,” James said in the release. “We have remained life-long friends, and each season we have always had fun talking about the great tandems that were making an imprint on the game that season. We decided someone should recognize these great combinations, and that really became the genesis of the Pony Express Award.”

Said Dickerson: “You usually talk about football in terms of offensive and defensive units and the individual standouts on either side of the ball. But if you look at those units, usually there are a couple of guys who stick out and really form a very tough matchup. The most obvious would be a great quarterback and a standout receiver. In Craig and mine’s case, it was two great running backs. On defense, it might be a pair of great safeties. These are the types of tandems we will be looking at.”

The 48 tandems on the "Watch List" include seven from the Pac-12, including two from both Stanford and Washington.

Stanford: QB Andrew Luck, WR Chris Owusu, TE Coby Fleener
Stanford: OT Jonathan Martin, OG David DeCastro
Arizona: QB Nick Foles, WR Juron Criner
Oregon: QB Darron Thomas, RB LaMichael James, RB Kenjon Barner
USC: QB Matt Barkley, WR Robert Woods
Washington: DT Alameda Ta'amu, LB Cort Dennison
Wasington: RB Chris Polk, WR Jermaine Kearse

Some that might have been worth adding:

Arizona State: LB Vontaze Burfict, DE Junior Onyeali
California: LB Mychal Kendricks, S Sean Cattouse
Colorado: RB Rodney Stewart, WR Paul Richardson
Oregon: CB Cliff Harris, S John Boyett
Stanford: LB Shayne Skov, S Delano Howell
Washington State: QB Jeff Tuel, WR Marquess Wilson

The 2011 NFL draft is over, which means it's time to look at who the Pac-12's top senior prospects in 2012 likely will be.

First of all, plenty of top non-seniors from the conference might -- or are likely to -- enter the draft, including Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Oregon RB LaMichael James, Arizona State LB Vontaze Burfict and USC QB Matt Barkley. Those four range from sure to likely first-round draft picks.

But this list includes only players in their final year of eligibility. And some might rate a bit of a reach as NFL prospects.

Arizona: QB Nick Foles, WR Juron Criner, CB Trevin Wade

Arizona State: CB Omar Bolden, DE James Brooks, C Garth Gerhart

California: S Sean Cattouse, TE Anthony Miller, LB Mychal Kendricks, LB D.J. Holt, OT Mitchell Schwartz, P Bryan Anger

Colorado: OG Ryan Miller, RB Rodney Stewart, DT Conrad Obi, TE Ryan Deehan

Oregon: TE David Paulson, SS Eddie Pleasant, OT Mark Asper, LB Josh Kaddu

Oregon State: S Lance Mitchell, WR James Rodgers, FB-TE Joe Halahuni

Stanford: WR Chris Owusu, TE Coby Fleenor, S Delano Howell

UCLA: S Tony Dye, FB Derrick Coleman, TE Cory Harkey

USC: LB Chris Galippo, DE Armond Armstead, TE Rhett Ellison, RB Marc Tyler

Utah: OT Tony Bergstrom, LB Chaz Walker, OT John Cullen

Washington: DT Alameda Ta'amu, WR Jermaine Kearse, OT Senio Kelemete, K Erik Folk

Washington State: DT Brandon Rankin, OG B.J. Guerra, WR Jared Karstetter

The safety talks about redemption for Cal, the Bears’ defense and getting revenge for the hit Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck put on him in 2010.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- California has something sort of old and something sort of new this spring on both sides of the ball.

On defense, Clancy Pendergast is back for his second season coordinating the Bears defense. On offense, Jim Michalczik is back in town after spending a couple of years with the Oakland Raiders. Pendergast turned in a successful first campaign, with his more aggressive version of a 3-4 scheme ending up ranked third in the Pac-10 in scoring and first in total defense. And from 2002-2008, Michalczik might have been the best offensive line coach in the conference.

Here are some notes from chats with both coordinators as well as head coach Jeff Tedford.

• Other than a blowout loss to Stanford, the Bears defense turned in its best work in November, most notably holding Oregon to just one offensive touchdown in a 15-13 Ducks win. Pendergast didn't think that was a coincidence: "I think our guys trusted the system, trusted each other. Had better eyes. All those things." As for year two, the longtime NFL coach, probably has a better grasp on some of the quirky offenses he'll face in the conference. "Anytime you go into a second year, you're going to be more comfortable," he said.
• Pendergast on former defensive end Cameron Jordan, who is expected to be a first-round NFL draft pick on April 28: "He'll be solid, consistent player at next level who can do a lot of different things."
[+] Enlarge
Chris Morrison/US PRESSWIRECal's Clancy Pendergast expects to be more comfortable coaching against Pac-12 offenses in his second season.
• Pendergast is clearly high on the incoming freshmen. He repeatedly mentions them -- first and last names -- when talking about his potential depth chart. When asked if he expects a handful to play, he said, "No question." Names he -- and later Tedford -- mention: defensive tackle Todd Barr, defensive tackle Viliami Moala, defensive end Brennan Scarlett, and cornerbacks Stefan McClure, Joel Willis and Kameron Jackson.
• The top three defensive ends are Trevor Guyton, Deandre Coleman and Ernest Owusu. At nose tackle, both Aaron Tipoti and Kendrick Payne are out with shoulder injuries. Guyton has had a good spring, while Tedford said, Coleman "should be much better this year."
• The inside 'backers are Mychal Kendricks, who put up huge numbers last fall playing outside, and D.J. Holt, also a returning starter. As for Kendricks move inside, Pendergast said, "He's probably a better fit as a stack inside linebacker than an outside linebacker."
• There will be two new starters at outside linebacker. At present, Ryan Davis and David Wilkerson (strongside) are with the ones, with Chris McCain, Cecil Whiteside and Lucas King providing depth.
• In the secondary, Marc Anthony and Steve Williams are the corners. The depth appears unsettled -- see Pendergast and Tedford both listing three freshmen who are not on campus yet as being in the mix. Pendergast seemed most pleased with Anthony, whom he said was playing physically and with a lot of confidence. At safety, there's Sean Cattouse and D.J. Campbell, with Adrian Lee, C.J. Moncrease, Alex Logan and Michael Coley earning note. It's hard to say if true freshman Avery Walls, who's participating in spring practices, will get into the mix.
• On offense, Michalczik is mostly focused on the offensive line. Tedford will call plays this fall and is working with the quarterbacks as well, while receivers coach Eric Kiesau is the passing game coordinator and running backs coach Ron Gould is the running game coordinator. So there will be plenty of input on offense.
• Michalczik wouldn't commit too much on the offensive line: "We've got some young guys and we've got some time," he said. Left tackle Mitchell Schwartz and center Dominic Galas are likely starters, but both are sitting out with injuries. Matt Summers-Gavin has bounced from guard to right tackle. Brian Schwenke and Justin Cheadle are the No. 1 guards at present. Youngsters to watch include Chris Adcock and Mark Brazinski at center, as well as Alejandro Crosthwaite, Bill Tyndall and Tyler Rigsbee.
• Marvin Jones and Keenan Allen are set at receiver, but the No. 3, 4 and 5 options are not. Michael Calvin -- yes, him again -- Coleman Edmond and Kaelin Clay earned note from Tedford, who said of Clay, "He's been very good, very fast, brings big-play potential."
• Tedford isn't very happy at running back behind Isi Sofele. His highest praise goes to walk-on Mike Manuel, who was impressive in the scrimmage Saturday. Injuries are a big issue at the position, but it seems as though Tedford isn't happy with the group, which includes a number of touted recruits. "As of right now, it looks like to me we are going to have to rely on younger guys who are coming in," he said.
• Quarterbacks? It's still wide open, but it shows how serious Zach Maynard's candidacy is that Tedford said he doesn't expect to announce a starter until well into fall camp, specifically because he wants to give Maynard, who transferred from Buffalo last year, as much time as possible to digest the offense. Said Tedford, "He does have some athleticism. He can make plays with his legs. He throws the ball accurately. He can throw all the balls on the field. He's a lefty. He can throw the deep ball. He's got zip on the ball. His main thing is just going to be the mental part of understanding our offense and understanding what we're looking for."
• As for Brock Mansion, who started the final four games after Kevin Riley went down, Tedford said, "You can tell that Brock is better because of the experience he had last year. He's more comfortable. And he's even learned some things physically. You can see the maturity there a little bit. Still not where we need to be."
• As for Allan Bridgford, the question might be athleticism. Said Tedford, "Smart guy. Can throw the ball. He can throw all the balls on the field. Escape dimension? Haven't seen that yet. That's a concern, but he's not a led-foot by any means."
• One problem for the Bears this spring is injuries. There are a lot of them, which makes it more difficult to give the QBs full-tilt, looks. "That's a challenge, to get QB's enought reps without beating up the whole team," Tedford said.

STANFORD, Calif. -- The media often falls for polite and polished and humble. It doesn't require a gaggle of publicists to know that a superstar athlete doing polite, polished and humble charms reporters and therefore the public. And, of course, it's often a con, or a least a public persona that doesn't match the reality of said superstar athlete.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is a superstar athlete, even if trying to get him to engage the topic is like playing dodgeball with Plastic Man. He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season and he almost certainly would have been the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on April 28 had he not opted to return for his redshirt junior season, in large part, he said, because he wanted to finish up his degree in architectural design.

This story, however, must now pause because Luck has walked away from an interview to help a woman open a door to the Stanford athletic building. She needs to use the restroom, and it doesn't require Woodward & Bernstein to ascertain that this might be a pressing need. Luck points her in the right direction but warns her that they might be cleaning up inside.

Where were we? Yes, moments before becoming a hero to a woman who had perhaps imbibed too much afternoon coffee, Luck walked past a ballroom dancing class and, making small talk, noted, "I don't think I'm coordinated enough for ballroom dancing."

Luck is a buffed-up, 6-foot-4, 235 pounds and, besides ranking third in the nation in passing efficiency in 2010, he rushed for 453 yards. But ballroom dancing students, now those folks are athletes.

Actual exchange once the interview starts again:

Hyperventilating reporter [Me]: "Now, everybody in the country knows who you are."

Luck: "I don't think everybody knows."

Said former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, now with the San Francisco 49ers, last fall: "He's almost embarrassed if somebody compliments him or wants to talk about him. He's very quick to deflect it to his teammates. He's someone people want to follow, want to emulate. It's a unique quality to be the sort of anti-celebrity quarterback, the anti-big-man on campus."

More than a few folks were stunned Luck opted to return, no matter how much he enjoyed college or wasn't burdened by financial need -- his father, Oliver, is a former NFL quarterback and presently the athletic director at West Virginia.

Said Stanford linebacker Shayne Skov, "Anybody's logic would have been to leave. We were all stunned."

There is a potential red flag here, though, on the football side of things. Some might observe that NFL coaches prefer the singular focus of the football obsessed over a Renaissance man who enjoys college. Further, the best quarterbacks are often swashbuckling sorts -- Tom Brady, Brett Favre (without the text messages), Joe Namath and Kenny "The Snake" Stabler -- so if Luck seems too much the Boy Scout, might that make it difficult for him to lead a locker room that includes an array of edgier personalities?

Ah, but not unlike Peyton Manning, Luck doesn't do Ned Flanders on the football field. Just ask former USC cornerback Shareece Wright and California safety Sean Cattouse, who both ended up on the losing end of a Luck hit when they stood between the quarterback and something he wanted during a game.

"My dad calls it 'crossing the white line,'" said new Stanford head coach David Shaw, whose father, Willie Shaw, was a longtime college and NFL coach.

"You can be the greatest human being on the planet, but once you cross that white line, it's whatever it takes to win football games. Andrew has started to remind me of another guy who was like that: [former Cardinal and nine-time Pro Bowl safety] John Lynch. John Lynch was an all-time human being -- a phenomenal person. One of those guys you say you want your daughter to grow up and marry. That's the way Andrew is. But once he crosses that white line, he's such a competitor. He doesn't care who you are, he's going to try to knock you out. Andrew flips that same switch."

While Stanford practices are closed, the scuttlebutt is that Luck has been masterful this spring. Quipped offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton with a straight face, "He was able to complete 70 percent [71 percent actually] of his passes last year. Our goal is for him to complete 100 percent of his passes."

When asked about this, Shaw pointed out that Luck, indeed, missed a throw -- a 6-yard out -- at practice the previous day.

"You'd have thought it was the Super Bowl," Shaw said. "With a guy like this, you shoot for the moon. You see how far you can push him. And Andrew loves it. He wants to be pushed every day. He wants to be coached, he wants to be coached hard and he wants to be coached specifically. He doesn't know what his ceiling is. So let's not set it."

The high ceiling for Luck is a big reason the national perception is there's a high ceiling for Stanford. The Cardinal will be ranked in the preseason top 10, and Oregon's visit on Nov. 12 is likely the Pac-12 North game of the year, one that might have national championship implications. And if the Cardinal again surges a year after turning in its best season of the modern era, it's almost certain that Luck will be a Heisman Trophy front-runner.

That means even more celebrity for Luck. While Stanford's pristine campus and academically elite student body present a less football-obsessed environment that allows him some privacy, Luck's future is under the klieg lights. It's unavoidable and it will test him.

Luck is told a story about an early Ben Affleck interview with Jay Leno when Affleck tells of pulling out the "I'm Ben Affleck" for the first time to get a restaurant reservation. Luck's asked if he's had a similar moment when waiting for a table.

At first, he seems to be honestly baffled by the inquiry, then replies: "There are enough good restaurants in Palo Alto. We could leave. No, I haven't tried to do that. I don't think it's worth it."

On Friday, we looked at offensive three-headed monsters -- the best quarterback, running back, wide receiver troikas -- so it also makes sense to also look at their defensive counterparts, the best threesomes from each of the three levels of defense: defensive line, linebacker and defensive back.

Here's the tally from last season, if you are interested.

1. Arizona State

DE Junior Onyeali, LB Vontaze Burfict, CB Omar Bolden

The Skinny: No question on No. 1 here. Onyeali was the Pac-10 Defensive Freshman of the Year. Burfict is the nation's best inside linebacker. Bolden was unanimous first-team All-Pac-10.

2. Stanford

DE Matt Masifilo, LB Shayne Skov, SS Delano Howell

The Skinny: Masifilo, the lone returning starter on the Cardinal defensive line, was honorable mention All-Pac-10, as was Skov, who was playing as well as any linebacker in the conference over the final third of the season. Howell was second-team All-Pac-10.

3. California

DE Trevor Guyton, LB Mychal Kendricks, S Sean Cattouse

The Skinny: Guyton had 8.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks despite being a part-time starter. Kendricks was second-team All-Pac-10. Cattouse earned honorable mention.

4. Oregon

DE Terrell Turner, LB Josh Kaddu, CB Cliff Harris

The Skinny: Two solid returning starters and a second-team All-Pac-10 cornerback who figures to be a preseason All-American after earning second-team honors from the Associated Press and Walter Camp Football Foundation in 2010.

5. Washington:

DT Alameda Ta'amu, LB Cort Dennison, FS Nate Fellner

The Skinny: Ta'amu earned honorable mention All-Conference honors and seemed to find himself over the latter half of the season. Dennison had 93 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss and two interceptions. Fellner tied for second in the conference with five interceptions.

6. Arizona

DT Justin Washington, LB Paul Vassallo, CB Trevin Wade

The Skinny: Washington's numbers fell off when he got banged up, but he still had 11.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks as a redshirt freshman. Vassallo was honorable mention All-Conference. Wade had an off year last fall, but was second-team All-Pac-10 in 2009.

7. USC

DE Armond Armstead, LB Chris Galippo, FS T.J. McDonald

The Skinny: This actually could be one of the best threesomes in the conference, but Armstead and Galippo have injury issues and only put up middling numbers last fall. McDonald was second-team All-Pac-10 in 2010.

8. Washington State

DE Travis Long, LB Alex Hoffman-Ellis, SS Deone Bucannon

The Skinny: Long was honorable mention All-Conference, Bucannon, who started as a true freshman, and Hoffman-Ellis were the Cougars' top two tackles in 2010.

9. UCLA

DE Datone Jones, LB Patrick Larimore, SS Tony Dye

The Skinny: A solid threesome that is down here more because it gets an "incomplete." Jones missed all of last season with a foot injury, but, if healthy, he's an All-Conference sort. Larimore was solid in seven games before suffering a shoulder injury. Dye led the Bruins in tackles and earned honorable mention All-Pac-10.

10. Colorado

NG Will Pericak, LB Jon Major, FS Ray Polk

The Skinny: Pericak earned honorable mention All-Big 12. Major was the Buffaloes leading tackler before he blew out his knee in Game 7 (a knee injury also killed the junior's true freshman season). Polk was the second-leading tackler.

11. Utah

DE Derrick Shelby, LB Chaz Walker, CB Conroy Black

The Skinny: Honestly don't know how to rank the Utes here. Shelby and Walker are returning starters -- Walker earned second-team All-Mountain West honors. Black was the top backup cornerback last season. But Star Lotulelei might be the Utes' best defensive lineman, and Brian Blechen has moved from strong safety, where he was very good, to linebacker. How highly do the Utes think of him? They list him as an All-American candidate.

12. Oregon State

DE Dominic Glover, LB Rueben Robinson, S Lance Mitchell

The Skinny: Three returning starters, but none of them even earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors. Mitchell was the Beavers' third-leading tackler, Glover had 2.5 sacks, and Robinson split time with Tony Wilson.

A look back on the week that was.

Team of the week: Oregon State was left for dead -- understandably -- after getting pushed around at home by Washington State on Nov. 13, thereby ending the Cougars 16-game Pac-10 losing streak. But there was a Beavers resurrection Saturday during a 36-7 stomping of USC.

Best game: Considering all three games this past week were decided by at least 17 points, there really wasn't a "best" game. But Stanford's overwhelming performance on both defense and offense in the Big Game at California was very impressive -- making it easy to point to the Cardinal as the nation's best one-loss team.

Biggest play: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck made an early statement in the Big Game with a 58-yard run on third down in the first quarter. The "wow" moment, though, was when he flattened Cal safety Sean Cattouse.

Offensive standout: Not to be redundant but Luck was nearly perfect in the Big Game. He completed 16-of-20 for 235 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and ran three times for 72 yards.

Defensive standout: USC just couldn't block Oregon State DT Stephen Paea, whose six tackles -- 2.5 for a loss with a sack and a forced fumble -- don't completely tell the story of how much of a nuisance he was to the Trojans.

Special teams standout: The only bright side for Cal might have been punter Bryan Anger, who averaged 54.3 yards on three punts, with a long of 71 yards. Two of the three were killed inside the Cardinal 20-yard line.

Smiley face: Good for Washington and Oregon State getting off the carpet and keeping bowl hopes -- albeit slim ones -- alive. The Beavers had lost three of four conference games, including the aforementioned face plant versus the Cougs, while the Huskies had suffered three consecutive blowout losses before upending UCLA. Showing resilience is a good thing.

Frowny face: Everyone wondered when USC would stop showing up this year due to NCAA sanctions killing postseason possibilities. Then we got so far into the season, it seemed possible they'd show up every week. Wrong. The debacle at Oregon State was embarrassing. A completely lifeless effort on offense against a struggling, injury-riddled defense.

Thought of the week: Washington's visit to California feels meaningful, and not just because it's a bowl-eligibility-elimination game. Both programs are looking for a November uptick for grumpy fan bases after disappointing seasons. If Cal wins, it could end up in the Holiday Bowl, and even the Sun Bowl is a heck of a destination for a 6-6 team. Same for the Huskies, though they also will need to win at rival Washington State on Dec. 4 to earn a sixth victory.

Questions for the week: Is there a major upset on tap? Top-ranked Oregon plays host to No. 21 Arizona and No. 6 Stanford gets a visit from again formidable Oregon State. Can both home teams survive and keep hopes for two BCS bowl teams -- and an extra $4.5 million for the conference -- alive?

The Big Game is over at halftime.

Stanford leads 31-0, and there is no way that California can score 32 in the second half with struggling quarterback Brock Mansion.

That means we won't have to talk about Cal's split road-home personality any more. The Bears can get blown out at home, too.

Jim Harbaugh is going to even his record with Jeff Tedford at 2-2. And the Cardinal are making a major statement about themselves as the nation's best one-loss team.

Mansion has completed just 8 of 16 for 57 yards with two interceptions and a fumbled snap.

Not good.

Meanwhile, there is Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. He's completed 10 of 13 passes for 165 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. And he had two runs for 69 yards, including a 58-yard effort that included him running over Cal safety Sean Cattouse.

Good.

Stanford outgained the Bears 312 yards to 119 in the first half.

The only question remaining is how many points Harbaugh wants to score. And if he goes for two at any point in the second half.

It's been an inconsistent year for California, and that goes for the Bears defense, too, despite its generally strong numbers.

But first-year defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast clearly put together an outstanding game plan last weekend, when the Bears held top-ranked Oregon to a season-low in yards and points.

It doesn't get any easier this Saturday, though, with No. 6 Stanford coming to Berkeley for the annual Big Game. While the Cardinal might not be as fast and flashy as the Ducks, they also rank among the nation's elite offenses, and quarterback Andrew Luck may be the best at his position in the nation.

So there's no rest for Pendergast this week. He did spare a few minutes, though, to talk defense.

Give me the basics of what you guys did against Oregon and why was it so successful?

Clancy Pendergast: I just think our guys played well that night. We played with good gap integrity -- the guys fit their gaps. And the secondary did a good job in coverage.

Why is it so difficult to maintain gap integrity against Oregon?

CP: They are very lateral in a lot of things they do. Sometimes the gaps travel down the line of scrimmage and they are hard to keep. But that's very important against them. And they do some other blocking schemes that aren't lateral, too. So you have to prepare for different types of blocking schemes with them. Their linemen are very athletic. Their running back runs very well, not only tackle to tackle but also on the perimeter. And you've also got the quarterback to deal with.

Going into the game, did you anticipate you'd get such an inspired, fiery effort?

CP: I did. We had a good week of practice. They were into it. The communication was good throughout the course of the week. We really zeroed in on the things we wanted to do. It was more about us defensively than it was about Oregon.

Give me two or three guys who really played well versus Oregon.

CP: Defensive end Trevor Guyton played good. Noseguard Derrick Hill played good. Linebacker Mike Mohamed played good. Safety Chris Conte played good. Safety Sean Cattouse was solid. Those are the guys who jumped out at me.

This will be your first Big Game: Does anything feel different to you this week, or is it just another game?

CP: The intensity is a little heavier in practice. The guys' antennas are up a little bit like they were last week. From being around college football and football in general, I've always known this is a storied rivalry. I'm looking forward to my first Big Game.

Looking at Stanford: What do you see on film of their offensive line?

CP: They are very impressive. They do an excellent job at the line of scrimmage. They get movement. They work very well together. And when they do get movement, they are very athletic in getting to the second level. They are a physical group. I'm very impressed with the job they've done, from an athletic and physical standpoint and from a coaching standpoint.

You've got a significant NFL background: Does Andrew Luck look like a guy who can star on Sundays? What does he do well?

CP: He's very impressive. You can see he carries himself with a lot of confidence. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and his staff have done an excellent job preparing him. You can tell he has a very good command of the offense, with the different things he does within the scheme. He sees the field well. He evades the rush very well. He gets them into good plays when they need to change a play at the line of scrimmage because of a certain look the defense is giving them. He's been very patient. He can make plays outside the pocket with his feet, but he can also make all the throws in the passing game -- from the intermediate and underneath option-type routes to the precision comebacks, all the way from one hash to the other sideline, which a lot of teams in the NFL like to have the quarterback make. He's got a lot of tools that are going to make him an outstanding prospect at the next level.

Is it much different preparing for Stanford compared to preparing for Oregon?

CP: That's kind of college football. You are preparing for different offenses week in and week out. That is the challenge as a defensive coordinator -- to put together a plan that adapts to what the other offense is meant to do. They create a lot of problems. They use a lot of different personnel groups. Like I said, they are very good at running the football. They are very well coached. They are very efficient throwing the football. They are very good on third down. They are very good in the red zone. We'll have our hands full on Saturday without a doubt.

Give me a couple of keys for you guys to be successful on Saturday?

CP: Our rallying cry is we've got to have very good gap integrity within our front seven. And we can't give up a big plays. They like to push the ball down the field, but we can't let them get any explosion plays.