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We asked which coach you hated most in the Pac-12. You have spoken with much bile. Congrats.

It was sometimes hard to figure out exactly which coach you hated the most in your notes, as many of you listed several coaches. Some of you listed several coaches and provided many details on the sources of your hate.

In total, you named more than 20 different coaches. Even Oregon State's Mike Riley got a vote. So did legendary coach Bill Walsh (Huskies!).

The only sitting Pac-12 coaches to not get a vote? Utah's Kyle Whittingham and Colorado's Jon Embree. Guess you guys don't know them well enough to hate them. Yet.

The race for most hated was far closer than I thought it would be. (And this was hardly scientific because I only used votes that were specific and unambiguous. And I may have skipped over some of the 1,500-word essays).

Your most hated coach? Here's the nip and tuck final tally from the mailbag.

Chip Kelly: 29

Lane Kiffin: 30

Third place went to Rick Neuheisel with 19, though that's misleading because he was mentioned by many of you in some fashion, mostly in the line of, "I used to hate Neuheisel the most but now I hate..."

I was surprised that Washington's Steve Sarkisian got 11 votes, but I guess I shouldn't be because some Cal fans aren't happy with him (Tosh Lupoi, now at Washington after bolting Berkeley, got a bunch of votes but he didn't count because he's an assistant coach).

New Arizona State coach Todd Graham got five votes. New Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez got two. New Washington State coach Mike Leach got three. New UCLA coach Jim Mora got two.

For those who chose to look back, former USC coach Pete Carroll got 10 votes and plenty of mentions. Former Washington coach Tyrone Willingham got two. Former USC coach John McKay and former Washington coach Don James also got a handful of votes.

The most surprising vote -- other than Riley -- was one for former UCLA coach Bob Toledo.

Here are some comments. Obviously, some comments aren't appropriate for a family Pac-12 blog.

Steve from Seattle writes: By far the most hated coach is Chip Kelley. He certainly personifies the Oregon Fans with his snide comments to the media and better than everyone else attitude. Would love to see hard sanction get put on him and his institution!

Jack from Oakton, Va., writes: I cannot stand Chip Kelly. That smug grin he carries around as if he's the smartest guy in the world just makes me want to smack him.

Glenn from Renton, Wash., writes: Most Hated Coaches in the Pac-12: Chip Kelly. He's a smug jerk, but if I was an AD I would hire him in a New York minute.

Doug from Salt Lake City writes: The coach I hate the most is undoubtedly Oregon's Chip Kelly.Yes, he's a fantastic coach among the nation's elite. But he's a total jerk.The last straw for me came last season when, on live TV, he took time out from his postgame interview to scream at his own fans, "shut the hell up!"

Adam from San Francisco writes: Why is this even a question? Lane Kiffin.As for his new recent strides toward "maturity" - if I were a betting man, I'd bet a large portion of my heart, soul, and life savings that we all end up laughing at those statements by the time his tenure at Southern Cal is all said and done

Kent from Davis, Calif., writes: Coaches We Love to Hate: Lane Kiffin. The guy has less credibility and integrity than John Edwards. He's the only person in the world who could have made the late Al Davis look like upright and ethical. How this arrogant, imperious guy keeps getting plum jobs is beyond me but clearly you don't have to produce results on the field but simply keep wearing the "up and coming innovative offensive genius" tag to make it work.

Paul from San Francisco writes: No Pac-12 coach makes my blood boil more than Lane Kiffin. But it's not just his cavalier attitude and inexplicable career climb that drive me over the edge. It's his history against my Ducks. If you include his stint as USC's offensive coordinator from 2005 and 2006, Kiffin is 3-1 against Oregon, including last year's untimely win at Autzen that ended the longest home winning streak in the country. Needless to say, Nov. 3, 2012 has been circled on my calendar ever since

Kevin from San Francisco writes: Pete Carroll. I hate Pete Carroll. Everyone outside of USC hates Pete Carroll. He was classy in interviews, gave the other teams in the Pac 10 respect; in fact called the Pac 10 conference games the toughest part of his schedule. The reason why he is hated is because he was the leader of the most arrogant, abrasive group of fans and players to grace the Pac 10 in the last decade. Everybody is glad we no longer have to listen to Matt Leinart tell us that he doesn't think he's a celebrity, just everyone else in the world does. After every USC game we had to listen to the fans explain that "of course we knew we were going to win, just we thought it be over by the first quarter." And probably the part that irritates me and my Cal brethren the most is that despite a campus culture of a lot of drinking and little studying, students we met from USC always attempted to equate the academics to Cal. They aren't the worst school, but Cal is in another league.

Chris from Othello, Wash., writes: for us Oregon fans (And fans elsewhere in the conference), Rick Newheisel will always be a historical coach to hate. Growing up in the early 90's, I was consistently reminded about how that "New - weasel" in Seattle had consistently and infamously harmed our program throughout his various coaching positions. Even if he tried to turn a leaf while in UCLA, his history was never forgotten in Eugene.

Dee Dee from Portland writes: There is no possible way any coach in the Pac is hated more than Rick Neuheisel. The Weasel is universally abhorred by no fewer than THREE Pac12 fanbases. I don't even think UCLA fans like him that much any longer, and he's an alum. As a matter of fact, opinion on Slick Rick is the ONLY thing that Oregon and Washington fans have in common

Evan from Seattle writes: I must say, Steve Sarkisian is the lowest of low, slimiest of slime. Other than the obvious manner in which he talks, like a fake politician, he has a long list of shameless acts.

Dan from Spokane writes: I hate Steve Sarkisian more than any other Pac-12 coach and it's not just because of his ridiculous adherence to wearing a visor in the rainy northwest. His twitter account is insufferable. "Woof" every time a new recruit commits? Give me a break! He should tweet "whimper" every time the dawgs opponent hangs more than 50 points on them.Go Cougs!

Pete from Missoula, Mont., writes: When Utah first entered the Pac12, I instantly did not like Lane Kiffin. However, when I saw the class of not only him but the USC fans when my beloved Utes played them last year, my hatred shifted a bit. I decided that I need to stick with the hate that I already know. Hating Coach Sark from the Washington Poodles. You see Ted, it is easy to hate something you have hated before. I remember the years of hating Sark as the Team Down South, byWHO quarterback. I will always love to HATE byWHO, even if we do not play them anytime soon after this year. So Ted, this is the reason I hate Sark. It comes very naturally

Tana Vea from Sandy, Utah writes: Most hated coach in the Pac-12. Todd Graham hasn't coached a game yet but I already hate his guts. But I use to hate Chip Kelly, not as much anymore.

Henry from slymar, Calif., writes: Why limit your hating coaches column to head coaches? What about assistant coaches? I hate Tosh Lupoi mainly because he betrayed his alma mater for a boat.

Tim from Austin, Texas writes: Nobody outside of Tucson likes Richy Rod!

Sar from Tacoma, Wash., writes: regarding your request for all-time most hated coach. As a washington fan the answer is easy : 1992 Stanford Cardinal coach Bill Walsh. His well-timed (for him) block to the back of the Huskies football program is what I hold responsible for Don James' departure and a downward spiral to an eventual 0-12 season for the Huskies.

David from Tucson writes: In order to answer which coach I hate the most I have to exclude any and all ASU coaches because, in my humble opinion, that football program is the worst thing to happen to college sports since...ever. So, that being said I'd have to say that I hate Jim Mora the most, and for a purely trivial reason: his smile makes me want to punch babies.

David from Calgary writes: I hate Coach Mike Riley. Only because I was raised a Duck, and he's really like-able. So I hate that I can't hate him.

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.

• Arizona's new copper helmets ... Yay? Nay?
• Todd Graham says Mike Bercovici has a slight edge in the three-way ASU quarterback competition.
• Cal picks up a Texas linebacker recruit.
• A Colorado family is rallying to raise money for former Buff Alex Ligon, who is hospitalized with leukemia.
• De'Anthony Thomas and Robert Woods are on the Jet Award watch list.
• OSU's Sean Martin pleads no contest in a February driving under the influence incident. Should Mike Riley ban Twitter?
• A first look at what UCLA has to do in recruiting in 2013 on offense.
• USC players share their experiences from their Haiti trip. An Ex-USC recruit is exonerated on a rape conviction.
• Some thoughts on Steve Sarkisian's recent radio appearance.
• Mike Leach is bringing innovation to the conference.

The Pac-12 is supposed to be a collegial league. Folks throw the ball a lot and mostly get along. There are strong rivalries, but no real villains.

Or not!

Heck, the new Pac-12 is loaded with villainy. At least it is when my bosses tell me to write a story about the top coaching villains in the Pac-12 as part of our "Love to hate!" series this week.

Villains? Iago, Darth Vader and Loki have nothing on Pac-12 coaches.

• New Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez ruined a great Michigan program. Well, it was him and a bad administration, bad players and a bad streak of duplicitous jealousy from former coach Lloyd Carr. But it's more fun to just blame Rich Rod. And Greg Robinson.
• New Arizona State coach Todd Graham left Pittsburgh high and dry after just one season to take over the Sun Devils. His rosy-cheeked players cried for days, though it's possible they were more upset about hearing the truth about the Easter Bunny -- he's doing 5-to-10 in New Jersey State Prison for vandalizing gardens.
[+] Enlarge
Kyle Terada/US PresswireOregon's Chip Kelly might be considered a villain in the Pac-12, because he can be abrasive with the media, and he wins a lot.
• California coach Jeff Tedford has failed to build on the incredible success of his predecessor, Tom Holmoe.
• Colorado coach Jon Embree made his team play 13 consecutive games last season with no bye. Wait ... that wasn't his fault? Oh. Well, I heard Embree yell at practice once.
• Oregon coach Chip Kelly fails to have a sunny disposition around reporters on a consistent basis. Dante reserved a special level of hell for coaches who aren't nice to the media.
• Oregon State coach Mike Riley... Er. Hmm. Well, one might smile, and smile, and be a villain, yes?
• Stanford coach David Shaw is always throwing his Stanford-ness in your face. You know the, "Oh I played receiver for Stanford," "Oh, I've got a B.A. from Stanford," "Oh, I'm the coach of Stanford," "Oh, I didn't get rejected by Stanford's graduate English program like you did," etc, etc.
• UCLA coach Jim Mora wasn't all rainbows and roses with Doug Gottlieb in a radio interview once.
• USC coach Lane Kiffin? Lane Kiffin! Don't listen to revisionist history. He's still Lane Freaking Kiffin!
• Utah coach Kyle Whittingham might act all soft-spoken and nice, but he sports a gotee and he's buffed up like a linebacker. He's clearly just waiting for everyone to turn away so he can snap your spine over his knee. And don't act like you haven't thought the same thing.
• Washington coach Steve Sarkisian? Two words: Coach thief.
• Washington State coach Mike Leach shot Yogi the Bear. Or was it Boo Boo?

So who is the top coaching villain in the Pac-12?

The easy answer is Kelly. He's gruff. He's closed practices. He flirted with the NFL. And, well, he wins too much.

But watch out for Kiffin. If USC again climbs back to the top of college football, that success might inspire Kiffin to again tweak his critics and adversaries. Not unlike Kelly, Kiffin has a pretty amusing, sarcastic sense of humor that isn't for everyone and sometimes doesn't translate well to print. Can he really keep that muzzled forever?

In fact, the Pac-12's biggest villain likely will be the winning coach when Kiffin and Kelly square off in the Coliseum on Nov. 3. The winner likely will be front-and-center in the national title race.

And no one likes a winner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Again, we love lists. We love rankings.

The Sporting News goes all out with its latest: Ranking all FBS coaches from Nos. 1 to 124. From No. 1 Nick Saban -- no argument -- to UMass' Charley Molnar in last place.

How does the Pac-12 rate? Oregon's Chip Kelly rates No. 6 overall and first in the conference -- no argument -- and 11 of the 12 rank among the top 75. Colorado's Jon Embree is rated No. 106, but, of course, that's entirely based on him being a first-time head coach in just his second year taking over a major rebuilding project.

The Pac-12 coaches go like this:

6. Chip Kelly, Oregon
17. Mike Leach, Washington State
20. Lane Kiffin, USC
21. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
30. Steve Sarkisian, Washington
32. David Shaw, Stanford
39. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
55. Mike Riley, Oregon State
57. Jeff Tedford, California
68. Jim Mora, UCLA
75. Todd Graham, Arizona State
106. Jon Embree, Colorado.

Kevin and I ranked the Pac-12 coaches a few weeks back -- you can see our lists here.

Such lists are, obviously, subjective and highly fluid. You can bet any such ranking of coaches will look substantially different in mid-January. So I'm not going to quibble much with TSN's list, even if I did slap my forehead a few times.

Not too much.

Whittingham and Rodriguez are too low.

For one, it's cloudy how BYU's Bronco Mendenhall, ranked 15th, is ahead of Whittingham. They have nearly identical records in seven years and Whittingham is 4-3 against Mendenhall. He also has a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama -- and Saban -- and is 6-1 in bowl games. And, er, did anyone at TSN see last year's Holy War in Provo?

As for Rodriguez, too much is made of his Michigan tenure, a mismatch from the beginning where everything was stacked against him. And it's not only his success at West Virginia, which included four Big East titles and two Coach of the Year awards, that should push him into the top 25. It's also what he did at Glenville State -- practically (re)inventing the spread option offense -- and as the offensive coordinator at Tulane and Clemson.

As for the Pac-12 in general, TSN notes its average ranking of coaches is 43.8, which ranks third behind the Big 12 (27.2) and SEC (43.8).

The judge smiled. Men are born for games. Nothing else. Every child knows that play is nobler than work. He knows too that the worth or merit of a game is not inherent in the game itself but rather in the value of that which is put at hazard.

• Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez has confidence in QB Matt Scott.
• Checking in with Arizona State defensive coordinator Paul Randolph.
• These former California players have gone radical.
• The Colorado QB competition is far from over. And competitive runs deep with the Embrees.
• Oregon's Rose Bowl win wasn't cheap. Some notes and video of LaMichael James getting drafted -- Ducks fans should avert their eyes at the 41-second mark.
• Oregon State coach Mike Riley talks about his QB and offensive line, and he feels better about one than the other.
• Athlon takes a look at Stanford.
• Here's a vote for Brett Hundley to be UCLA's QB.
• Who will USC's No. 3 RB be? For some reason, this issue doesn't seem as worrisome as depth at DT.
• This ranking is high on Utah to perhaps upset USC in the South Division.
• Some Washington notes based on Steve Sarkisian's time on the Pac-12 spring coaches teleconference.
• The dynamic in Washington State's radio booth will be interesting. Cougars coach Mike Leach talks about ... lots of things.
• Pac-12 coaches know they aren't in control of the playoff discussion.

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

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

I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust.

• The Rose Bowl is important to the conference -- including Arizona.
• ASU's Aderious Simmons took an unlikely road to the NFL.
• Make your predictions for how Cal will do in 2012.
• Reflecting on Colorado's first year in the Pac-12 (from a complete athletic department perspective).
• Life after football has been good to Joey Harrington.
• An early preview of the Cal-Oregon State game.
• Looks like Andrew Luck won't be using Jim Irsay's private plane after all.
• UCLA is going to have to trim some scholarships to get down to 85.
• Matt Barkley or Landry Jones in 2013?
• Former Utah receiver Brian Hernandez signs with Washington.
• Steve Sarkisian talks defense when meeting with boosters.
• Washington State picks up another commit for 2013.

As we've noted before, sports fans love lists. They love rankings.

And so we have another ranking of Pac-12 coaches, this time from our friends at The Sporting News.

Here's how they see things.

1. Chip Kelly, Oregon
2. Mike Leach, Washington State
3. Lane Kiffin, USC
4. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
5. Steve Sarkisian, Washington
6. David Shaw, Stanford
7. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
8. Mike Riley, Oregon State
9. Jeff Tedford, California
10. Jim Mora, UCLA
11. Todd Graham, Arizona State
12. Jon Embree, Colorado

We've been here before, when we took note of Athlon's rankings and then provided our own.

Here are those other lists.

Here's Athlon's order:

1. Chip Kelly, Oregon
2. Lane Kiffin, USC
3. Mike Leach, Washington State
4. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
5. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
6. Steve Sarkisian, Washington
7. Mike Riley, Oregon State
8. Jeff Tedford, California
9. David Shaw, Stanford
10. Todd Graham, Arizona State
11. Jim Mora, UCLA
12. Jon Embree, Colorado

This was mine:

1. Chip Kelly, Oregon
2. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
3. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
4. Mike Leach, Washington State
5. Lane Kiffin, USC
6. Steve Sarkisian, Washington
7. David Shaw, Stanford
8. Mike Riley, Oregon State
9. Jeff Tedford, California
10. Todd Graham, Arizona State
11. Jim Mora, UCLA
12. Jon Embree, Colorado

This is a quick makeup mailbag from Friday.

As you know, you can follow me on Twitter here.

To the notes!

David from Eugene, Ore., writes: The Oregon spring game was the last time I'll step foot in Autzen as an undergraduate, and I must say, while Mariota was able to lead his team to victory, there wasn't a unit on the field that really made me feel comfortable about the future. Do you think the Ducks will be a BCS bowl team this season? And what reasoning have you come up with regarding your answer?

Ted Miller: First of all, don't ever put too much into a spring game. The most important thing for each and every spring game is to get through it with no more injuries. As far as revealing much about a team, it's almost impossible to make educated judgements. For one, schemes are vanilla because no body wants to show too much. Second, every good play is a bad play. And vice versa. A great run for the offense exposes poor execution on defense. A sack on defense exposes poor execution on offense. Etc.

Do I think the Ducks will play in a BCS bowl this season? Yes.

If you look at the Ducks' schedule, the only time they likely will be an underdog is at USC on Nov. 3, a game that should have national title implications. It's not unreasonable to predict that Oregon will go 11-2, losing twice to the Trojans -- in the regular season and the Pac-12 championship game. Or maybe Oregon wins both or splits the games. Bottom line: It's not difficult to see 11 wins. That might, in fact, be the best over-under number.

Why am I high on the Ducks? For one, coach Chip Kelly's track record is pretty OK. Sure, he's lost six games. But he's also won 34, which isn't too bad for three seasons. After three consecutive conference titles, it's not smart to bet against him, or his new quarterback.

I also like the defense, which will rank in the top-third of the conference and top-25 in the nation. I like running back Kenjon Barner and wide receiver/running back De'Anthony Thomas. I like the offensive line and tight end Colt Lyerla. I like the specialists. If the receivers are at least solid, this will be a top-five team.

If the Ducks go 11-2 and lose twice to USC, my guess is the Trojans go to the national title game. If the Trojans face plant at some point and end up merely winning the conference and going to the Rose Bowl, I'd guess the Ducks would be a compelling choice for an at-large BCS bowl berth.

And things don't set up badly for 2013, either.

Daniel from Rexburg, Idaho writes: I love the Beavers but in all honesty I don't see them winning more than five this year (if that). Ya we are strong in certain areas but NO team can win with poor offensive line play and a very weak DT unit. Is is possible for a team to play in a bowl while casting such a poor line? (lets be honest Issac wont have THAT big of an impact this year) And how on earth can we stop a spread without strong DTs or a really effective LB unit?

Ted Miller: You are right about the questions -- both lines. I think things will be OK at linebacker, though not up to the standards of a just a few years ago.

Now, I've never been accused of being a "glass half-full guy." When I see a half-empty glass, which is the more accurate way to describe it, I am certain that my worst enemy just enjoyed the best part of my beverage, found a 20 carat diamond in the bottom, used that to buy a beach house in Malibu and only left behind backwash for me. And probably germs that will give me the sniffles.

Sniffle.

But I see some reason to be half-full with the Beavers, though a number of things have to fall in place. Start with the offensive line. What if offensive tackle Michael Philipp rediscovers his mojo, incoming freshman Isaac Seumalo is as good as advertised and UCLA transfer Stan Hasiak has gotten himself under control? Toss in Josh Andrews, Grant Enger and Colin Kelly, who have 28 starts between them, and promising Michael Beaton, and there's hope for the O-line.

While most point to the O-line first as a question, I think the D-line is as big of an issue, even with both defensive ends, Scott Crichton and Dylan Wynn, back. There's an across the board lack of depth, and things are particularly worrisome inside. Castro Masaniai, Andrew Seumalo, Mana Rosa and Mana Tuivailala look like the top-four guys, and none at present is a guy who will worry an opposing offensive coordinator.

On the upside, the track record of quarterbacks in their second year starting for Mike Riley has been strong, and Sean Mannion will have an experienced, speedy cast of receivers. My guess is the passing game will be strong. If the running game becomes merely adequate, this offense will score points.

Now can it get to at least six wins and earn a bowl berth, which I would deem a successful season after going 3-9 last year? The Beavers didn't do themselves any favors with the nonconference schedule -- Wisconsin and at BYU -- and there are no obvious gimmes, other than Nicholls State in the opener.

While I certainly can pile up a list of "Ls" while going through the schedule, this team also hints at past Beavers squads that were counted out in the preseason but somehow pushed their way into the Pac-12 race.

Five is probably the over-under for this team, but I'm a leaning toward picking the over. We should have a good idea of the direction by mid-October. After a bye, the Beavers play winnable games against UCLA, Arizona, Washington State and BYU. They probably need to win three of those to have a chance at six or seven victories.

Matt from San Francisco writes: With Cal not having a bye week this year, how much will that grind affect them?

Ted Miller: What are you talking about? California has a bye on Nov. 24, the last weekend of the regular season. That will come in handy if the Bears are playing for the Pac-12 title on Nov. 30.

We jest. No, Cal has a pretty rough schedule: 12 consecutive weeks, road games at Ohio State, USC and Utah. On the other hand, it's good that Stanford, Washington and Oregon all have to come to Berkeley to play in fancy, renovated Memorial Stadium.

Last year, Colorado played 13 consecutive weeks. The Buffs schedule was so bad it was absurd. But, curiously, they played their best ball at the end of the year, winning two out of their final three, including a shocking upset win at Utah, which knocked the Utes out of the Pac-12 title game.

It's perfectly reasonable to believe that a no-bye schedule will grind a team down. An off-week in October or early November can do wonders for those accumulated bumps and bruises -- or stingers and sprained ankles.

If the Bears stay healthy and are playing well, they'll probably be fine with suiting up every week. Who wants to break positive momentum? And if they are banged up and struggling, the no-bye schedule will be duly noted.

Mark from Boston writes: You may want to revisit some articles written by Peter Keating a few years back. They were about a corrective mouth guard used by the N.E. Patriots. The key is, it was developed with Marvin Hagler to address the boxers glass jaw.This is the common denominator to athletes that become prone and boxers who get ko'd easily.

Ted Miller: One of the points that surprised me during the Fiesta Bowl Summit panel, "Sports-Related Concussions: Facts, Fallacies and New Frontiers," was the specific mention multiple times that mouth guards DO NOT decrease the likelihood of a concussion.

They do, however, protect your teeth.

Husky Nation from Seattle writes: Were we unkind to you during your stay beside our equatorial-most fjord? Or are you just making it clear that you owe no allegiance to us by your relatively consistent immoderate remarks?Yet we still read you Ted. We still read you. What does that say about us?

Ted Miller: I'm guessing you are referring to this little ditty about the Ducks and Huskies, two American football teams living in the Northwest.

I get a lot of the "You abandoned us" from Huskies fans. Even a few Washington coaches or officials have tweaked me -- mostly good naturedly -- for allegedly favoring Oregon over Washington.

My response is this: How do you describe Oregon's past four seasons in anything but glowing terms (I include Mike Bellotti's final year)? And how would you describe the Washington program overall since 2003, even with the recent upward trend under Steve Sarkisian?

Further, how would a Washington fan write up the last eight years of the Huskies-Ducks rivalry? When I included this line from a Ducks fan, "We've beaten you eight consecutive years by an average margin of 25 points and never by fewer than 17 points," it was merely a statement of fact, supported by the record book. There is no way to sugarcoat it, but feel free to try.

I loved my time in Seattle. I really, really miss the food. And walking everywhere. I enjoyed covering the 2000 Rose Bowl season (though the Curtis Williams spinal injury was horrible). And I found the program going rear-end-over-tea-kettle a drudgery to cover because it's never fun to be around unhappy people who are busting their rear ends but nonetheless failing to succeed.

My present job is to cover 12 teams fairly and accurately. If a team is doing well, I will write, "This team is doing well." And if a team is doing badly, I will write, "This team is doing badly."

Despite what many insist, I don't favor -- or dislike -- any team in the Pac-12. Honest. What I do root for is to be entertained. And for the Pac-12 to be relevant in the national picture.

Therefore, I do want something out of the Oregon-Washington rivalry. I want it to be on ESPN in prime time as a battle of top-10 teams.

PHOENIX -- Pac-12 coaches and athletic directors generally expressed optimism over the expected move toward a four-team college football playoff in 2014, but there was plenty of caution as well as a smack of defiance during the conference's spring meetings at the posh Arizona Biltmore Hotel.

Some, such as Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and Washington State coach Mike Leach, don't think four teams is enough. Some worried about losing the bowl games, particularly the Pac-12's longstanding and storied connection to the Rose Bowl. And just about everyone was concerned about the selection process.

That defiance? It's rooted in the general belief that some other conferences excel at masterful scheduling (read: avoiding challenging competition) and massaging public perception (read: creating a consensus of superiority based significantly on subjective judgments).

If the Pac-12 and Big 12 play nine conference games, and the ACC, SEC and Big Ten play eight, then those conferences are playing by different standards that have myriad measurable effects. If one conference features a majority of teams playing at least one or two tough nonconference foes a year and another features a majority of teams playing four directional schools, then those conferences are playing by different standards that have myriad measurable effects.

Even if one of those conferences has won six consecutive national titles.

"You need some competitive equity within all of the conferences if you are going to do this thing," USC athletic director Pat Haden said. "But if you're going to have a conference, it seems to me you should be playing your conference opponents rather than non-conference opponents. In USC and Stanford's case we really have 10 conference games if you include Notre Dame, because we both have a long history of playing Notre Dame."

While the sentiment is strong among the coaches to reduce the Pac-12 conference schedule to eight games, sentiments mostly lean the other way among the athletic directors. The topic was discussed this week, but commissioner Larry Scott confirmed that there is no short-term plan to reduce the conference slate to eight games.

A big reason for that: There's a wait-and-see attitude on the details of the four-team playoff. While, based on media reports, there seems to be considerable momentum behind incorporating the bowls into the new system, there is little consensus on the selection process for the four participating teams.

That is where the coaches have a dog in this fight. They don't really care where they play, but they do want to know how they get there.

"I'd hate to go to just one little group or one committee that picks the teams," Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said. "I think it's way too important. The more people you have involved, probably the better."

Oregon coach Chip Kelly pointed out that if there was a final four in place last fall, then Stanford would have been in and his Ducks would have been out, despite their decisive win in Palo Alto. The biggest reason for that? Oregon lost to LSU in the season-opener, giving it one more defeat than Stanford. If the Ducks had played San Jose State, they almost certainly would have finished fourth.

"There seems like there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered before anybody can say, 'Hey, that's a great idea,'" Kelly said.

Therein lies the caution. And the defiance. There was a clear undercurrent with Scott, the coaches and athletic directors that they didn't want to be pushed into anything, particularly when the Pac-12 (and Big Ten) are being asked to sacrifice something -- their tie to the Rose Bowl -- while other conferences aren't. There's a widespread perception that the BCS standings favored an SEC way of doing things, and played a role in that conference's recent dominance. So how does it help the Pac-12 if the new format still relies on a BCS-like evaluation?

There's a concern that if, say, Oregon and Alabama both finish 11-1 that the Crimson Tide would benefit from a "just because" edge, one based entirely on a subjective judgment of SEC superiority. Such a judgment could give the SEC a near-annual second team in a final four while knocking the Pac-12 -- and other major conferences -- out entirely.

"I think a lot of people are going to want the human element out of it, because it would be hard for humans to make those decisions and not be biased in some way," USC coach Lane Kiffin said.

Which is why some, such as Whittingham, favor an expanded playoff.

"From my perspective, you can take it out of the hands of voting and more to on-field performance," he said.

Said Leach, "I'd like to see it more than four. My suspicion is eventually there will be. Because, five years ago, if somebody had said this was going to happen, the room would have started laughing."

Meetings here were long, and there were plenty of other topics, from officiating, to bowls, to scheduling. But the back-and-forth on the potential new playoff scenarios was the centerpiece of the week, at least in terms of intrigue.

Change is coming. That's almost certain. But the process this summer of putting together a concrete plan among entities with competing agendas figures to be contentious.

Said Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, "I think there are still a lot of conversations to go."

Ted Miller talks with Washington coach Steve Sarkisian about the looming changes in college football's postseason and the Huskies' spring.

Catching you up on all of the scrimmage and spring game info from over the weekend.

OREGON

One of the most secretive quarterback competitions in the country made a very public splash as Marcus Mariota outshined Bryan Bennett in Oregon's spring game.

Mariota ran for an 82-yard touchdown, threw for another and led his team to four touchdowns on five drives. He completed 18 of 26 passes with a score and an interception while rushing for 99 yards on five carries.

Bennett, conversely, was 19-of-32 for 209 yards, throwing two interceptions (including a pick-six) and he also fumbled.

“That’s why you have days like this,” UO coach Chip Kelly said. “It’s interesting to see how guys react.”

A very important note from Rob Moseley of The Register-Guard:

Afterward, Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich reiterated that Bennett and Mariota will be judged on their entire bodies of work from this spring, and that the Ducks won’t feel any pressure to name a starter until the week of their 2012 opener, Sept. 1 against Arkansas State. Public opinion, at least, no doubt swayed toward Mariota on Saturday.

In other words, while Saturday provided a nice peek behind the curtain, official word probably isn't coming any time soon.

OREGON STATE

Sean Mannion completed 8 of 15 passes for 81 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Backup quarterback Cody Vaz, who coach Mike Riley has singled out numerous times for having a good spring, was 11-of-21 for 151 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“I thought they both made some good throws and plays in general,” Riley said. “I feel like we have two starting quarterbacks right now.”

Malcolm Agnew had the lone rushing touchdown while Jordan Jenkins led the way with nine carries for 45 yards. Storm Woods carried eight times for 37 yards. Kicker Trevor Romaine connected on field goals of 41, 33 and 45 yards.

Ryan Murphy, Micah Audiss and Peter Ashton all recorded interceptions for the defense and Audiss blocked a 50-yard field goal attempt.

“We have a long way to go before we win a game, but there were guys making plays today,” Riley said. “We had a great spring practice session and I’m excited to get going again this fall.”

UCLA

The Bruins might be a step closer to naming a starting quarterback, writes Chris Foster of the LA Times.

Redshirt freshman Brett Hundley had a strong showing on Saturday, working almost exclusively with the first-team offense, where he completed 7 of 11 passes that included a 28-yard touchdown to Shaquelle Evans and he also added a 5-yard scramble for a touchdown.

"Getting 24 plays was fun," Hundley told Foster. "But I don't worry about whether I'm getting looked at longer. I just trying to master my craft."

It appears Hundley is finally starting to distance himself from seniors Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut, the other two top contenders for the starting job. But despite the surge over the past few practices from Hundley, head coach Jim Mora wasn't ready to name anyone the starter yet.

"We will announce it at the appropriate time, when it becomes apparent, when we have a chance to sit down as a staff and talk about which way want to go," Mora said.

WASHINGTON

Washington's defense was the stronger unit in Saturday's Spring Game.

In a format with the defense being awarded points for stops, turnovers, etc., the defense topped the offense 36-10. With close to 12,000 fans on hand at CenturyLink Field, head coach Steve Sarkisian saw a defensive unit that was much maligned last season show encouraging improvement.

"I thought our guys defensively really played well and that's on a lot of fronts," head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the game. "One, I thought we lined up really well. We didn't have a bunch of busts where we lined up wrong. They were aggressive. They played enthusiastic and I thought one of the big telling things defensively is that they won a lot of the one-on-one battles, especially down the field with the ball in the air. They closed on the ball and they were confident closing on the ball in the back end and they made plays. That was extremely encouraging.''

Quarterback Keith Price completed 14 of 28 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. Running back Bishop Sankey did the bulk of the work on the ground, rushing for 34 yards on 11 carries. James Johnson led the receiving corps with six catches for 42 yards.

But the story was defense. Andrew Hudson helped lead the charge for the Huskies with six tackles, a pair of sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss.

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.

Steve Sarkisian doesn't have to replace running back Chris Polk. He has to replace Polk's production -- or at least a good chunk of Polk's 1,488 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.

It could be one guy -- and that one guy might be Jesse Callier. But early returns are pointing to a by-committee-approach to replace the man who accounted for 64 percent of the Huskies carries and 74 percent of their yards on the ground in 2011.

"Honestly, I would say as a group, we're not great right now," Callier said. "We're good. And we're on the rise. We're all getting better as a group. I think we'll all play. I'm excited to see how the rotation is going to go. But I'm loving what our running back group is bringing to the table right now. It's exciting."

Callier figures to be the first guy up based on his experience. He's got two years of the offense under his belt, has appeared in all 26 games so far, plus he graduated from high school early to join the team in the spring of 2010. During that time, he learned a lot from watching Polk carry the load for three straight years.

"When I was a freshman, I played like a freshman," Callier said. "I was playing on excitement and adrenaline. I was playing too fast. This year, I really want to slow it down, be patient and hit holes the way they are designed.

"If I could narrow down everything that Chris taught me, it would be that he taught me to be a more patient runner."

Callier was Polk's primary backup last season, rushing for 260 yards and a touchdown on 47 carries. That feels like a fraction of Polk's 293 carries last year (not to mention his four receiving touchdowns and 31 catches). The three-time team MVP is off to the NFL, leaving a talented but untested stable in his wake.

"All we know is that it's wide open," said sophomore Bishop Sankey. "There hasn't been too much talk yet about what the rotation will be. We're all just out here working and competing. We all do good things. I feel like I'm explosive and elusive. Jesse is a great runner who never seems to go down on the first tackle."

For those who don't know Callier's credentials, they are impressive. He was one of California's most celebrated running backs, totaling 3,010 yards on the ground and 43 touchdowns in his senior year at Warren High School in Downey, Calif. (just south of Los Angeles).

He's about 20 pounds lighter than Polk, but craves contact. A good and bad thing for a running back.

"When I was eight, my dad signed me up for football, but tricked me and said it was flag," Callier said. "I was so mad at him. But he was just kidding. I love to hit. And I always wanted to have the ball and that's how I became a running back."

Before Callier could even play, he was putting on his older brother's oversized pads and running around the yard. Now he's one of several players in line to replace a future NFL back.

"I really want to elevate my game in all aspects," he said. "I want to be that student of the game -- learning the line assignments and learning the defenses and reading players. Really the next step is to raise the level of my football IQ."

Whether he does that with 25 carries per game, or 10, remains to be seen.

"I'm not opposed, by any means, to going back to having multiple backs back there," Sarkisian said after practice last week. "But we have to see what these guys can really do. Can Jesse Callier carry the ball 25 times? Or is it Jesse and Bishop? Or can Antavious Sims really be a tailback? We have to figure a lot of things out. That's kind of the excitement. What is this really going to look like?"

And Callier also has his kick return duties to consider. Does he lose that gig should he become the every-down, or almost-every-down back?

"I'm kind of wondering about that myself," Callier said. "I like returning kicks. But I'll do whatever the team needs me to do. If they need me to be an every-down back. I can do it. We'll see how it all shakes out."