ESPN College Football

TUCSON, Ariz. -- It's not difficult to come up with a fair explanation for Arizona's 7-1 start that devolved into a 0-5 finish. In the first eight games, the Wildcats played an easy schedule. They were better than teams such as Toledo, Washington State and UCLA. In the last five games, they played a brutal schedule. Their opponents went a combined 49-15, including two top-five (Stanford and Oregon) and one top-10 team (Oklahoma State).

Still, at 7-1 and ranked 13th with a win over Iowa, the Wildcats headed into a marquee showdown with Stanford on Nov. 6 believing they could play with anyone. Turns out they couldn't. And, considering the Cardinal, Ducks and Cowboys whipped up the Wildcats badly, well, a fair explanation only goes so far.

"It still exposes some things within your team," coach Mike Stoops said. "It told you when the going got tough, we didn't respond as well as we needed to."

And where the Wildcats most didn't respond clearly bothers Stoops.

"The physical part of it, we didn't respond well," he said. "We have to be more than just a finesse team. The physical matchup is what I didn't like."

Therein lies the challenge for the Wildcats as they leave spring practices behind and focus on offseason workouts. They must find five new starters on the offensive line -- the 2010 unit decidedly underachieved -- and they must replace the best defensive end combination in the Pac-10: Brooks Reed and Ricky Elmore.

That suggests a need for some finesse due to physical losses. The defense is likely going to have to blitz more, while the offense -- which welcomes back quarterback Nick Foles and one of the best groups of receivers in the country -- is likely going to be pass-heavy.

Said Stoops, "We're going to have to throw to set up the run, I don't think there's any question about that."

Offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, who learned offense from spread savant Mike Leach after four years coaching at Texas Tech, talks about finding "different ways as coaches to scheme people to run the football," but he admits there's going to be a temptation to scrap the handoffs and throw 50 times a game.

"Absolutely. Especially because that's kind of the background where I came from," he said. "That's what I, at times, feel comfortable with. But at the same time you've got to take pressure off the quarterback by running the football."

A key proponent of balance: Foles. All quarterbacks like to throw the ball, but the passing game is much easier when defenses have to respect the run.

"There's definitely a need for balance," Foles said. "People saw that in the national championship game with Oregon, one of the nation's most high-powered offenses. When you can't run the ball, it's tough. Passing is great but to be a great team you've got to be able to do both."

During the five-game losing streak, the Wildcats averaged 98 yards rushing. Not good.

On the other side of the ball, the run defense wasn't much better during the downturn. Oregon rushed for a whopping 389 yards, while Stanford and USC both went over 200.

That's the out-physical-ed part that irks Stoops.

The Wildcats also head into the 2011 season with significant changes on the staff, starting with the departures of one half of the coordinator tandems they used on both sides of the ball in 2010. That means the offense is up to Littrell and the defense belongs to Tim Kish. Stoops said the co-coordinator setup was more of a challenge on offense. The theme this spring was simplify.

"We were trying to mix and match too much last year," he said. "We got discombobulated, I think. We got exposed late in the year on some things. Seth has to grow into this position and have total control with Nick. We need to all be on the same page."

Stoops has built a winning program but taking the next step means that no portion of the schedule proves insurmountable. And, yes, that five-game losing streak still lingers in just about every Wildcats' head, coaches and players.

"We all have it in the back of our minds," linebacker Paul Vassallo said. "It's not talked about anymore. It's the 2011 season. But we're all hungry to get that first win, that's for sure."

Ah, but the scheduled does a reverse next fall. The Wildcats figure to get their first win -- and end the losing streak -- in the opener against Northern Arizona, but then look at the schedule: Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon and USC on consecutive weekends. The Cowboys, Cardinal and Ducks each will be ranked in the preseason top-10, and it's still not easy to visit the Coliseum.

It won't be too difficult to come up with a fair explanation for a slow start. But those fair explanations have a shelf life. Stoops and his Wildcats don't want to give them anymore. And Wildcats fans don't want to hear them.

That Arizona got blown out by both Oregon and Stanford isn't the problem with the 2010 season. The Wildcats' what-might-have-been season is based on three close defeats by a combined six points.

The Wildcats started impressively. They dominated on the road at Toledo -- the Rockets finished 8-4 and are playing in the Little Caesars Bowl -- and then made an impressive physical assertion in a 34-27 win over then-No. 9 Iowa.

They gutted out a win over California -- a second-consecutive game-winning TD drive from quarterback Nick Foles made the difference -- but then seemed flat on both sides of the ball in a 29-27 loss to Oregon State. Still, after a three-game winning streak, they were 7-1 and were 15th in the BCS standings, having survived an injury to Foles due to impressive play by backup Matt Scott.

They got humbled at Stanford 42-17, as the run defense sprung a leak that would be the story over the final third of the season. They got outrushed 205-51 in a home loss to USC. And they got outrushed 389-58 by Oregon.

But the late-season slide would have been bearable -- hey, the schedule was much tougher -- if not for the double-overtime home loss to rival Arizona State due to a pair of blocked PATs. That was excruciating.

Offensive MVP: This will be our only co-MVP: QB Nick Foles and WR Juron Criner. They are the Pac-10's best pass-catch combination, and if both opt to return for their senior seasons, the Wildcats should be pretty dangerous throwing the ball in 2011. Foles completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,911 yards -- in 10 games -- with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Criner was eighth in the nation and first in the Pac-10 with 98.8 yards receiving per game and 10 TDs. Whenever the Wildcats' offense needed a play, Foles and Criner were the ones who made it.

Defensive MVP: Defensive end Ricky Elmore led the Wildcats with 13 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks. His 48 total tackles also led all Wildcats defensive linemen.

Turning point: Arizona went to Stanford 7-1 and ranked 15th. That humbling game became the first of four losses to end the season.

What’s next? If Foles and Criner return, the offense has a chance to be good, though the entire line must be rebuilt (which is sort of a big issue). The defense is a reverse of last year. There will be a lot of returning experience in the secondary and at linebacker, and there's some young quality at tackle, but replacing three quality ends -- Elmore and Brooks Reed as well as solid No. 3 guy D'Aundre Reed -- won't be easy. But the Pac-12 South figures to be wide open in 2011. And don't be surprised if the 2011 Territorial Cup plays a significant role in figuring out who wins the division. A tough road trip to Oklahoma State is the highlight of the nonconference schedule.

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

• Arizona has won the past four meetings with Washington State, outscoring the Cougars 182-72 (27.5 ppg margin of victory).
• Arizona has not started 5-1 since 2000. That team, however, lost its final five games to finish 5-6.
• Arizona is fifth in the nation in passing yards per game (328.6) and Washington State’s pass defense is 108^th in passing yards allowed (262.8). The Cougars run defense ranks last in the nation: 254.7 ypg.
• Arizona will be playing its first road game since a season-opening win at Toledo. Since 2007, the Wildcats have struggled on the road with a 7-11 record (compared to 17-6 at home).
• Washington State has lost 12 straight and 20 of its past 21 Pac-10 games since 2008, with the only win coming against Washington in the final game of 2008 (16-13 in OT). The Pac-10 record for most consecutive conference losses is 20 by Oregon State from 1979-82.
• Oregon State has won six straight vs. Washington, its longest streak against the Huskies. A Beaver running back has had 100 yards in five straight meetings, including Jacquizz Rodgers’ 159 yards last season.
• The Beavers are 2-0 in the Pac-10 for the first time since 2003, when they then lost to Washington. They haven’t been 3-0 in conference play since 1968, when they started 4-0 in the Pac-8.
• Expect lots of points in Seattle. Oregon State is 90^th in FBS in scoring defense (30.0 ppg), while Washington is 95^th (30.8 ppg).
• The Huskies rank sixth in the nation in red-zone efficiency, scoring on 15 of their 16 trips inside the 20 (10 TD, five FG). The only failure was an end-zone interception in the closing minutes of last week’s loss to Arizona State.
• Jake Locker has been held in check rushing the ball this season. Other than his 110 yards against USC, he has rushed for a total of 106 yards in the other four games combined.
• California leads the Pac-10 in total defense, surrendering only 254.8 yards per game. USC yields 287.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 116th in the nation.
• USC ranks 13th in the country in total offense (476 yards per game) and 24th in scoring offense (35.67 ppg).
• Trojans QB Matt Barkley ranks 14th in the nation in passing efficiency.
• Cal hasn't beaten USC since 2003. The Trojans won in Berkeley last year 30-3.

• The first official BCS Standings of 2010 will be released Sunday on ESPN at 8:15 pm ET on BCS Countdown. Based on the coaches' poll, Harris poll and five of the six BCS computer rankings, here's an almost-exact version (missing one computer poll) of what the BCS Standings would've looked like if they had been released this week.

1. Boise State .913
2. Oregon .863
3. TCU .854
4. Oklahoma .8425
5. Ohio State .8421
6. LSU .782
7. Nebraska .777
8. Auburn .744
9. Michigan State .642
10. Alabama .634

Some quick notes to get you through the hours until Saturday.

• Five Pac-10 players accounted for at least three TDs last weekend: California's Shane Vereen, Oregon's Kenjon Barner (5 TDs), USC Ronald Johnson (4 TDs), Arizona State's Deantre Lewis and Arizona State's Cameron Marshall.
• Three Pac-10 QBs rank among the nation's top seven in passing efficiency: Stanford's Andrew Luck at No. 3, USC's Matt Barkley at No. 4 and California's Kevin Riley at No. 7.
• Seven different Arizona receivers caught at least three passes last week at Toledo.
• Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber is 3 for 3 from beyond 50 yards in his career after booting a 52-yard field goal vs. Portland State. He was one of three conference kickers to connect from beyond 50 yards (Washington's Erik Folk, 54 yards, and Washington State's Nico Grasu, 56 yards).
• Cal is 2-2 all-time with Colorado, but this is its first meeting since 1982.
• Oregon is one of eight teams nationally that produced shutouts last weekend.
• Ducks CB Cliff Harris returned two punts for TDs -- for 61 and 64 yards -- in the win over New Mexico. Two punt returns for TDs has only been accomplished twice before by Pac-10 players: USC's Mike Garrett in 1965 vs. Cal; UCLA's Sam Brown in 1954 vs.Stanford.
• Oregon State safety Lance Mitchell leads the conference in tackles after recording 18 vs. TCU. Fellow safety Suaesi Tuimaunei is tied for third with 14.
• UCLA leads its series with Stanford 45-32-3.
• UCLA kicker Kai Forbath tied two NCAA records after going 3 for 3 vs. Kansas State. His 27 games with at least two field goals ties Georgia's Kevin Butler and his 13 with at least three ties Arizona State's Luis Zendejas. Forbath has made 40 consecutive field goals inside of 50 yards. His 75 career field goals are just 12 short of the NCAA record of 87.
• USC has won 31 consecutive night games (USC-Oregon kicked off at 5 p.m. last year).
• Washington QB Jake Locker made his college debut as a redshirt freshman at Syracuse in 2007. The Huskies won 42-12.
• Dating back to the last part of the 1975 season, the Huskies have gone 35-14 when playing at home the game after a loss on the road.
• Washington State is trying to snap a 10-game losing streak Saturday vs. Montana State. The Cougars are 6-0 all-time vs. the Bobcats.

Some movement after Week 1. To paraphrase Lane Kiffin: If you don't like where you are in the power rankings, play better.

1. Oregon: New Mexico isn't very good, but the Lobos' badness doesn't completely account for 72-zip and 720 total yards. The Ducks look athletic and poised on both sides of the ball. Now let's see how they handle a tough road test against Tennessee.

2. Arizona: The Wildcats answered a lot of questions with a 41-2 win at Toledo. They'd put an exclamation point on those answers if they can beat Iowa when it visits on Sept. 18.

3. Oregon State: The Beavers don't go down because they lost on the road to the nation's No. 6 team. Still, the run defense has to be a concern.

4. Stanford: We learned nothing from the Sacramento State game -- we already knew Andrew Luck was a good quarterback. The visit to UCLA should be more revealing.

5. USC: The Trojans offense looked great, the defense pitiful at Hawaii. It wasn't supposed to be like that. Wonder if the defense will redeem itself Saturday in front of the home fans against Virginia?

6. California: The biggest news from the easy win against UC Davis is that freshman receiver Keenan Allen is as advertised. Colorado will be a far better test for the Bears.

7. Washington: The Huskies went to BYU to throw down the gauntlet on their return to relevance. Didn't happen, though it might turn out that BYU is pretty good. The Huskies must avoid a letdown this week against a Syracuse team that is capable of beating them.

8. Arizona State: While whipping Portland State means nothing, and doing the same to Northern Arizona won't either, there was enough on the field last Saturday -- most particularly better offense with quarterback Steven Threet -- to suggest reasons for hope for beleaguered Sun Devils fans.

9. UCLA: The offense wasn't good. The defense wasn't good. Kansas State probably isn't very good. And with this schedule -- Stanford, Houston and Texas over the next three weeks -- the Bruins need to get good fast.

10. Washington State: Those who expected significant signs of WSU improvement at Oklahoma State -- a group that included me -- were surprised by how bad the Cougars looked. A home loss against Montana State, an FCS team, on Saturday likely would ignite "Paul Wulff on the hot seat" talk in earnest.

Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind.

• If you're going to nitpick, Arizona's running game wasn't great at Toledo.
• A look back at Arizona State's easy win against Portland State. The only downer is some more health issues at defensive tackle.
• What grade does California's win against UC Davis get?
• Tennessee's best chance vs. Oregon is the Ducks doing a Cal, 2006, at Neyland Stadium. Folks, do not underestimate the road atmosphere challenges here. And the dominance vs. New Mexico doesn't mean much.
• Oregon State just couldn't get TCU's offense off the field.
• Some observations from Stanford's opening win. Does Stanford have injury issues? Tight end Levine Toilolo, running back Jeremy Stewart, receiver Chris Owusu and linebacker Shayne Skov are banged up, but it's hard to say for sure because Jim Harbaugh has gone all super-secret with injury info.
• UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel remains hopeful despite the bad performance at Kansas State.
• USC isn't ready to make major changes on defense. Yet.
• Washington doesn't want the poor performance at BYU to define its season.
• Washington State needs to get better in many ways. And quick.

One week is in the books, and it wasn't a good one. The Pac-10 went 6-4 and ended up frowning in each of its major tests.

Team of the week: Other than a brief first-half lull, Arizona looked like a good team in midseason form, despite losing both of its coordinators and rebuilding its defense. The 41-2 blitzing of a solid Toledo team featured dominance in all three phases. Goodbye bad taste from the Holiday Bowl. The Wildcats outgained the Rockets 518 to 183. Nuff said.

Best game: It's very possible that Oregon State lost to a TCU team that will play for the national title. I came away more impressed with the top-to-bottom quality of TCU than believing the Beavers got exposed. As it was, it was a competitive, well-played, entertaining game. And if Beavers fans need to vent for the sake of venting -- as we all sometimes do -- I'd suggest wondering how might the Beavers' defense have looked if end Matt LaGrone and middle linebacker David Pa'aluhi, returning starters from 2009, hadn't decided to quit the team.

Biggest play(s): Washington twice had fourth-down plays in the fourth quarter inside BYU's 30-yard line. Both times QB Jake Locker threw an incompletion. The Huskies lost 23-17. Great QBs need to make those plays.

Offensive standout(s): Wow. Lots to choose from. USC QB Matt Barkley completed 78 percent of his passes at Hawaii with five TDs. Arizona's Nick Foles and Stanford's Andrew Luck also were outstanding. But the top notice has to go to Oregon's "backup" running back Kenjon Barner, who was a force of nature against New Mexico, rushing for 147 yards on 17 carries -- 8.6 yards per tote -- with four TDs. Oh, he also caught a short pass he turned into a 60-yard TD.

Defensive standout: Wow. Not a lot to choose from. While it's hard to laud a player from UCLA's defense after it got pushed around by Kansas State, OLB Akeem Ayers showed why so many NFL scouts are salivating over him. He piled up 11 tackles with a sack and a pass breakup. But what really stands out is his ability to get his hands on the football -- he recovered two fumbles. He might want to refrain in the future, however, from pushing a running back when he's out of bounds.

Special teams star: USC receiver Ronald Johnson not only caught three TD passes against Hawaii, but he also went 89 yards for a TD on a punt return. It's notable that UCLA kicker Kai Forbath ignored a preseason injury that was supposed to keep him on the bench and went 3-for-3 on field goals at Kansas State, with a long of 44.

Smiley face: The QBs lived up to the preseason hype. The known guys -- Barkley, Foles, Locker and Luck -- each played well. The new guys -- Arizona State's Steven Threet, Oregon's Darron Thomas and Oregon State's Ryan Katz -- were solid. California's Kevin Riley played well, and Washington State's Jeff Tuel was hardly the reason the Cougars went down hard at Oklahoma State. The only QB who played poorly was UCLA's Kevin Prince, and he probably looked rusty because he sat out most of fall camp with a back injury.

Frowny face: Defense. The top two rushers in the nation at present -- and three of the top 14 -- played against Pac-10 defenses this past weekend. And look who ranks 106th in the nation in total defense, two slots below Washington State.

Thought of the week: This is a quiet week with few marquee games, other than the start of the Pac-10 slate with Stanford's visit to UCLA. But the week of Sept. 18 will define how the Pac-10 is perceived nationally this season. Consider the slate:

Iowa at Arizona
ASU at Wisconsin
Nebraska at Washington
Cal at Nevada
Wake Forest at Stanford
Houston at UCLA
USC at Minnesota
Washington State at SMU
Louisville at Oregon State

Five at home, four on the road. Three ranked teams. No patsies. The Pac-10 needs to get at least six wins or you'll start to hear how it's a "down year" instead of folks lauding the conference's depth.

Questions for the week: Can California (vs. Colorado), USC (vs. Virginia) and Washington (vs. Syracuse) take care of business against inferior BCS conference foes at home? Same for Oregon: Will the Ducks be able to handle the atmosphere at Neyland Stadium against a Tennessee team the Ducks shouldn't have too many problems against? How will the Trojans' defense react after a terrible effort at Hawaii? Who's got the advantage between UCLA's new pistol offense and Stanford's new 3-4 (which the Cardinal didn't use vs. Sacramento State)? How do the Huskies react to a disappointing loss at BYU?

What did we learn in the Pac-10's opening week?

1. Pac-10 quarterbacks were as advertised (mostly): While the level of competition varied, the four Pac-10 quarterbacks who were showcased in New York and at ESPN put up huge numbers. USC's Matt Barkley, Arizona's Nick Foles, Washington's Jake Locker and Stanford's Andrew Luck combined to complete 72.5 percent of their throws, averaged 300 yards per game and threw 12 TD passes vs. just one interception (a Foles pass that bounced off his fullback's hands). Of course, Locker lost at BYU, turning the ball over on downs twice in the fourth quarter after incompletions.

2. New QBs were solid if unspectacular: Three conference QBs made their first career start. Oregon State's Ryan Katz was mostly solid vs. a good TCU defense, throwing for a pair of TDs with no interceptions, though completing just 9 of 25 passes isn't ideal. Oregon's Darron Thomas shook off an early interception to complete 13 of 23 for 220 yards with two TDs in the blowout win over New Mexico. Finally, Arizona State's Steven Threet completed 14 of 21 for 239 yards with two TDs and an interception. While none of the three was gangbusters, each suggested he can get the job done.

3. The Mountain West strikes again: Thank God for New Mexico, otherwise the Mountain West Conference could crow about another strong showing versus the Pac-10. Washington fell at BYU and Oregon State went down to No. 6 TCU. Sure, both were road games. Sure, both were against two of the MWC top-three teams. But many projected wins for the Pac-10 in both. The visit to BYU was supposed to be the launching point for Locker's Heisman Trophy campaign. Didn't happen, and suddenly the Huskies high hopes entering the season are in question. And Oregon State was hoping to get off to a rare fast start with a strong showing vs. the Horned Frogs. Moreover, with UCLA's loss at Kansas State and Washington State's poor showing at Oklahoma State, the Big 12 also got into the act, pushing the conference around. Going 6-4 on the opening weekend was not what the Pac-10 wanted.

4. Play defense; win the conference: USC gave up 588 yards and 36 points at Hawaii. Bad. UCLA gave up 31 points and 313 rushing yards to Kansas State. Bad. Washington State surrendered 65 points and 544 yards at Oklahoma State. Yuck. Oregon State yielded 30 points and 278 rushing yards vs. TCU. Ugh. While Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon and Stanford probably feel good about their defensive numbers, the mostly poor competition leaves each with an incomplete. Clearly, there's a lot of offense in this conference. So whoever can pair stops with points is going to win this thing.

5. FCS teams have no chance vs. the Pac-10: Arizona State, Cal and Stanford buried three FCS teams by a combined count of 168-29. While that's really not something to celebrate, at least one BCS conference can't say the same this morning.

Who deserves a sticker on his helmet for a job well-done?

Matt Barkley, USC: Barkley completed 18 of 23 passes for 257 yards with five TDs in the Trojans 49-36 win over Hawaii.

Arizona: There was little not to like about the Wildcats 41-2 win at Toledo. A rebuilt defense gave up just 183 yards. Quarterback Nick Foles completed 32 of 37 passes for 360 yards with two TDs. Receiver Juron Criner caught 11 passes for 187 yards and a TD. Co-coordinators on both sides of the ball seemed to make beautiful music together.

Kenjon Barner, Oregon: With starting running back LaMichael James suspended, Barner accounted four five touchdowns in the Ducks 72-0 stomping of New Mexico. He rushed for 147 yards on 17 carries -- 8.6 yards per rush -- and turned a short pass into a 60-yard TD.

Keenan Allen, California: The true freshman made the most of his four receptions in a 52-3 win over UC Davis, gaining 120 yards on them, including a 48-yard TD pass from Kevin Riley.

Doug Baldwin, Stanford: Baldwin only caught four passes last year and fell off the radar. But in the Cardinal's 52-17 win over Sacramento State, the senior caught two of Andrew Luck's four TD passes among his four receptions for 111 yards.

It's now clear: Arizona's game with Iowa is going to be a big one.

The Wildcats went on the road and outclassed Toledo 41-2 Friday night, outgaining the Rockets 518 yards to 183.

Nick Foles, Juron Criner and Nic Grigsby were the story for the offense. Foles completed 32 of 37 passes -- 86 percent -- for 360 yards. He threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another score. His lone interception came when the ball bounced off running back Taimi Tutogi's hands.

Foles was completely in control. After Matt Barkley through five touchdown passes for USC, it's already looking like a mad dash for first-team All-Pac-10 at quarterback.

Criner caught 11 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown, while Grigsby's 36-yard touchdown run was the highlight on the ground.

But the dominant defensive performance was perhaps even more impressive.

With seven new starters -- including all three linebackers -- the Wildcats were in completely control of the Rockets formerly potent spread offense, which was tops in the MAC last year.

Coach Mike Stoops lost both his coordinators in the offseason and replaced them with co-coordinators. It appears the four-coordinator system is working, at least based on the opener. Other than a lull in the first half when things looked as if they'd be competitive, the Wildcats had a well-conceived plan -- and made good adjustments -- on both sides of the ball.

The Wildcats play The Citadel next weekend. On Sept. 18, No. 9 Iowa comes to town.

A Rose Bowl preview? The way the Wildcats looked Friday night ... maybe.

Here's Ryan Finley's take: Yes, the defense was a bit of a surprise.

Happy Friday. A really happy Friday, in fact, eh?

• Arizona hasn't won a nonconference road game since 2001, a streak it hopes changes at Toledo.
• Doug Haller lines things up for Arizona State. Notable: Washington State AD Bill Moos' son, Bo, has earned a starting job on the D-line. Congrats.
• This little guy will play a big role for California.
• The Darron Thomas Era at Oregon begins. And a lot of folks expect it to be a good one.
• Heisman? Jacquizz Rodgers wants a Rose Bowl for Oregon State. The Beavers do a walk-through at Cowboys Stadium.
• Some Stanford notes.
• This freshman was touted for a reason. Some notes, including an item on WR Josh Smith's experiences when playing at Kansas State. QB Kevin Prince looks ready to go.
• USC's story was simple vs. Hawaii: Good offense, terrible defense. It was a disappointing way to win. Five observations.
• Some information on the Husky Stadium renovation. A practice report from Thursday including comments from Steve Sarkisian.
• A handful of true freshmen will see action for Washington State at Oklahoma State.

Some quick notes to get you through the hours until Saturday.

• Arizona's visit to Toledo will be the first time a Pac-10 team has played in a MAC team's home stadium.
• Arizona State opens its season vs. back-to-back Big Sky opponents, starting with Portland State on Saturday. Because the Sun Devils play two FCS foes, they must win seven games to become bowl eligible.
• California is 8-0 all-time vs. UC Davis, but the last meeting was in 1939.
• Oregon has won 16 of 17 home openers, dating to 1993. The only loss during that span was a 30-24 defeat vs. Indiana in 2004.
• The Ducks will be without the services of running back LaMichael James and kicker Rob Beard as they serve one-game suspensions.
• Oregon State, which has never played TCU, opens the season against the Horned Frogs ranked in the Top 25 for first time since 2001.
• Oregon State: 1-3 in its past four seasons openers vs FBS schools.
• Stanford's game vs. Sacramento State has been designated as the Bill Walsh Legacy Game in honor of the Hall of Fame coach who had two separate stints at Stanford (1977-78; 1992-94).
• UCLA leads the series with Kansas State 1-0, winning last year 23-9.
• The Bruins have won three of four openers on the road this decade.
• BYU has won 4 of its plast 5 vs Pac-10 schools; Washington is 1-4 vs Mountain West competition since the conference was formed in 1999.
• Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian was the BYU quarterback in 1995-96.
• Washington State holds a 2-1 advantage vs.Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys won the last matchup 39-13 in 2008.

And so it begins.

• Arizona is hoping to nickel and dime Toledo to death. On defense, we mean.
• Arizona State safety Clint Floyd is solid at safety, but there are some concerns about DT depth. A notebook.
• A couple of updates with California's offensive line. Filling the voids on defense.
• Despite, er, the loss of certain players, Oregon's expectations are really high. So much Oregon stuff here that you'll never read every word.
• Paul Buker takes a nice, big-picture look at Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers. The return of Wilder McAndrews is a good story.
• What were Stanford's training camp surprises.
• UCLA kicker Kai Forbath might not play at Kansas State, which is another big injury hit for the snakebit Bruins. Also, QB Kevin Prince remains iffy.
• Its tumultuous offseason over, USC now focuses on Hawaii. USC wouldn't consider leaving the Pac-10 to go independent, would it?
• It appears Washington RB Chris Polk wants to talk with his legs. The Huskies are ready-- and mostly healthy -- for BYU.'
• Some Washington State notes and a look at the two QBs who'll face off in Stillwater on Saturday.
• Jon Wilner's always entertaining and informative action/reaction.

I was freaking brilliant last year. And that's just me being modest.

I went 60-21 (74 percent) picking games last season. The Pac-10 went 2-5 in the bowl season. I went 5-2 (though that Arizona over Nebraska pick didn't exactly go my way -- any Nebraska fans want to chime in because I'm sure I haven't heard from ALL of you?).

I know what you are thinking, though: Well, let's pin a rose on your nose and stop living in the past.

So here we are. New season. Everyone has a 0-0 record. And my little episode of braggadocio here is likely to ruin my prognostication karma.

Where's my voodoo gear?

Thursday

USC 40, Hawaii 9: You know what I think? I think assistant Ed Orgeron is going to whip these guys into a pre-game froth, and I think the Trojans are going to open up a can of whup-butt on the Warriors. And Matt Barkley is going to play well enough that some commentators will start throwing around the "H" word.

Friday

Arizona 42, Toledo 28: First of all, let's just celebrate me getting the day of this game right for the first time! I suspect you'll see some defensive growing pains vs. a solid Rockets offense. But I don't think the Rockets will be able to stop Nick Foles and company.

Saturday

Oregon 50, New Mexico 10: Quarterback controversy? What about a running back controversy when Kenjon Barner goes all ludicrous speed on the Lobos with LaMichael James serving a one-game suspension?

UCLA 27, Kansas State 24: Almost flagged an upset special here: The Bruins are beaten up on the offensive line and QB Kevin Prince has seen very little action during the preseason due to a nagging back injury. But UCLA has enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to, you know, make enough plays to win.

California 55, UC Davis 11: I love picking scores. Double-nickels and legs-11! An FCS school doesn't move the needle much on the interest meter.

Stanford 44, Sacramento State 11: See how I did that? I've given Stanford fans something to grouse about. It's for their own good. Now that your team is competitive again, Cardinal adherents, you need to adopt the irrational paranoia that infects all great fan bases. As in: "I can't believe Miller picked us to only score 44 on Sacramento State while he picked Oski-U to score 55 on UC Davis. He's clearly biased towards Cal!"

Washington 33, BYU 28: This is a tough road test for the Huskies. And it should be revealing. After an offseason of hype about QB Jake Locker and the program's resurgence under Steve Sarkisian, it's time to walk the walk.

Oklahoma State 31, Washington State 24: At some point in the first quarter, the Cowboys are going to look at each other in the huddle and go, "I thought these guys were supposed to be terrible." This might fit a pattern all season for the Cougs: Competitive close calls.

Arizona State 38, Portland State 10: This one should operate as a preseason game and confidence-builder for the Sun Devils new spread offense and QB Steven Threet. It will be interesting to see how much -- and how well -- backup Brock Osweiler plays when he gets the call.

Oregon State 27, TCU 24: Cool-as-a-cucumber Ryan Katz caps a late fourth-quarter drive with a 32-yard strike to James Rodgers for the winning score. Of course, Oregon State fans, my record picking your games through the years isn't great...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Derek Earls is learning. Sometimes the hard way.

For example: Black car, black leather seats are great fun in his home state of Minnesota or in North Dakota where he played junior college football. Down in Tucson, where he now plays linebacker for Arizona, black car and black leather seats are bad come summertime. Sometimes very bad.

"You touch anything and it burns," Earls said.

The heat has turned up on Earls and the Wildcats rebuilding defense. Nick Foles and the offense, a skilled, veteran unit, have been gashing their defensive teammates most of camp. While things have gotten better of late, it remains clear that the difference between a good and great season in Tucson is going to be how quickly the defense finds itself.

"It's about playing fast and violent," coach Mike Stoops said. "When you are apprehensive -- 'Am I seeing things right; am I feeling things right' -- I think you're just cautious. That makes you play slower and less physically. It's just a matter of getting comfortable, trusting your instincts and playing a disciplined brand of football."

The Wildcats, who open at Toledo on Friday, only have four returning starters on defense. Most pressing: Both defensive tackles and all three linebackers have to be replaced.

Yes, a questionable up-the-middle defense is particularly vulnerable to a power running game, and that vulnerability then opens up opportunities over the top when a defense is forced to lean forward anticipating the run. For the returning starters, who are used to playing for one of the best units in the Pac-10, preseason practices haven't always been a joy.

"It's real frustrating," said defensive end Ricky Elmore of losing the practice battles with the offense. "They keep doing the same simple plays, draws or leads, that we usually stop. But it's just experience. Once the guys get gametime experience and start to really understand their position on the field -- their technique -- it's going to change."

Foles and the offense have no interest in making the defense, which also is breaking in new co-coordinators Tim Kish and Greg Brown, feel better about itself.

"You can never feel sorry for the defense," Foles said. "That's not what you do on offense. What you want to do every time you have the ball is you just want to shove it down their throats until they stop you. That makes them better."

So that's the bad news. The good news is this: Elmore and fellow end Brooks Reed may be the best tandem in the conference. And the secondary again looks good with cornerbacks Trevin Wade and Robert Golden leading the charge, as well as an infusion of impressive young talent.

If the Wildcats can stop the run, they might be OK.

Toledo is no gimme. The Rockets ranked 13th in the nation in total offense in 2009 (438 yards per game).

"This first game will be a good test," Stoops said. "They do a good job on offense. They move the ball and move you around. We will know where we stand pretty quickly."

A date with Iowa lies ahead on Sept. 18. A win versus the Hawkeyes would certainly announce the Wildcats as Pac-10 contenders.

The offense is going to score. The question is will it spend the whole season having to pick up the D? That's certainly not the way Stoops, who cut his coaching teeth building top-flight defenses, likes to look at things.

"No matter how good your offense is it always comes down to getting stops," he said.