ESPN College Football

Tyler gets me a job as a waiter, after that Tyler's pushing a gun in my mouth and saying, the first step to eternal life is you have to die. For a long time though, Tyler and I were best friends. People are always asking, did I know about Tyler Durden.

• A look at former Arizona CB Trevin Wade at the NFL combine.
• At this point, new Arizona State coach Todd Graham can only talk a good game, and he's doing that.
• A couple of former Colorado Buffaloes are up for the Hall of Fame.
• Racing a drag for former Oregon CB Cliff Harris at NFL combine. More on the possibility of Oregon and the NCAA reaching a summary disposition.
• Oregon State sets its spring practice dates.
• Rumor has it that Stanford is looking for a new QB.
• Checking in with new UCLA receivers coach Eric Yarber, who's well-known around the Pac-12.
• Yarber will be squaring off with new USC defensive backs coach Marvin Sanders.
• How did former Utah players do at the NFL combine.
• Former Washington RB Greg Lewis is a candidate for the Hall of Fame.
• Who are some potential breakout players for Washington State this spring?
• By the way, the usual Pac-12 chat on Thursday will be today at 3 p.m. ET or noon PDT because I'll be in Tucson on Thursday.

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.

The coaches announced their All-Pac-12 team here, and the Pac-12 blog followed shortly thereafter here.

We even created an All-Underrated Team.

Now we recognize our Most Improved Players on both offense and defense.

Defense (tie): Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon

Jordan went from single-game starter in 2010 to first-team All-Pac-12 as a junior in 2011. Jordan had 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2010, when he showed promise after converting from tight end. He lived up to that promise in 2011 with 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Jordan figures to be a leading candidate for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, particularly if he gets his skinny butt into the weight room and eats a lot of steak.

Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

Lotulelei started the final three games of the 2010 season and finished with 21 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. In 2011, he won the Morris Trophy as the Pac-12's best defensive lineman, as voted on by his peers -- the guys who had to block the 325-pounder. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was the lineman of the game in the Utes' Sun Bowl victory over Georgia Tech. He finished with 44 tackles, including nine for loss, but his main job was occupying two blockers so linebackers could make tackles. The Utes ranked third in the Pac-12 -- and 20th in the nation -- in run defense.

Honorable mention: Conroy Black, CB, Utah; Ben Gardner, DE, Stanford; Trevor Guyton, DE, California; D.J. Holt, LB, California; Josh Kaddu, LB, Oregon; C.J. Mizell, LB, Washington State; Nick Perry, DE, USC; Eddie Pleasant, S, Oregon; Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State; Nickell Robey, CB, USC; Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona

Offense: Gerell Robinson, WR, Arizona State

Robinson went from bust to bust-out in 2011. In 2010, the once-touted recruit caught just 29 passes for 387 yards. He was best known for inconsistent hands. And at the start of 2011, he also caught an early case -- or two -- of the dropsies. But Robinson caught fire just as the rest of the Sun Devils started to tank, hauling in more than 100 receiving yards in six of the final eight games, including 13 receptions for 241 yards in the Las Vegas Bowl loss to Boise State. He finished with 77 receptions for 1,397 yards and seven touchdowns. His 107.5 yards receiving per game ranked ninth in the nation, and his 18.1 yards per catch was tied for first in the Pac-12. His late-season surge earned him a spot in the Senior Bowl.

Honorable mention: Mark Asper, OG, Oregon; Matt Barkley, QB, USC; Matt Kalil, OT, USC; Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State; Isi Sofele, RB, California; Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State; Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State; Robert Woods, WR, USC

The 2011 season is over. That means report cards are due.

Up first: Arizona Wildcats

Offense: A team that averages 465 yards and just under 31 points per game should not go 4-8, but we'll get to that. Going into the season, it was clear that QB Nick Foles and the Wildcats' passing game would be the linchpin of a successful year. It also was clear looking at the roster that the defense was going to take a step back and the running game would struggle with five new starting offensive linemen. As it turned out, Foles and the passing game were the best part of the team, but they weren't good enough to carry the Wildcats to success — or save Mike Stoops' job, for that matter. It's hard for a football team to do only one thing well and win a lot of games. Foles and the Wildcats led the Pac-12 with 370 yards passing per game, but Foles threw 14 interceptions — second most in the conference — and the lack of a running game made the dink-and-dunk offense predictable.

Grade: B

Defense: The Wildcats were bad on defense by just about every measure. They ranked last in the Pac-12 in total defense (460.5 yards per game) and 11th in scoring (35.4 points per game). But here are two numbers that stand out: They had just 10 sacks — fewest in the conference by three — and forced just 16 turnovers, second fewest in the conference. Eight Pac-12 teams forced at least 20 turnovers. Opposing offenses made 63 visits to the Wildcats' redzone, which was most in the conference. They yielded 44 TDs on those trips. Senior CB Trevin Wade earned second-team All-Conference honors, but the only other Wildcats defender to earn even honorable mention was fellow DB Tra'Mayne Bondurant.

Grade: F

Overall: Much has been made of the 10-game FBS losing streak that ended Stoops' tenure in Tucson, but it needs to be emphasized that those 10 games, extending into the final five of 2010, were brutal, including Oklahoma State, Oregon, Stanford and USC two times apiece. In the preseason, it was clear that schedule would challenge the Wildcats. It did. And, as it turned out, the apparent weaknesses in August were just as they seemed: Weaknesses. When you toss in a handful of key injuries on an already questionable defense — LB Jake Fischer, S Adam Hall, CB Jonathan McKnight, DT Willie Mobley, etc. — you see the reality was a doomed season almost from the start. You could argue that this team, at 4-8, didn't really underachieve. And beating rival Arizona State prevents 2011 from being a total wash.

Grade: D

ARIZONA
4-8, 2-7

A 10-game losing streak to FBS foes -- starting with the final five games of 2010 -- did in coach Mike Stoops. It's worth noting that 10-game losing streak included Oklahoma State, Oregon, Stanford and USC in eight of those games, with a back-ended schedule in 2010 and a front-loaded one in 2011 doing in Stoops. No other team in the nation even approached that degree of difficulty during a 10-game stretch.

It was the Oct. 8 loss at Oregon State, however, that was the end, a bad loss to a bad team. The problem for the Wildcats was obvious: They could throw the ball with QB Nick Foles, but that was it. With four new offensive linemen, they couldn't run the ball. And the defense was pretty rotten.

Interim coach Tim Kish did a good job keeping the team together after Stoops was fired. First, he led the Wildcats to a surprising win over UCLA on ESPN. And, after three consecutive losses, the Wildcats won their final two games, including a 31-27 win at Arizona State.

Offensive MVP: QB Nick Foles rewrote the school's passing record book in his career. He threw for 4,334 yards and 28 touchdowns this fall with 14 interceptions. He led the conference with 361 yards passing per game.

Defensive MVP: Trevin Wade, a second-team All-Pac-12 cornerback, had 52 tackles, two interceptions and 13 pass breakups. After a down junior year, he came back strong as a senior.

Turning point: There were two for Arizona. One: The loss against Oregon State, which was the end of Stoops. Two: The win over Arizona State, which created positive momentum in advance of the hiring of Rich Rodriguez.

What's next: There is enough talent in Tucson for a return to a bowl game in 2012, starting with QB Matt Scott, who was able to redshirt this season and is the sort of dual threat who should do well in Rodriguez's spread option. There's also five offensive line starters returning, basically the opposite of 2011, as well as a number of injured defensive starters, including safety Adam Hall, CB Jonathan McKnight and LB Jake Fischer.

The desert hasn't been good to defensive backs of late.

Arizona lost starting cornerback Jonathan McKnight for the season after it was announced he tore his ACL during Wednesday's practice. The true sophomore, brother to former USC tailback Joe McKnight, has a redshirt year available.

That's not a total disaster because McKnight was one of three good cornerbacks, but his injury makes Shaquille Richardson and Trevin Wade the starters with little margin for error, and bumps true freshman Cortez Johnson up the depth chart. Redshirt freshman Jourdon Grandon becomes the nickelback.

McKnight is the third member of the Wildcats' defense to suffer a knee injury this offseason: Safety Adam Hall and linebacker Jake Fischer were hurt in the spring. Hall and Fischer could return to action in October.

Up I-10 in Tempe, Arizona State also has struggled with injuries, most notably cornerback Omar Bolden and linebacker Brandon Magee.

Eighth in a series looking at potential dream and nightmare scenarios for all Pac-12 teams.

Understand: These are not predictions. They are extreme scenarios and pieces of fiction. You can read last season's versions here.

We're going in reverse order of my post-spring power rankings (which might not be identical to my preseason power rankings).

Up next: Arizona

It was an epic hit, one that won't be soon forgotten in Tucson. Or by Oklahoma State's receiver Justin Blackmon.

The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and immediately drove to the Arizona 33. Quarterback Brandon Weeden was 4-for-4 on the drive, with three passes going to his All-American receiver. On second and 2, Weeden found Blackmon racing across the middle.

Shhhhhmackkk!

Blackmon not only was decleated by Wildcats 220-pound safety Marquis Flowers, but his helmet flew 15 yards and then rolled to the feet of Oklahoma State coach coach Mike Gundy. Gundy had excused Blackmon's showboating in the Cowboys 36-10 win over Arizona in the Alamo Bowl by saying Blackmon "was having a little fun, and proving his ankle was back to normal."

Gundy doesn't immediately see the helmet because he's watching Trevin Wade sprint 81 yards the other way for a Wildcats touchdown. As Wade arrives in the endzone, Arizona safety Robert Golden hands the helmet to Gundy, "Hey, on the plus-side, his ankle looks great!"

Nick Foles passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-28 win, the debut of the "Air-Zona" attack. Six different receivers catch at least five passes, with Juron Criner leading the way with nine receptions for 120 yards.

The best news: Five new starters on the offensive line playing their first road game yield just one sack. And in the fourth quarter, they prove capable run blockers as Keola Antolin finishes with 98 yards on the ground.

"It was a clean hit; it gave me goose bumps," Arizona coach Mike Stoops says. "Hey, are those Ferragamo loafers? Those are sharp!"

The Wildcats lose in overtime to Stanford, but come back to shock No. 1 Oregon 38-37 on a 55-yard field goal from Alex Zendejas with 10 seconds remaining.

"We can't have a classic letdown game at USC," Foles says.

The Wildcats have a classic letdown game at USC, losing 33-28, as the Trojans sack Foles three times.

"I'm never happy with losing, but I thought we played with good effort," says a philosophical Stoops. "We're 3-2 having played four teams ranked in the top 15. We played our tails off in both losses and played competitive games. I like this team. It's got fight. We've emerged from a brutal stretch and I can't help but believe we're a good team."

The Wildcats make a statement the next weekend at Oregon State, ripping the Beavers 45-21. They rise to No. 17 in both polls.

"Fair to say Arizona is the best 4-2 team team in the nation?" asks ESPN's Chris Fowler. "They've beaten two top-10 teams and lost to No. 1 Stanford and No. 12 USC by a combined five points."

"Their schedule ahead softens up substantially," replies Kirk Herbstreit. "We'll get the measure of the Wildcats over the next few weeks. Only a handful of teams could have done better than 4-2 with that early schedule."

The Wildcats rock UCLA 41-28. Air-Zona overcomes the elements in a 33-28 win at Washington. In a critical showdown with Utah, the Wildcats score 30 in the second half to win 48-35. That puts the 10th-ranked Wildcats in the South Division driver's seat. If they win-out, they win the division.

But they fall at Colorado, a shocking result considering the Buffaloes' struggling secondary. Foles is picked off twice and sacked four times.

"Give credit to Colorado; they took it to us," Stoops says. "I'm not going use the 'looking ahead' excuse. But I believe in these guys. We've still got a lot to play for."

Before the Wildcats take the field at Arizona State, they learn that Washington State has upset Utah. The winner in Tempe wins the South and goes to the Pac-12 championship game.

The Wildcats gather.

Stoops begins: "We've been through a lot together this season, men. Not everything has gone our way, but we've taken the measure of ourselves and what I know is that you guys have fought all the way and that is all I can ask. Tonight, all you can ask of yourself it to fully invest all your abilities in a 100 percent effort every play. That's your mind, that's your body, and that's your emotions, your want-to. We don't like these guys. They don't like us. The stakes are big. No need to hide from that. I like that. That's why we work so hard. Look around this room, though. That's what all of this is about, this season, this game, all the work we've put in. The guys in this room. Let's go out there and sell out for each other. Make them feel us. Guys ... there are going to a lot of tears in Tempe tonight."

Late in the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 21-21 and the Wildcats on their 33, Keola Antolin takes a handoff and sees no room on the right side. He reverses course, yields five yards in the Wildcats backfield and tries to sprint to the left sideline, hoping that he can out-run the over-pursuit. Sun Devils linebacker Vontaze Burfict recovers quickly and takes a beeline for him.

Shhhhhmackkk!

That is until Foles comes from nowhere to flatten Burfict.

Antolin goes the distance. The Wildcats win the Territorial Cup back. And they win the South. They then blast Lousiana-Lafayette in the season finale while resting their starters.

In the Pac-12 title game, the Wildcats shock No. 1 Stanford and earn the program's first-ever trip to the Rose Bowl, where they beat No. 8 Nebraska, 33-28.

The Wildcats finish 11-3 and ranked sixth.

"How am I going to celebrate?" Stoops says to a reporter. "I've got this Chteau Latour I've been saving -- premier grand cru classé -- that I'm going to open tonight. Then I'm going to tour wine country and grab a bite to eat at the French Laundry. After that, maybe some shopping at Barney's. Oh! And I'll catch up on all the great things on the Pac-12 blog!"

Andrus Peat, Davonte Neal, D.J. Foster and Reggie Daniels commit to Arizona. That convinces quarterback Connor Brewer to decommit from Texas and sign with the Wildcats, whose recruiting class ranks 12th in the country.

Worst case

Looked at rationally, the 1-4 start shouldn't have been that much of a surprise: Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon and USC were nationally-ranked teams. The Wildcats had questions, most particularly a completely rebuilt offensive line that gets exposed during the rugged early slate.

But losing 28-24 at Oregon State quickly put the season on the brink.

"We've got to stick together," says Foles, who'd already been sacked 21 times. "We've still got a lot to play for."

After a bye week, the Wildcats out slug UCLA in a 41-35 win, but they fall at Washington and lose at home in overtime to Utah. Stoops throws a fit during the second overtime and is assessed a critical unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that sets up the Utes winning touchdown.

A column in the Arizona Daily Star questions whether Stoops, despite "making the program respectable again," had plateaued and the Wildcats were headed back to the dregs.

Foles throws three touchdown passes as the Wildcats win at Colorado. Up next: Arizona State.

"We've got plenty of motivation," Stoops said. "They're our rivals and if we beat them they probably don't win the South Division."

But it's all Sun Devils, as Burfict terrorizes Foles, and Brock Osweiler throws four touchdown passes in a 40-24 victory.

Arizona State then upsets No. 1 Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game and beats Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. The Sun Devils finish 12-2 and ranked fourth.

Burfict announces he's returning for his senior season, "to complete the growing up process and get my degree. And to terrorize the Wildcats another season."

The Wildcats are sloppy but manage to slip Louisiana-Lafayette in a near-empty Arizona Stadium to finish 4-8.

Stoops is hired by the Houston Texans.

"I put a lot of thought into this; I did a lot of research," says athletic director Greg Byrne. "And what I concluded is that John Mackovic didn't get a fair shot here before and is the right man to lead the Wildcats to our first Rose Bowl."

The Finley twins -- and here -- spontaneously mutate into four people.

The heart's in it then, spinning dreams, and torment is on the way. The heart makes dreams seem like ideas.

• Arizona cornerback Trevin Wade has regained his focus and swagger.
• Arizona State defensive tackle Corey Adams is emerging mostly because he's healthy.
• Trying to figure out how to feel about California's situation at quarterback.
• Colorado has a walk-on punter and other depth chart notes. Jon Embree is not afraid to play freshmen.
• Lache Seastrunk's departure likely means a couple of freshmen will see action. Frosh tight end Colt Lyerla is now a backup.
• Where do things stand with Oregon State receiver James Rodgers? What are the issues as the Beavers scrimmage today?
• Stanford was mostly impressive in its scrimmage. Ticket sales are up significantly.
• UCLA is still uncertain at kicker. Some notes, including frosh quarterback Brett Hundley's return to practice. More on that here.
• Competitions continue on USC's defense. Predicting the depth chart: offense and defense. The D will be better with two minutes left.
• Apparently the transition to Norm Chow as offensive coordinator -- which included a pair of demotions -- has been smooth at Utah. If there's a full moon, this Utes running back might be money.
• Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant is ready for his close-up. Sean Parker also looks to be a hit in the secondary.
• Washington State wideout Jared Karstetter is hoping for a payoff after remaining true to the Cougars. Making the case for Coug optimism.

There are two kinds of people in this world : those who believe there are two kinds of people in this world and those who are smart enough to know better.

• Arizona CB Trevin Wade is on the spot. Backup QB Matt Scott is hoping to redshirt but ready to play.
• Injuries are an issue for Arizona State. Some good and some bad from scrimmage.
• Zach Maynard is ready for his close-up as California's QB. A report from a full-contact practice.
• Suffice it to say, Colorado has a keen sense of urgency at cornerback. Tight end will be a position of emphasis.
• Oregon practice notes. If Kiko Alonso is suspended for LSU, this guy will step in.
• Some Oregon State practice notes, leading with hard-luck injury news. It appears the Beavers O-line has a leader.
• An optimistic review of Stanford's schedule. The Cardinal need to figure out who Andrew Luck's backup is.
• An injury knocks out a UCLA F-back. Where does the QB competition stand?
• Good news for USC's depth at RB. And good news for LB Chris Galippo. The D-line needs to step up.
• The Sporting News ranks Utah No. 21. Injuries are an issue for the Utes O-line. The football education of Thretton Palamo.
• A practice report from Washington.
• Things got wet and wild at Washington State. Is LB C.J. Mizell growing up?
• Oregon-LSU is big, but if you read this, you understand how it will play out as a home game for LSU.

Vacation created a backlog in the mailbag, so I'm going to hit it twice this week.

Follow me on Twitter.

To the notes.

Frank from Dallas writes: U$C is the biggest cheating school in college football and everyone knows that besides you. Your article was ignorant. U$C got what it deserved. It knew Bush was getting money. He was driving around in a souped up car. U$C is a repeat violator, which you should know is why they got such hard penalties. This was one of the worst cases in NCAA history. You're an idiot.

Ted Miller: May I whine for a moment? I am weary of this subject. This might be the last time I reply to a note about USC, Reggie Bush and the NCAA.

Part of my exhaustion is this: USC critics who celebrate the NCAA's harsh penalties almost uniformly don't know what they are talking about. They don't know the facts of the case. They don't know what is and isn't relevant to the case. They haven't read the relevant documents.

Let's just take one of Frank's assertions: Bush was driving around in a "souped up car."

Wrong. Bush was driving around in a 1996 Impala. The car didn't get dudded up until after Bush declared that he would enter the 2006 NFL draft a year early. Here's the often, er, mis-remembered photo. Note the date. Of course, you can't blame Frank and others. The NCAA infractions committee struggled to keep its facts straight, too.

Look, I know many of you hate USC. I know there are USC-hating blogs out there that have blistered me over my belief the NCAA treated USC unfairly, even though that is a widely held perception among sports writers who actually know the details of the Bush case. I don't mind getting blistered. Just get the details right.

My position on USC and the Reggie Bush case has not changed and is entirely based on my perception of fairness, not some sort of pro-USC bias: USC deserved significant sanctions for major violations, and those penalties should have fallen under the penalties Alabama received in 2002.

There is no conceivable way -- and I'd be glad debate anyone at the NCAA over the matter -- to insist that the widespread, booster pay-for-play scheme uncovered at Alabama shouldn't be considered a worse case than USC-Bush. Just read the USA Today article on the Alabama case.

This is when someone throws out "repeat violator" as a rationale for USC getting worse sanctions. Er, so was Alabama.

(Alabama fans: I am not picking on you. It's just the most relevant, recent case to compare to USC).

Some have suggested that the NCAA wanted to make an example out of USC by handing out game-changing penalties that might act as a deterrent for others. Sorry, I didn't get the memo on that one. If that is, indeed, the case -- that the NCAA took unprecedented measures against one program without formally announcing a policy change -- well, that my friends would be the definition of unfair.

And, by the way, more than a few schools should be worried if that's the case.

As for USC being a big "cheating" school, well, let's just put it this way: List the major football violations the NCAA's four-year investigation uncovered other than Bush getting extra benefits.

Yes, you hear crickets.

"One of the worst cases in NCAA history"? Well, you compare.

I believe USC was treated unfairly by the NCAA. I have yet to read a reasoned account -- from the media or from the NCAA -- that makes a convincing argument otherwise.

Spencer from San Francisco writes: I'm hearing a lot of concern about Cal's chemistry on the offensive line. Shouldn't the return Jim Michalzckzyckyikxzixkxik ease some of these doubts?

Ted Miller: You, of course, mean Jim Michalczik, who shortened his name when he moved from the old country of Port Angeles, Wash.

Cal's offensive line has been disappointing since Michalczik left for Washington (briefly) and then the Oakland Raiders. The first place to point, logically, would be talent. The second, Michalczik's absence. I've consistently heard from people that he's one of the best offensive line coaches out there.

So, yes, I think it's fair for you to ease some doubts about the Bears O-line due to his return.

Andrew from Seattle writes: With the resignation of Jim Tressel, do you think that Mike Bellotti would consider taking a job at Ohio State? Would they be a good fit?

Ted Miller: Bellotti was a serious candidate for the Ohio State job in 2001, when Tressel was hired. Ohio State certainly could do worse than Bellotti. It could make for an interesting Rose Bowl if the Ducks and Buckeyes met again.

But Bellotti turns 61 in December, and keep in mind this is a pending hire for the 2012 season. Ohio State probably wouldn't want a coach at that age who'd have to learn the Big Ten and Big Ten recruiting on the fly. And I doubt Bellotti would want a job that came with significant NCAA sanctions.

So, no, it doesn't seem like a good fit.

If Bellotti is going to coach again -- he's done an outstanding job as an ESPN color guy since leaving Oregon -- it almost certainly would be at West Coast school. Don't be surprised if his name comes up as some Pac-12 hot seats get hotter during the fall.

Joey from Chicago writes: What does Arizona's depth chart look like on offense and defense with all the injuries? Can you name the starters if the season started today?

Ted Miller: Arizona has lost two starters and two backups to ACL injuries since the end of last season: safety Adam Hall and linebacker Jake Fischer are the starters, and running back Greg Nwoko and defensive tackle Willie Mobley are the backups.

That's certainly not good, but it doesn't exactly send Arizona into disarray. Hall and Fischer are big losses. Hall is a budding star, and Fischer's loss is worrisome because the Wildcats are thin at linebacker. The depth in the secondary is pretty good: Robert Golden moves from cornerback to safety beside Marquis Flowers, which doesn't hurt badly because Trevin Wade, Jonathan McKnight and Shaquille Richardson are three quality corners.

Linebacker is a bit more tricky. Two backups from 2010, R.J. Young and Trevor Erno, quit the team before spring practices. Redshirt freshman Kyle Benson is listed as Fischer's backup on the spring depth chart, while walk-on Bilal Muhammed is listed as the backup at the other two spots. It's almost certain that at least one of the touted incoming freshmen -- Rob Hankins, Hank Hobson and Dominique Petties -- will be immediately in the mix.

Vince from Scottsdale writes: Ted, You forgot to mention that ASU is @22 in Phil Steele's top 30 rankings..... that scorches the butthole Ted.

Ted Miller: Or, just maybe, when I included the link, Phil Steele had only reached No. 17 on his count-up.

You'll note Steele has Stanford at No. 16.

Cody from Okinawa, Japan writes: Just wanted to point out what some Beaver football players and other athletes are up to. Going to Macedonia to build a house for others.

Ted Miller: Good show. Here's the link to a short video on "Beavers Without Borders."

ARIZONA

2010 overall record: 7-6

2010 conference record: 4-5

Returning starters

Offense: 5, Defense: 5, punter/kicker: kicker

Top returners

QB Nick Foles, WR Juron Criner, LB Paul Vassallo, DT Justin Washington, CB Trevin Wade

Key losses

C Colin Baxter, DE Brooks Reed, DE Ricky Elmore

2010 statistical leaders (*returning starter)

Rushing: Keola Antolin* (668)

Passing: Nick Foles* (3,191)

Receiving: Juron Criner* (1,233)

Tackles: Paul Vassallo* (102)

Sacks: Ricky Elmore (11)

Interceptions: Joseph Perkins, Adam Hall*, Shaquille Richardson* (2)

Spring answers

1. Set at QB: With starter Nick Foles and backups Matt Scott and Bryson Beirne, no team in the conference will be as comfortable at quarterback. Foles is a three-year starter and All-American candidate who likely will be a high NFL draft pick. The hope is to redshirt Scott so he can return in 2012 and compete for the starting job with Rutgers transfer Tom Savage, but if Scott is needed he can seamlessly step in. Toss in the veteran Beirne, and you have a troika that combined for 31 completions, 380 yards and four scores in a 60-play scrimmage.

2. Deep at receiver: This is without question the deepest corps of receivers in the Pac-12 and one of the best in the nation, starting with All-American candidate Juron Criner. Texas transfer Dan Buckner provides another big target, and David Douglas, David Roberts, Richard Morrison, Terrence Miller, Austin Hill, Tyler Slavin and Garic Wharton provide plenty of options for Foles. Yes, the Wildcats should be able to pass this fall.

3. Secondary not really an issue: Free safety Adam Hall is a budding star, so you can't write off his knee injury this spring, but the Wildcats are fairly stacked in the secondary. Robert Golden can move back to strong safety from cornerback, while Trevin Wade, Jonathan McKnight and Shaquille Richardson give the defense three strong options at cornerback. Marquis Flowers is a rising star at safety. Of course, it would be nice to get Hall back at some point this season.

Fall questions

1. Young on the offensive line: There was optimism about the five new offensive line starters this spring, but, heck, it's five new offensive line starters. That's not an easy thing in the Pac-12. It typically takes a young line time to develop chemistry, so it will be interesting to see how the process goes for the Cats. Redshirt freshman tackles Mickey Baucus and Fabbians Ebbele looked solid, as did junior Trace Biskin and sophomore Chris Putton at the guards. Junior center Kyle Quinn is the only guy with a start to his credit (one, in the Alamo Bowl).

2. Help wanted at linebacker: The Wildcats welcomed back all three starting linebackers from 2010 until Jake Fisher went down late in the spring game with a knee injury. That brought up an issue: Sure, the starters were back but there was little to no depth behind them, particularly after two backups who were expected to return in 2011 quit the team. That means incoming freshmen will be thrown immediately into the mix: Rob Hankins, Hank Hobson and Domonique Petties.

3. Edge rush? The Wildcats are replacing three defensive ends who were selected in the NFL draft, including Brooks Reed and Ricky Elmore, multi-year starters who combined for 17.5 sacks last fall. Converted linebacker C.J. Parish was a breakout player this spring, and Mohammed Usman is solid. Still, just how good will the edge pressure be with this much inexperience?

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

TUCSON, Ariz. -- It was just a short, shells -- shorts and shoulder pads -- practice Thursday at Arizona, but even then there was plenty of "wow" in the downfield passing game.

No team in the Pac-12 can offer up two quarterbacks as good as Nick Foles and Matt Scott. No team in the Pac-12 can match the Wildcats depth and talent at receiver.

That's the good news. Questions, though, remain, starting with five new starters on the offensive line.

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

As for folks questioning the line, Stoops understands and has no problem with it. He hopes it bothers them.

"They'll hear about it," Stoops said. "I think that will serve as motivation."

On defense, the Wildcats must replace defensive ends Brooks Reed, Ricky Elmore and D'Aundre Reed. And it's not good that talented safety Adam Hall is standing on the sidelines with a surgically repaired ACL.

Some notes from Arizona practice -- two days before Saturday's spring game -- after chats with Stoops, offensive coordinator Seth Littrell and defensive coordinator Tim Kish.

• The plan remains to redshirt Scott, if possible. He's certainly not going to enter a game late in the fourth quarter to take a knee. But if Foles gets hurt, Scott would be the guy. He'd probably start for a majority of teams in the Pac-12.
• At running back, Daniel Jenkins has had "one of the best springs of any of our young players," Stoops said. He looks like Keola Antolin's backup. Both Stoops and Littrell, however, expect incoming freshmen Ka'Deem Cary and Jared Baker to perhaps push into the mix.
• Receiver? Well, there's Juron Criner -- an All-American candidate -- David Douglas, Texas transfer Dan Buckner, David Roberts, Richard Morrison, Tyler Slavin, Austin Hill, Terrence Miller and speedster Garic Wharton. Suffice it to say, the Wildcats will be able to spread the field in 2011.
• As it stands now, the starting offensive line goes line this: LT Mickey Baucus, LG Chris Putton, C Kyle Quinn, RG Trace Biskin, RT Fabbians Ebbele. Only Quinn has started a game -- the Alamo Bowl last December -- and both tackles are redshirt freshmen. On the plus side, if you want to look ahead, no lineman on the two-deep is a senior. Four are freshmen, two are sophomores and four are juniors.
• H-back Taimi Tutogi hinted at great things last preseason but was ultimately disappointing. There's a feeling that he could break through in 2011. While he's not an elite blocker by any stretch, the 260 pounder isn't easy to deal with when he has the ball in space.
• On defense, the ends are C.J. Parrish and Mohammed Usman. Both are listed at 245 pounds, which means the Wildcats will be much smaller at end compared to a year ago. On the depth chart, redshirt freshman Dan Pettinato and converted tackle Dominique Austin are listed, but JC transfer Lamar De Rego is likely to immediately jump into the mix.
• Kish called Parrish "a pleasant surprise...We didn't think he'd pick it up as quick as he did and be as effective as he is."
• Inside at defensive tackle, there's solid depth. Justin Washington, who's sitting out with a shoulder injury, and Sione Tuihalamaka are the starters and Willie Mobley and Kirifi Taula are the backups. Aiulua Fanene is a fifth option.
• Stoops said the Wildcats "are much better inside," and Kish made an interesting point about last fall. Because Reed and Elmore were so good at pinching down from the outside against the pass, while the tackles were limited and not getting much inside push, the Wildcats often created passing lanes for opposing quarterbacks. Passing lanes and running lanes, which some of you Wildcats fans might remember quarterbacks scrambling through, such as Arizona State's Brock Osweiler.
• The good news is all three starting linebackers are back. The bad news is a lack of depth, particularly after R.J. Young -- the fourth LB -- and Trevor Erno quit. Presently, walkon Bilal Muhammed -- "He's damn good," said Kish -- is the backup at two spots and undersized though athletic Kyle Benson is No. 2 behind Jake Fisher on the outside. Both Kish and Stoops expect help from incoming freshmen Rob Hankins, Dominique Petties and Hank Hobson.
• The good news in the secondary is the renewed focus of cornerback Trevin Wade, who had a poor junior year after earning accolades as a sophomore. Stoops and Kish don't hold back when talking about Wade's struggles in 2010, but both see a different player this spring: "He took a lot for granted (last year)," Stoops said. "He has a different attitude, a different level of effort (this spring)."
• Along with Wade at corner, there's Jonathan McKnight, brother of former USC RB Joe McKnight and perhaps the best pure cover corner, and Shaquille Richardson, who's sitting out with a shoulder injury.
• Robert Golden has moved back to safety from cornerback -- he's started extensively at both spots -- after Hall went down, where he's beside free safety Marquis Flowers. Redshirt freshamn Jourdan Grandon is making a bid to be the nickel, though there's clearly competition for backup roles. Neither Mark Watley nor Josh Robbins has made a decisive push for playing time. And there's some hope that Hall could make a fast recovery and be back by October.

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.

Arizona starts spring practice today, which means it can stop licking the wounds of a five-game losing streak to end 2010 and start looking forward to 2011.

But if taking a step forward toward 2011 is the carrot, a lingering backwards glance to 2010 is the stick. The Wildcats should be plenty motivated.

"The kids know we are close, but we need to do some things better to take that next step," coach Mike Stoops said. "We've gotten to this point. We need to go further."

On the one hand, the losing streak happened against a brutal schedule: Stanford, USC, Oregon, Arizona State and Oklahoma State combined for a 49-15 record. But the Wildcats aspire to being a team that wins those sorts of games.

"We just need to be stronger in some ways, stronger against stronger teams," Stoops said.

The Wildcats have intriguing talent coming back -- with quarterback Nick Foles and perhaps the Pac-12's best group of receivers leading the way -- but they also have two glaring holes: offensive line and defensive end. All the 2010 starters at those positions are gone.

Here are some notes:

Out of spring: Just two starters will not participate in full-contact work: defensive tackle Justin Washington and cornerback Shaquille Richardson. Both had shoulder surgery. Receiver Bug Wright was given the boot for repeated team rules violations.

Offensive line questions? All five starters are gone on the offensive line. Sophomore Mickey Baucus and redshirt freshman Fabbians Ebbelle are the front-runners at the tackles. Kyle Quinn, who started the Alamo Bowl for Colin Baxter, is the leader at center, though mid-year transfer Addison Bachman could make a challenge. Sophomores Chris Putton, Trace Biskin and Eric Bender-Ramsay are in the mix at the guards. Redshirt freshmen Trent Spurgeon and Carter Lees and junior Shane Zink also are in the mix. With a new offensive line coach -- Robert Anae -- there could be plenty of mixing and matching.

End of the line? Senior Muhammed Usman and redshirt freshman Dan Pettinato will be with the first unit to start spring, but defensive end might be an even bigger question than offensive line. The Wildcats are deep at tackle -- Washington, Sione Tuihalamaka, Willie Mobley, Chris Merrill, Dominique Austin, Jowyn Ward, Aiulua Fanene, etc. -- so it's possible things might be fluid on the defensive line. One of the more athletic tackles might move outside to become a big, strongside end. And junior college transfer Lamar de Rego arrives in the fall.

Good to receive: The Wildcats welcome back potential preseason All-American receiver Juron Criner, but the big news is the overflow of enthusiasm for Texas transfer Dan Buckner, who will give the Wildcats a second speedy, 6-foot-4 target on the outside. Said Stoops, "I think he gives us the two best outside receivers maybe in the country. Having [Buckner] and Criner on opposite sides is going to create problems for people." When you toss in Dave Roberts, David Douglas and Richard Morrison on the inside, you have a deep crew that Stoops called "the best receiving group we've ever had, without question." Oh, and don't forget: Terrence Miller, Garic Wharton, Austin Hill and Tyler Slavin. Lots of competition for touches here.

Backed by seven: The Wildcats welcome back all three starting linebackers and a talented secondary. Sophomore Marquis Flowers and junior Adam Hall figure to offer an upgrade in the secondary -- both saw plenty of action in 2010. Robert Golden, Trevin Wade, Shaquille Richardson and Jonathan McKnight provide talent and experience at cornerback. And Stoops thinks Wade, who suffered through a notable slump last fall, is going to bounce back: "Trevin has had a much better out-of-season already. I think he learned a great deal from some of his mistakes a year ago as well as his preparation. I look for him to come back strong." He added, "This is the most athletic back-seven we've had. Best group of corners we've had."

Not special: The Wildcats didn't get much from their kicker Alex Zendejas and punter Keenyn Crier last season. Zendejas is back, but he needs to step up. Said Stoops: "Zendejas needs to become a much better player... we need more out of him." Junior college transfer Jaimie Salazar arrives in the fall. Junior college transfer punter Kyle Dugandzic was signed to start, so he needs to come through.

Redshirt or backup for Scott: Stoops wants to redshirt backup quarterback Matt Scott, which means he could return for a redshirt senior season in 2012. But that might not be doable. Said Stoops, "In a perfect world, we'd love to redshirt him. But we've got to keep him ready to play if things slide or something happens to Nick." Junior Bryson Beirne would make things easier on his coaches with an inspired effort this spring.

This is Foles' team: Foles has been a good quarterback for two years. If he becomes an All-Conference or even All-American quarterback as a senior, the Wildcats could climb to the top of the Pac-12 South Division. Stoops expects a lot out of Foles. "Nick has to have total control of this team and this offense," he said. "He's a premier starter who will become, hopefully, a first-round NFL draft pick. He needs to assert himself in every way possible as a leader."