ESPN College Football

EUGENE, Ore. -- John Boyett is still smiling. Everything seems fine. Up to the halfway point in a 15-minute interview, Oregon's free safety has been insightful and pleasant, even when a certain sportswriter started blathering about this or that.

But that smile hints at something else. It's a happy smile, yes, but happy in the way a lion looks just before he takes a huge chomp out of a gazelle.

Me: I just made a list of the top-25 of players in the Pac-12.

Boyett: [Big laugh] I heard.

Me: You were left off.

Boyett: [More laughing] I heard.

Me: [Nervous laugh] Are you competitive with the other guys?

Boyett: Very competitive.

If you've watched Boyett play, that shouldn't be a surprise. A soon-to-be four-year starter for the Ducks, the 5-foot-10, 202-pound senior from Napa, Calif., is child of a football family, and he's obsessed with the game, whether that's about conditioning or watching film or playing with an intensity that easily endures the filtering presentation of a TV camera.

"Football is in my blood," he said.

How competitive is he? Competitive enough to be, yes, just a bit irked not only at that ole top-25 list but also that he ended up second-team All-Pac-12.

"I'm not just going to say I feel like I'm the best safety because it's me. I'm a realist," he said. "But I really do feel I'm the best safety in the country. I probably wouldn't believe that if [secondary coach John Neal and defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti] hadn't told me the same thing."

But Boyett, who's led the Ducks in tackles two of the past three season and finished second in 2010, didn't come to this discussion unarmed. He's completely aware of whom his rival is for best safety in the Pac-12: USC's T.J. McDonald. McDonald was first-team All-Pac-12, first-team All-American with The Sporting News, ended up ranked 19th on the top-25 list and is widely considered the best senior safety in college football.

"I know T.J. McDonald's stats," Boyett said. "I know all the safeties I am competing with in the draft. I know all their stuff. But I'm not stupid competitive. I don't get into all the politics. I'm here to help my team win. If we get into another BCS championship game, I don't care if you give me first team or 20th team, I just want to help the team win."

But...

Boyett continues, "But it is crazy when you look at it. I look at my stats compared to everyone else. And I'm not a big stats guy, I just want to win games."

But...

"But of course you've got to look at it every once and a while. I've got 276 tackles, nine picks and like 29 pass breakups. And the other guy's [McDonald] got like [163] tackles, six picks and nine pass breakups. I've got him by [113] tackles, three picks and 20 pass breakups! And they are still getting...

But...

"That's why I don't get caught up in all that stuff."

Not completely, at least.

What Boyett really does get caught up in is winning. Oregon has done that during his career like it never has before with a 34-6 record over the past three seasons. He was recruited to a 2007 team that fell out of the national title hunt when quarterback Dennis Dixon blew out his knee. In 2008, his redshirt season, the Ducks went 10-3 and won the Holiday Bowl. Yet those were the down years. He became a starter in 2009 when T.J. Ward got hurt, and since then the Ducks have won three consecutive Pac-12 titles and played in two Rose Bowls -- winning one -- as well as the national title game after the 2010 season.

Boyett believes the Ducks will again be in the hunt in 2012. And he believes this defense might be the best unit with which he's played.

"We lose three or four guys, but all the guys coming in for them are just as good as them," he said. "[Aliotti] asks me how the defense is doing, and I seriously tell him, 'This defense is going to be the best since I've been here.'"

Boyett is part of an impressive recent legacy of Oregon defensive backs. When he arrived, the Ducks' secondary included Ward, Jairus Byrd, Patrick Chung and Walter Thurmond. The first three were second-round NFL draft picks, while Thurmond went in Round 4.

Those are the guys who first taught him how to play, but they aren't exempt from Boyett's competitive streak either. He's got big plans for this year, and part of that plan is leaving no doubt in the eyes of NFL scouts.

Said Boyett, "Coach Neal says if I have another great year I'm going to get drafted as high if not higher than them."

There's no way to sugarcoat it. Oregon embarrassed Oregon State's defense last year.

The Beavers entered the 2008 Civil War ranked 13th in the nation in total defense (290 yards per game). In the spring, five players from that unit would be drafted by NFL teams.

Yet the Ducks rolled up 694 yards in a 65-38 victory.

For the Beavers, it was a nightmare in Reser Stadium. It cost them the Rose Bowl. For the Ducks, it was inspiring.

"John Wooden said that competitive greatness is when you play your best against the best," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "That's what our players did. Our players just made plays. It wasn't a scheme deal. It wasn't like we exploited anything. It had less to do with coaching than any game I was involved with last year."

Oregon can probably identify with how a defense can have a horrible day. It's played good defense all season, but Stanford somehow rolled up 505 yards in a 51-42 win on Nov. 7.

If defense, indeed, wins championships, then it's hard to imagine that defense won't be where the 113th Civil War on Thursday turns. After all, it's all about a championship, considering the winner goes to the Rose Bowl.

It will be strength-on-strength battle.

Oregon has the No. 1 rushing offense in the Pac-10. Oregon State has the No. 1 rushing defense.

Oregon State has the No. 1 passing offense in the conference. Oregon has the No. 2 passing defense.

Both teams rebuilt their defenses this offseason. The Ducks lost six starters -- four were NFL draft choices -- while the Beavers lost eight, including their entire secondary and three-fourths of the defensive line.

Kelly said repeatedly before the season began he wasn't worried about his defense. He loved the across-the-board speed, particularly at linebacker. His secondary ranked among the nation's best.

Even when two cornerbacks -- starter Walter Thurmond III and his backup, Willie Glasper -- went down early with season-ending knee injuries, the Ducks continued to play well.

"[There's] a lot of athleticism and speed," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "One of the best Oregon defenses I've seen."

The Ducks perhaps revealed some vulnerability to a power-rushing attack -- Stanford piled up 254 yards on the ground -- but that's not the Beavers thing on offense.

The first order for the Ducks is disrupting Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield, whose quick release has made him the conference's top-rated quarterback.

Oregon State, which starts two sophomores and a true freshman on its offensive line, surrendered 15 sacks in the first four games. But it gave up just 12 in the past seven, in large part because Canfield is distributing the ball quickly to the Rodgers brothers, James and Jacquizz, who are one-two in the conference in receptions per game, and letting them do their thing.

The Ducks rank third in the conference in sacks with 30, but will they be able to get to Canfield? And if not, will they tackle well in space?

As for Oregon State's defense, Riley and defensive coordinator Mark Banker talked candidly about their concerns in the preseason. The Beavers gap-cancellation scheme counts on getting pressure on the quarterback because the secondary is often in press-man coverage. In 2008, ends Victor Butler and Slade Norris dominated with their edge rush, and cornerbacks Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes could handle most receivers one-on-one.

That didn't matter much, of course, when the Ducks rushed for 385 yards last year.

That's why many of the Beavers defenders are as interested in redemption as they are in the Rose Bowl.

"That obviously wasn't the Oregon State team we had last year playing out there on that field, that's for sure," said linebacker Keaton Kristick, one of three starters returning from that 2008 crew.

The Beavers defense was mediocre early in the season. It recorded just two sacks in the first four games and couldn't get off the field on third down. But it's picked up the pace considerably, recording 13 sacks over the last seven games and improving its performance on third down by eight percent.

"I think [Banker] has done maybe his best coaching job ever with this group, considering who we lost," Riley said.

Still, the Beavers looked stout on D before they played host to the Ducks last year. This time, they won't have a home crowd making things difficult for quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.

The first key is fairly simple: Do your job -- don't freelance.

"When you're playing a team that has variety like that you can't do your job and somebody else's," Riley said.

Then second and third keys also are simple: Get off blocks. Tackle. If the Beavers run defense holds up, it's got a much better chance containing with the Ducks passing game.

It should help that powerhouse defensive tackle Stephen Paea is healthy. A knee injury slowed him considerably in last year's game, though it's not encouraging that the guy who starts next to him, Brennan Olander, is decidedly questionable with his own knee issue.

So which team will be grinning after the Civil War for the Roses?

As they say: Defense wins championships.

Posted by ESPN.com Ted Miller

New Oregon coach Chip Kelly preaches to his team that every game is a season. So it would be fair to say that Kelly's first season was a disaster.

The 19-8 loss at Boise State was a thorough embarrassment for the program. The Ducks arrived talking about revenge. They left as an object of national ridicule, both for the way they conducted themselves during the game and the way running back LeGarrette Blount acted afterwards.

Then the Ducks struggled to beat Purdue.

Then they beat a Utah team riding the nation's longest winning streak. The nation said, "Hmm."

Then they poleaxed No. 6 California and Washington State by a combined count of 94-9. Then they won at UCLA 24-10 without starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.

And folks started to realize something: Oregon stunk in the first game, yes. But the Ducks, now ranked 11th in the BCS standings, might still be one of the best team's in college football.

The defense ranks among the best in the country by most measures. The offense is scoring 33 points per game. Redshirt freshman LaMichael James has stepped in capably for the suspended Blount. And the Ducks showed they were good enough to win without three starting defensive backs as well as Masoli, who may or may be back this weekend at Washington.

Offensive MVP: Tight end Ed Dickson nips James here. The Ducks offense looked like it might be mostly one-dimensional this year -- Masoli and the passing game were out of sync in the first three games -- until Dickson caught 11 passes for 148 yards with three touchdowns in the blowout win over California. Dickson, a potential early-round NFL draft pick, leads the offense with 25 receptions for 333 yards and four TDs.

Defensive MVP: The were questions about who would be the Ducks primary pass rusher during the preseason, but end Kenny Rowe has answered those questions. He ranks third in the Pac-10 with 6.5 sacks and he's also forced three fumbles, which is tops in the conference. He has 21 tackles and two pass breakups.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

It's likely Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond will be sidelined for at least a few weeks because of a knee injury he sustained on the opening kickoff against California, but Oregon isn't providing any specific information on the nature of his injury.

Senior Willie Glasper will step in for Thurmond against Washington State on Saturday.

The Ducks' secondary also might be missing safety T.J. Ward for another week. Ward sprained his ankle in the opener at Boise State and hasn't played since. Redshirt freshman John Boyett has started the past three games in Ward's spot.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

During the preseason, it looked like a number of Pac-10 teams would be solid in the secondary. If ball hawking is a good measure of that, then preseason expectations are being met -- and surpassed.

Last year, Arizona State linebacker Mike Nixon and Oregon cornerbacks Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond III tied for the Pac-10 lead with five interceptions.

Three game into the 2009 season, UCLA safety Rahim Moore already has five interceptions, which leads the nation.

Last year, California safety Sean Cattouse ranked 10th in the conference with three interceptions.

Three games into the 2009 season, four players already have at least three and a fifth has two.

In addition to Moore, Nixon, UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner and Arizona corner Trevin Wade rank among the nation's top 10 with three picks apiece.

Six teams have three or more picks so far, and five have already returned an interception for a touchdown. Washington State did it twice in its win over SMU.

Still, matching last year's team production won't be easy. In 2008, five Pac-10 teams ranked in the top-26 in the nation with 16 or more interceptions.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

USC tailback Joe McKnight, UCLA linebacker Reggie Carter and UCLA kicker Kai Forbath are the Pac-10 Players of the Week.

McKnight, a junior from River Ridge, La., had 105 all-purpose yards in the Trojans' 18-15 win at No. 8 Ohio State. He rushed for 60 yards and added 45 yards on two receptions. On USC’s dramatic 86-yard fourth-quarter scoring drive to win the game, McKnight accounted for 53 yards -- 32 rushing and 21 receiving. He also made the 2-point conversion catch after the score.

Carter, a senior from Los Angeles, Calif., and Forbath, a junior from Pacific Palisades, Calif., played key roles in UCLA’s 19-15 upset win at Tennessee. Carter had a game-high 14 tackles, including a tackle for loss. Carter posted seven of his tackles in the fourth quarter, with two of the tackles coming on third and fourth downs of a successful goal-line stand with 1:59 to play and the Bruins leading by six points.

The UCLA defense limited Tennessee to 208 yards total offense (115 rushing, 93 passing), forced four turnovers, including three interceptions and posted three quarterback sacks.

Forbath accounted for 13 of UCLA’s 19 points as he was successful on four of five field goal attempts, connecting from 26, 39, 31 and 47 yards, with his only miss coming on a 51-yard attempt.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were running backs Nic Grigsby of Arizona, Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State and Jahvid Best of California and quarterback Jake Locker of Washington. Also nominated on defense were cornerback Trevin Wade of Arizona and linebackers Mason Foster of Washington, Chris Galippo of USC, Keaton Kristick of Oregon State, Casey Matthews of Oregon and Mychal Kendricks of California. Also nominated for special-teams play was Oregon return man Walter Thurmond III.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

As a UCLA observer wryly noted, ESPN.com has Bruins cornerback Alterraun Verner as a first-team All-American, while the Pac-10 blog had California's Syd'Quan Thompson and Oregon's Walter Thurmond III as the first-team All-Pac-10 corners.

Yes, there were coin flips involved. There are a lot of good cornerbacks in this conference.

Fact is, the guy who deserves to gripe the most is Arizona's underrated Devin Ross, who was second-team All-Pac-10 a year ago yet seems to be operating in the shadows.

1. California: Might be the best pair in the nation. Two accomplished, full-time starting cornerbacks from 2008 -- senior Thompson (first-team All-Pac-10) and junior Darian Hagan -- return from a statistically impressive pass defense (24 Ints vs. 12 TD passes).
2. USC: There are questions here -- is Shareece Wright going to be: 1. healthy; 2. eligible -- but even if Josh Pinkard has to move from safety back to corner, the Trojans are strong here based on pure athleticism.
3. Arizona: We've mentioned Ross, but Trevin Wade, who steps in for the departed Marquis Hundley, tied Hundley for the team lead with four interceptions in 2008.
4. UCLA: Verner is as good as anybody in the country, and expectations are high for redshirt freshman Aaron Hester.
5. Oregon: Coach Chip Kelly tells anyone who will listen that Thurmond is the Ducks best player. Talmadge Jackson and Willie Glasper are 1A and 1B veterans on the opposite side.
6. Arizona State: Omar Bolden expects to bounce back after a sub-par 2008 season. A troublesome back has returning starter Terell Carr now listed as second-team, with former walk-on Pierre Singfield now No. 1. Safety Clint Floyd might even see action at corner.
7. Oregon State: The Beavers are replacing both cornerbacks but a strong preseason from Tim Clark and James Dockery ended a lot of hand-wringing over the issue. There's also solid depth.
8. Washington State: The Cougars pass defense wasn't that bad last year, but that might have been because the run defense was horrible. Things are not completely set here. Brandon Jones will start if his ankle is OK, while Aire Justin is the frontrunner opposite him.
9. Stanford: Richard Sherman and Corey Gatewood should upgrade the Cardinal's pass defense, but Sherman was a receiver in 2008 and Gatewood was injured. And Stanford was terrible against the pass last year.
10. Washington: Speaking of terrible against the pass... the Huskies allowed opponents to complete 67 percent of their passes and surrendered 24 TD passes with just seven interceptions in 2008. Quinton Richardson will man one side while the uncertain health of redshirt freshman Justin Glenn means true freshman Desmond Trufant or junior Vonzell McDowell will start on the other side.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

A Pac-10 safety and three cornerbacks were named to the 31-player Jim Thorpe Award watch list on Friday.

The Thorpe Award is given annually to the nation's top defensive back.

The Pac-10 guys are USC free safety Taylor Mays and corners Alterraun Verner (UCLA), Syd'Quan Thompson (California) and Walter Thurmond III (Oregon).

I would have added USC strong safety Josh Pinkard, Arizona cornerback Devin Ross and strong safety Cam Nelson.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

If Oregon's defensive coordinator had a reality show, it would be called, "Nick Aliotti: It's Complicated."

Some Ducks fans look at Aliotti's defense and only see a unit that surrendered 28 points and 390 yards per game, both measures ranking in the bottom half of the Pac-10.

	Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
	T.J. Ward needs to become more "cerebral" if he's to take the next step, according to Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti.

"If we only could match a dominant defense with our already dominant offense!" the thinking goes. "Then we'd be USC, only with more colorful and creative uniforms!"

But it's not that simple.

The Ducks offense operates faster than any other. It rolled up 485 yards and 42 points a game in 2008, despite playing against five defenses ranked in the top 26 in the nation and using five different quarterbacks.

But it ranked last in the nation in time of possession: 25:11 per game.

Last.

That means Duck defenders often were only halfway through a sideline orange slice before they were called back to the field.

Only one team faced more plays on defense last season than Oregon: Missouri, which also seeks a ludicrous pace on offense.

And here's an interesting factoid: The Ducks yielded just 4.90 yards per play.

That's a better number than Virginia Tech, which ranked seventh in the nation in total defense, Georgia (22nd), Oregon State (23) and Arizona (24), among others.

Oh, and Oregon also ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 with 40 sacks and No. 2 with 31 forced turnovers.

Still, many Ducks fans never got past "a unit that surrendered 28 points and 390 yards per game."

"Complicated" sometimes doesn't wash with football fans.

So it seemed reasonable to stop by for a chat with the affable Aliotti, who's replacing six starters from last year's unit.

Good summer?

Nick Aliotti: Had an excellent summer! Did a lot of fun things. Played a lot of golf. I finally got my handicap down to a reasonable amount but you know how that goes -- I won't swing again until June or July.

So after one spring and offseason, what's the biggest difference for you working under Chip Kelly as opposed to Mike Bellotti?

NA: It's always tough when you compare somebody because one guy could get offended by what you say sometimes. But, not being too political, I think the biggest difference is we play in hyperspeed now and we practice in hyperspeed. Chip, having not been a head coach before, is more into coaching football -- doing X's and O's -- and not that CEO-type job yet. And that's not a knock on Mike. I'm just explaining my answer. So practicing at hyperspeed and Chip being a football junkie jump out to me.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick notes ...

• Chip Kelly and cornerback Walter Thurmond III
• Kelly on his version of the spread offense: "It's a personnel-driven offense ... we'd ultimately want to be a balanced football team."
• Kelly on defense: "I think our defense is really going to surprise people this year."
• Kelly on the Boise State game: "We lost a really tough game to them last year. We basically ran out of quarterbacks. It's a great test for us. They are a tremendous football program. But there is no other way we want to be as a football team."
• Kelly said backup quarterback Nate Costa is "cleared to go ... he feels like he's moving better."

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Hate the media? Then be your own media!

Football fans will be able to ask coaches and players questions -- via Twitter -- during Pac-10 media day on Thursday.

Media day also can be viewed in its entirety on the conference's official Web site.

According to a release from the Pac-10:

Questions may be submitted at any time leading up to the event or on the day itself. The best questions will be selected and asked by the webcast's host, Steve Physoic, who will be calling Pac-10 football games this season on Fox Sports Net. Fans can participate by tweeting their questions to: http://twitter.com/pac10.

Here's the schedule.

9:30 a.m. -- Introduction - Jim Muldoon
9:35 a.m. -- Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott
9:45 a.m. -- Paul Wulff/C Kenny Alfred - Washington State
10:00 a.m. -- Steve Sarkisian/OLB Donald Butler - Washington
10:15 a.m. -- Rick Neuheisel/MLB Reggie Carter - UCLA
10:30 a.m. -- Jim Harbaugh/RB Toby Gerhart - Stanford
10:45 a.m. -- Dennis Erickson/OLB Mike Nixon - Arizona State
11:00 a.m. -- Break
11:10 a.m. -- Mike Stoops/FS Cam Nelson - Arizona
11:25 a.m. -- Jeff Tedford/TB Jahvid Best - California
11:40 a.m. -- Mike Riley/OLB Keaton Kristick - Oregon State
11:55 a.m. -- Chip Kelly/CB Walter Thurmond III - Oregon
12:10 p.m. -- Pete Carroll/FS Taylor Mays - USC
12:25 p.m. -- Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Good questions this week... which is annoying because it's hard to get folks in the know on the phone in July. So if you asked a good question and it doesn't get answered... sorry.

Couple 'o things.

• Got some notes about this quote before the lunch links. That was me getting a little Englishmajory on you. It's William Faulkner talking about why he created Yoknapatawpha County, Miss., as the setting for many of his novels. Hey, can't quote Caddyshack every day, right?
• Couple of folks have commented on me apparently owning only one suit based on the last few videos. While I considered noting that we taped all the videos in one day, I'll keep quiet since some offered to buy me a new suit. 42 regular. By the way, I only wear Brioni.
• Also... A little bird (Devil?) told me this is not an exact replica of the new Arizona State jersey... correcting a lunch link here.

To the notes.

---

Tyson from Portland writes: Here is my question: On your blog and in the comments I don't read much about any kind of sense of worry about the coaching change "situation" at Oregon. Should we Duck fans be worried about Chip Kelly taking over for MB even at all?

Ted Miller: As a fan, it is your duty to worry about everything.

What if an anvil falls on quarterback Jeremiah Masoli's head? What if Walter Thurmond III is eaten by wolves? What if Kelly shows up at his first game wearing his underwear over his khakis? What if those new uniforms are actually made out of flesh-eating bacteria?

Seriously. Be concerned.

And feel free to add Kelly to that list. He's a first-time head coach. He's only worked on the BCS level for a couple of seasons.

Of course, you could just have faith that one of the best offensive minds on the West Coast, who's received rave reviews from just about everybody, is probably going to be OK.

---

Ross from Corvallis, Ore., writes: I recently gave a speech on why college football should have a playoff system for the post-season. I was wondering, what are your thoughts on this? It seems that every year there is question as to who really deserves national champion.

Ted Miller: I would like to see a playoff. But I've stopped thinking about it because I don't think it's going to happen within the next decade.

---

Todd from Mission Viejo, Calif., writes: Recent chatter suggests strong teams from the traditional powers of Washington and UCLA are good for the Pac-10 as a whole. If so, which schools are then the least important to the conference as a whole?

Ted Miller: My spidey senses are tingling on this one... sounds like a trick question.

So I'm going to answer it in reverse because I'm not going to write that any Pac-10 team is "least important."

Washington and UCLA are big market, urban teams with good football traditions that play in big stadiums. That's why they are important: They reach beyond a regional fan base in terms of name recognition and are capable of generating big revenue -- for themselves and the conference.

In large part, it's just economics.

---

Micah from Berkeley, Calif., writes: I am glad that you are picking Cal as USC's biggest challenger this season, and I am hopeful that they are able to oust the Trojans from their seat atop the Pac-10. There is one aspect of the Golden Bears that worries me. How will the departure of fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou affect the running game. This worries me because Will was (in my humble opinion) an underrated fullback, and I have not heard anything about his replacement. He opened up huge holes for Jahvid, and was even involved in the passing game at times. Are my concerns unfounded? Will there be an adequate replacement for Will?

Ted Miller: Good point. Ta'ufo'ou was a bad man on those lead blocks. You are not alone, by the way, in your thinking.

Here's the post-spring depth chart at fullback.

33 Brian Holley (5-9, 235, Sr.)*
31 John Tyndall (6-3, 236, So.)*
22 Will Kapp (5-10, 216, So.)*

I don't know anything about these guys, and my understanding is things are pretty fluid in terms of the pecking order. Holley is a walk-on and none of these three had a bio in the Emerald Bowl media guide.

My guess is, whoever ends up starting, Jeff Tedford will look for ways to cover up taking a step back at the position.

---

Slip from Palo Alto, Calif., writes: Ted, I thought you did your research better than this: "USC figures to be the only team in the nation to play four nationally ranked opponents on the road -- Ohio State, California, Notre Dame and Oregon." (quote from your Pac-10 blog today)Have you looked at Arkansas' 2009 schedule? -- at Alabama, at Florida, at Ole Miss, at LSU. Forget about ranked opponents -- those 4 teams are all certain to be top 15 to open the season!! Then mix in what is effectively a quasi-road game at Jerry Jones Stadium in Arlington, TX versus Texas A&M.

Ted Miller: Fair enough... went back and put this "editor's note" on the entry: "A reader pointed out that Arkansas will play at Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU. That's a comparable road schedule and maybe even a little tougher. But Arkansas also plays Missouri State, Eastern Michigan and Troy."

---

LJ from Huntsville writes: I understand that the OOC schedule of SEC/Big 10/Big 12 teams are sub par however, those games only make up between 33-25% of the entire schedule.My question is, why has the OOC part of schedules received so much limelight and the entire body of the schedules taken the back seat?

Ted Miller: It's about breaking out of a closed system and a team proving itself in national instead of merely regional terms.

When a team plays four patsies and then its conference slate, the rest of the nation really doesn't know that much about said team, particularly if the rest of conference subscribes to the same scheduling philosophy.

And don't lean too heavily on the "strength of schedule" ratings you see all over the place. Not only does scheduling three or four patsies pad a team's -- and a conference's -- rec
ord, a strategic selection of patsies creates artificial heft with the computers.

Some conferences rely on the, "Trust us! We're the best!" approach. The rest of the nation is not required to buy in.

Moreover, it's cowardly to avoid competition.

And here's a trivia question for you: What superawesome conference finished with a 6-9 regular-season record vs. other BCS foes in 2008?

---

Sweatervested1 from Mobile, Ala., writes: Ted, Good day to you sir! I would like for you to announce the following on your blog. Alabama vs Virginia Tech, Sept. 5, 8pm(e) on ABC! I just want to share with "yall" what football really is. I am so assured that we will beat the turkeys that I will be willing to make a little wager with you. Here goes! If some how the Turkeys upset us, your blog will never see "Good Ole" Sweater again. It will be like I went into oblivion (where Tommy Bowden is) or something. However, if we win you must post on your blog great things to say about Alabama for my amusement. Trust a Southern Gentleman. Like the bald guy says "Deal or No Deal?"

Ted Miller: Didn't we have this deal before the Sugar Bowl?

And this sounds like the old, amusing you. I missed you! I prefer the Funny Sweatervested to the Angry One.

I'll assign maxneopayne, eminium08, ducktails777 and snyderjl8 to keep track of this.

And even if the Tide loses, which they won't, you are always welcome on the Pac-10 blog.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

It's an honor for a player to attend Pac-10 media day, which is July 30 in Los Angeles. It means that player has been designated to represent and speak for his team.

Even better, the player gets to answer question, after question, after question from reporters. Fun. Fun. Fun.

Typically, it's the team's biggest star. Sometimes coaches (and sports information folk) will go away from that for a variety of reasons -- opting for a senior leader instead of an underclass superstar (see no Jacquizz Rodgers or Jeremiah Masoli below) or going with a more articulate (or safer) speaker.

The biggest surprise is Washington bringing linebacker Donald Butler instead of the obvious choice, quarterback Jake Locker. That might bother some reporters who want to talk to Locker about coming back from an injury and learning a pro-style offense under a new head coach, but Locker went last year and my guess is he did a back flip upon hearing he won't have to go again (until next year?).

Here's the list.

Arizona
TBA (Odds are this will be TE Rob Gronkowski, but SS Cam Nelson and DT Earl Mitchell also are being considered)

Arizona State
LB Mike Nixon

California
RB Jahvid Best

Oregon
CB Walter Thurmond, III

Oregon State
LB Keaton Kristick

Stanford
RB Toby Gerhart

UCLA
LB Reggie Carter

USC
FS Taylor Mays

Washington
LB Donald Butler

Washington State
C Kenny Alfred

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Fifth in a series of Pac-10 thoughts that might come from unusual angles.

Don't be surprised if ... Oregon's defense is better in 2009, despite welcoming back only five starters.

If you are surrounded by Oregon fans who are bothering you, pretend you see somebody behind them and then yell, "Hey, is that Nick Aliotti?"

Then step back and watch the impassioned discussion over the Ducks' defensive coordinator.

Heck, the debate over the Ducks' defense in 2008 -- the subtle quality or abject underachievement -- even extended into the Web pages of The Oregonian, where Paul Buker (Oregon State beat writer) made fun of Oregon beat writer John Hunt's completely reasonable defense of the Ducks, er, defense.

It was a hoot, as Buker's posts from the "dark, rainy, bullet-riddled southeast [Portland]" usually are.

Some surely have imagined offensive-minded Mike Bellotti's internal but never uttered answer to questions about his defense over the years as, "Defense? We don't need no ... stinkin' defense!"

Bellotti, when asked, always said he cared most about points-allowed, not yards, which justified Aliotti's bend-but-don't-break scheme.

Points you say? Well, the defense gave up 28 of 'em per game last year, which ranked seventh in the Pac-10 and muted the factoid that the Ducks only surrendered 4.9 yards per play, which ranked fourth in the conference.

And now the Ducks head into a 2009 season, one filled with high expectations, with a defense that not only lost six starters, but it lost five starters presently on NFL rosters, four of whom were drafted and two of whom were early second-round picks.

So why the belief the Ducks' D will improve despite the turnover?

To be honest, it takes root in this: Chip Kelly said so.

Kelly just grinned and grinned at me when I rung my hands over his defense during a March interview, and you can sense his confidence during this Q&A he did toward the end of spring practices.

Another big reason goes back to Hunt's story: The Ducks' no-huddle offense works about as fast as an offense can work. It ranked last -- 119th! -- in the nation in time of possession last year.

(Pause for a moment and consider the quick-strike efficiency of Kelly's offense, which averaged 42 points and 485 yards per game).

But in 2008 Kelly wasn't responsible for the defense. Now he is.

The Ducks' coaches in the past have discussed tempo. Kelly loves controlling it. And here's a guess that Kelly will be more willing to mix-and-match his approach and even slow things down. Not to the detriment of his offense, mind you, but as an added way to keep opposing defenses guessing. And, of course, to help his D rest.

It also should help that most of the best offenses Oregon will face -- Utah, California, USC and Oregon State -- will be visiting Autzen Stadium.

Moreover, the new personnel, particularly on the D-line, looked good this spring. And there are plenty of quality, experienced players to hold things together.

Cornerback Walter Thurmond III is healthy, which means he's an All-American candidate. T.J. Ward will become a star when he learns that there's more to playing safety than blow-up hits. End Will Tukuafu, stepping out of the shadow of Nick Reed, could play his way into the first day of the NFL draft. The linebacking unit is faster and deeper than it has been in years.

Of course, we won't have to wait long for an early statement: Oregon opens on Sept. 3 at Boise State, which hung 37 points and 386 passing yards on the Ducks a year ago.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Walter Thurmond III wants to prove he's the Pac-10's best cornerback and he wants his Oregon Ducks to unseat USC atop the conference, but first-things-first.

He wants Boise State.

	Dustin Snipes/Icon SMI
	Ducks cornerback Walter Thurmond can't wait to play Boise State this season.

He'll get 'em. The Ducks, ranked 11th in Mark Schlabach's pre-season Top 25 rankings, visit the 14th-ranked Broncos on Sept. 3, a Thursday night game that should be a frenzy on the blue turf.

And that's not just because Boise State upset the then-17th-ranked Ducks 37-32 inside a stunned Autzen Stadium a year ago, the Broncos recording their first victory on the road over a BCS-conference team.

Nor is it just because redshirt freshman quarterback Kellen Moore scorched a Ducks secondary that was supposed to be among the nation's best for 386 yards passing and three touchdowns.

While Thurmond skillfully changes the subject -- "We've just got to be focused" -- more than a few Ducks have grumbled about the handful of cheap shots delivered by Boise State in the game, most particularly Ellis Powers' late, helmet-to-helmet blast that knocked quarterback Jeremiah Masoli out of the game in the first quarter.

At the time, Masoli was the Ducks No. 3 quarterback, forced into service because of injuries to Nos. 1 (Nate Costa) and 2 (Justin Roper). That left Oregon trying to mount a comeback with a pair of true freshmen, Chris Harper and Darron Thomas.

Less often noted: Thurmond missed the game with a pelvis injury, which might at least partially explain why the Ducks secondary looked like it had never seen a play-action pass before.

Thurmond has another theory.

"Standing on the sidelines looking out, I could tell that some of the players took it as a nonchalant game because they were part of the WAC," Thurmond said. "I think this year there's going to be more intensity out there. We're not going to treat it as just another game. We're going up there for a purpose."

That purpose is the Ducks' belief this can be a special season, which can't even get started without a win at Boise.

"I think we can win Pac-10 this year," Thurmond said.

Thurmond also has a lot at stake. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior is hailed by coach Chip Kelly as the Ducks best football player, but many folks think of California's Syd'Quan Thompson or UCLA's Alterraun Verner or Arizona's Devin Ross -- all seniors -- before Thurmond when talking about the conference's best cornerback.

Heck, those three all earned All-Pac-10 honors in 2008. Thurmond didn't even get honorable mention.

That seems nuts, considering Thurmond, who will become a four-year starter in 2009, tied for the conference lead with five interceptions -- one returned for a touchdown -- which gave him 10 picks over the past two seasons. He also ranked third in the Pac-10 in kick returns, his best effort being a 91-yard dash to open the second half of the Holiday Bowl against Oklahoma State.

Moreover, Thurmond started 12 of 13 games last year despite pelvis and groin injuries that nagged him all season.

"I think it hurt me a lot but I tried to push through it the best that I could and not show any weakness," he said.

The best revenge for a healthy Thurmond might be getting picked first among the Pac-10 corners in the 2010 NFL draft. His combination of size, speed and production makes him an almost-certain first-day selection.

"I think I stand with all those guys," he said. "I feel competitive with those guys. I feel I'm one of the best out there. But I'm going to play my game and not worry about the other guys because they are not me."

And first things first: A showdown on the Smurf Turf.