ESPN College Football

Kevin Gemmell answers a reader question about possible Heisman Trophy dark horses in the Pac-12.

We did a top-25 Pac-12 players list, and then asked you to provide your own.

The response was strong. Both in numbers of entries and the overall quality. A few of you listed mostly guys from your favorite team. One guy took the time to type out Matt Barkley 25 times.

I couldn't publish them all, of course. Further, I didn't consider ones that listed 25 guys with no explanation -- YOU DIDN'T FOLLOW DIRECTIONS! -- and I didn't include ones that just said "switch these two players, drop Reggie Dunn and your list would be perfect."

I also have a celebrity contribution, the last one, that I found pretty interesting.

Couple of general thoughts:

• Many of you thought Marqise Lee should be No. 1.
• The top players you added most were Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant, Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington running back Bishop Sankey, Oregon running back/wide receiver De'Anthony Thomas, Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan and USC defensive end Morgan Breslin.
• The most popular player to dump from our list was Utah kick returner Reggie Dunn.

Once again, here's our list.

No. 1: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
No. 2: Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State
No. 3: Marqise Lee, WR, USC
No. 4: Matt Scott, QB, Arizona
No. 5: Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona
No. 6: Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
No. 7: Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
No. 8: Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford
No. 9: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
No. 10: Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State
No. 11: Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
No. 12: Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
No. 13: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
No. 14: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
No. 15: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
No. 16: Trent Murphy, OLB, Stanford
No. 17: Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford
No. 18: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
No. 19: David Yankey, OL, Stanford
No. 20: Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
No. 21: Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State
No. 22: Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford
No. 23: Michael Clay, LB, Oregon
No. 24: Taylor Kelly, QB, Arizona State
No. 25: Reggie Dunn, KR, Utah

Here are some of your thoughts.

Braxton from Fargo, N.D.:

1. Marqise Lee, WR, USC
2. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3. Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona
4. Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State
5. Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
6. Jonathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
7. Matt Scott, QB, Arizona
8. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
9. Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
10. Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford
11. Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
12. Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
13. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington
14. David Yankey, OL, Stanford
15. Trent Murphy, LB, Stanford
16. Matt Barkley, QB, USC
17. Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon
18. Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
19. Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State
20. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
21. Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
22. Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford
23. Michael Clay, LB, Oregon
24. Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford
25. Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington

First off I do not think a sole kick returner (Reggie Dunn) belongs in a top 25 player list. I would make an exception with De'Anthony Thomas, though he plays a much more vital role in Oregon's offense, than Dunn in Utah's offense. Leaving off Austin Seferian-Jenkins is absurd. If you would take off Seferian-Jenkins off Washington's offense, they would be incredibly one-demensional. Taylor Kelly almost made my list, but I just didn't see enough fire-power in him through the season.

My take: Reasonable list. Added Seferian-Jenkins, Sankey and Trufant -- three Huskies -- and dropped Dunn, Kelly and Crichton. Could be argued.

(Read full post)

Our assignment is to pose a best-case and a worst-case scenario for every Pac-12 bowl team.

So here goes.

Arizona

Gildan New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, N.M., Dec. 15: Arizona (7-5) vs. Nevada (7-5), 1 p.m. ET, ESPN

Best case: Arizona rolls 40-28, as quarterback Matt Scott goes out with a bang that raises NFL eyebrows, and running back Ka'Deem Carey rushes for 195 yards to sew up the national rushing title.

Worst case: Scott gets knocked out of the game early and backup B.J. Denker looks overwhelmed, raising questions about the future at QB. Carey rushes for 35 yards and loses the rushing title as Nevada rolls 42-21. Michigan fans hit the message boards with a litany of "I told you so" about Rich Rodriguez.

Washington

MAACO Bowl Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Dec. 22: Washington (7-5) vs. Boise State (10-2), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Best case: In a "Welcome back!" performance, QB Keith Price throws for 295 yards and three touchdowns -- matching the total TD passes the Broncos have yielded all season -- and runs for another score as the Huskies end 2012 with a statement victory that bodes well for 2013. The Huskies' hot offseason topic is how high the preseason ranking will be.

Worst case: Washington starts slowly as it has much of the season, then gives up a double-digit fourth-quarter lead as Price throws multiple interceptions. Boise State wins going away 38-17, and the Huskies' hot offseason topic is whether coach Steve Sarkisian has plateaued.

UCLA

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl, San Diego, Dec. 27: UCLA (9-4) vs. Baylor (7-5), 9:45 p.m. ET, ESPN

Best case: That the Bruins score 45 points is not unexpected. That Baylor is held to just 17 points is unexpected. UCLA dominates on both sides of the ball, and quarterback Brett Hundley looks like a budding Heisman Trophy candidate. After the game, linebacker Anthony Barr and guard Xavier Su'a-Filo both announce they are returning for the 2013 season. Says Barr, "Unfinished business? Naaah. I just like playing with these guys."

Worst case: Baylor rolls over UCLA in a 55-30 win, as the Bruins' defense can do nothing to slow the Bears, while Hundley throws three picks. Barr and Su'a-Filo opt to leave for the NFL, as does coach Jim Mora, who is hired by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Oregon State

Valero Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, Dec. 29: Oregon State (9-3) vs. Texas (8-4), 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN

Best case: Oregon State throttles the Longhorns 31-13 with stifling defense, but the big story is Cody Mannion -- or is it Sean Vaz? -- throwing four touchdown passes and making a strong case to be the 2013 starter.

Worst case: The Beavers become the only team that couldn't run on Texas this year, and Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz both throw two interceptions in a 30-10 defeat. Meanwhile, Oregon State makes both Case McCoy and David Ash look like superstars. "Well," say all the national commentators. "This makes a strong case for the Big 12's superiority over the Pac-12. But we've still got to see the Fiesta Bowl."

Arizona State

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, San Francisco, Dec. 29: Arizona State (7-5) vs. Navy (7-4), 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Best case: Arizona State uses its superior speed on both sides of the ball to throttle Navy 48-17. After the game, consensus All-American defensive tackle Will Sutton announces he's returning for his senior year.

Worst case: Navy's triple option wears down the Sun Devils in a 28-17 victory. Even worse, the Sun Devils turn the ball over five times and commit 12 penalties for 105 yards, including two personal fouls. They look like the 2011 team, not the 2012 version under new coach Todd Graham.

USC

Hyundai Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas, Dec. 31: USC (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (6-7), 2 p.m. ET, CBS

Best case: Matt Barkley looks like, well, Matt Barkley, throwing five touchdown passes as the Trojans roll 40-10. As for the defense, coordinator Monte Kiffin goes out in style, with the Trojans holding Georgia Tech's option to just 225 total yards. Head coach Lane Kiffin announces after the game that he has hired Bob Diaco away from Notre Dame to be his defensive coordinator.

Worst case: Barkley tries to play but reinjures his shoulder, and the Trojans fold thereafter, ending a horribly disappointing season with a 38-17 loss. After the game, receiver Robert Woods, running back Silas Redd and cornerback Nickell Robey announce they will enter the NFL draft. Lane Kiffin also announces the hiring of Nick Holt to run the Trojans' defense.

Stanford

Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio, Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 1: Stanford (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (8-5), 5 p.m. ET, ESPN

Best case: Stanford dominates on both sides of the ball in a 30-10 victory, holding the Badgers to just 79 yards rushing and 210 total yards. Quarterback Kevin Hogan throws two touchdown passes and runs for another, while running back Stepfan Taylor rushes for 145 yards and a score. After the game, linebacker Shayne Skov, defensive end Ben Gardner and tight end Zach Ertz announce they will be returning for their senior seasons.

Worst case: Montee Ball rushes for 197 yards and two scores as Wisconsin pushes the Cardinal around in a 24-17 win. The Badgers sack Hogan four times, overwhelming the Cardinal's offensive line. After the game, Skov, Gardner and Ertz announce they will enter the NFL draft. Coach David Shaw is hired by the Philadelphia Eagles, and Walt Harris is rehired.

Oregon

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz., Jan. 3: Oregon (11-1) vs. Kansas State (11-1), 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Best case: Oregon starts fast and never lets up in a 51-20 blowout, with running back Kenjon Barner rushing for 187 yards and two scores and quarterback Marcus Mariota throwing for three TDs. The Ducks sack Collin Klein five times and grab two interceptions. "I'm sure glad we didn't play them in the regular season," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder says afterward. Shortly after the game, Ducks coach Chip Kelly signs a lifetime contract, opens practices and promises to be more patient with hypotheticals and other sorts of irritating questions.

Worst case: The Kansas State defense throttles the Ducks' offense, and Klein throws three TD passes in a 30-13 victory. The Ducks rush for only 101 yards. "Oregon struggles in these big games," say the national commentators afterward. "And this really makes the Pac-12 look bad." Kelly is hired by the Philadelphia Eagles. Mariota quits football to become a professional surfer. John Mackovic is hired to replace Kelly.

Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American, and Stanford guard David Yankey were named the winners of the Pac-12's 33rd annual Morris Trophy on Tuesday.

The key attribute of the Morris Trophy is the selection procedure: The league’s starting offensive linemen vote for the defensive winner and vice versa. So it's guys rewarding the player they think is the best.

Learn about past winners here.

Here's the rest of the release from the Pac-12:

Yankey, a 6-foot-5, 301-pound junior from Roswell, Ga., is a 13-game starter for the Cardinal. He anchors an offensive line that allowed a Conference-low 17 sacks (1.42 per game) during the regular season while paving the way for a rushing attack that averaged 173.58 yards per game on the ground during the regular season. Yankey, who is a first team All-Pac-12 selection and an American Football Coaches of America (AFCA) All-American, has played four of the five positions on the offensive line and has lined up at tight end this season. He is the second Stanford offensive lineman, and the third Cardinal lineman overall, to win the Morris Trophy.

Sutton, a 6-foot-1, 267-pound redshirt junior from Corona, Calif., leads the Pac-12 and ranks fifth in the FBS with 1.82 tackles for loss per game (20 total). He also ranks 13th in the nation (third in the Conference) with .95 sacks per game (10.5 total) and paces a Sun Devil defense that has averaged 4.0 sacks and 8.83 tackles for loss per game in 2012; both figures rank second nationally. Sutton earned a Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week nod after collecting eight tackles (six solo), including three sacks, and forced a fumble in a victory over California. A first team AFCA All-American, he is the fifth Sun Devil to win the Morris Trophy and the third ASU defensive lineman to earn the honor.

The Morris Trophy is sponsored by the Washington Athletic Club, the 101 club, Athletic Awards of Seattle and the Morris Trophy Foundation. It was created by Traci (Morris) Drake in 1980 and named after her father, G. Patrick Morris, who was its sponsor for 29 years. Yankey and Sutton will be presented their awards at a luncheon at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle on Jan. 17, 2013.

The Pac-12 was well-represented on the Walter Camp Foundation's 2012 All-America team, released Thursday.

USC sophomore receiver Marqise Lee, Stanford senior tight end Zach Ertz and a pair of running backs, Oregon senior Kenjon Barner and Arizona sophomore Ka'Deem Carey, were named to the first-team offense.

Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and Oregon State cornerback Jordan Poyer, both seniors, earned spots on the first-team defense.

The conference got two players on the second teams, one on each side of the ball: UCLA senior running back Johnathan Franklin and Arizona State junior defensive tackle Will Sutton.

For the complete Walter Camp list, click here.

Six Pac-12 players were named to the American Football Coaches Association All-American team on Wednesday.

Four were on offense: USC WR Marqise Lee, Stanford TE Zach Ertz, Stanford OT David Yankey and Oregon RB Kenjon Barner.

Two were on defense: Arizona State DT Will Sutton and Oregon State CB Jordan Poyer.

The SEC led all conferences with eight All-Americans. The Pac-12 was second with six and the ACC was third with four.

Here's the complete team.

The Pac-12 conference has announced its 2012 individual honors and all-conference first and second teams as voted on by the coaches.

Offensive Player of the Year: Marqise Lee, WR, USC.
Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year: Will Sutton, DE, Arizona State.
Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon.
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Leonard Williams, DE, USC.
Coach of the Year: David Shaw, Stanford.

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

QB Marcus Mariota, Fr., Oregon
RB Kenjon Barner, Sr., Oregon
RB Ka’Deem Carey, So., Arizona
WR Marqise Lee, So., USC
WR Markus Wheaton, Sr., Oregon State
TE Zach Ertz, Sr., Stanford
OL Hroniss Grasu, So., Oregon
OL Khaled Holmes, Sr., USC
OL Brian Schwenke, Sr., California
OL Xavier Su’a-Filo, So., UCLA
OL David Yankey, Jr., Stanford

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

QB Matt Scott, Sr., Arizona
RB Johnathan Franklin, Sr., UCLA
RB Stepfan Taylor, Sr., Stanford
WR Austin Hill, So., Arizona
WR Robert Woods, Jr., USC
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, So., Washington
OL Jeff Baca, Sr., UCLA
OL David Bakhtiari, Jr., Colorado
OL Sam Brenner, Sr., Utah
OL Kevin Danser, Sr., Stanford
OL Sam Schwartzstein, Sr., Stanford

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

DL Scott Crichton, So., Oregon State
DL Dion Jordan, Sr., Oregon
DL Star Lotulelei, Sr., Utah (2)
DL Will Sutton, Jr., Arizona State
LB Anthony Barr, Jr., UCLA
LB Trent Murphy, Sr., Stanford
LB Chase Thomas, Sr., Stanford (2)
DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, So., Oregon
DB Jordan Poyer, Sr., Oregon State
DB Ed Reynolds, Jr., Stanford
DB Desmond Trufant, Sr., Washington

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

DL Henry Anderson, Jr., Stanford
DL Morgan Breslin, Jr., USC
DL Ben Gardner, Sr., Stanford
DL Datone Jones, Sr., UCLA
LB Kiko Alonso, Sr., Oregon
LB Michael Clay, Sr., Oregon
LB Brandon Magee, Sr., Arizona State
DB Deone Bucannon, Jr., Washington State
DB Alden Darby, Jr., Arizona State
DB T.J. McDonald, Sr., USC
DB Nickell Robey, Jr., USC

FIRST-TEAM SPECIALISTS

PK Vince D'Amato, Jr., California
P Jeff Locke, Sr., UCLA
RS Reggie Dunn, Sr., Utah
ST Jordan Jenkins, Sr., Oregon State

SECOND-TEAM SPECIALISTS

PK Andrew Furney, Jr., Washington State
P Josh Hubner, Sr., Arizona State
RS Marqise Lee, So., USC
ST David Allen, Sr., UCLA

ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION

• ARIZONA: WR Dan Buckner, Sr.; LB Jake Fischer, Jr.; OL Kyle Quinn, Sr.; DB Jared Tevis, So.
• ARIZONA STATE: LB Carl Bradford, So.; DB Deveron Carr, Sr.; TE Chris Coyle, Jr.; OL Evan Finkenberg, Jr.; RB D.J. Foster, Fr.; RB Marion Grice, Jr.; DT Jaxon Hood, Fr.; DB Osahon Irabor, Jr.; DB Keelan Johnson, Sr.; QB Taylor Kelly, So.; RS Rashad Ross, Sr.
• CALIFORNIA: WR Keenan Allen, Jr.; RS Brendan Bigelow, So.; DB Josh Hill, Sr.; LB Chris McCain, So; ST Avery Sebastian, So.; DB Steve Williams, Jr.
• COLORADO: DB Kenneth Crawley, Fr.; TE Nick Kasa, Sr.; OL Alex Lewis, So.; DB Marques Moseley, Fr.; OL Daniel Munyer, So.; P Darragh O’Neill, So.; DL Will Perciak, Sr.; RB Christian Powell, Fr.; OL Yuri Wright, Fr.
• OREGON: OL Jake Fisher, So.; DL Taylor Hart, Jr.; WR Josh Huff, Jr.; DL Wade Keliikippi, Jr.; TE Colt Lyerla, So.; DB Terrance Mitchell, So.; DL Isaac Remington, Sr.; RS De’Anthony Thomas, So.
• OREGON STATE: WR Brandin Cooks, So.; OL Grant Enger, Jr.; DB Raashad Reynolds, Jr.; PK Trevor Romaine, So.; DL Andrew Seumalo; OL Isaac Seumalo, Fr.;
• STANFORD: DB Usua Amanam, Sr.; DB Terrence Brown, Sr.; DB Alex Carter, Fr.; ST Alex Debniak, Sr.; OL Cameron Fleming, Jr.; RB Ryan Hewitt, Sr.; QB Kevin Hogan, So.; RS Ty Montgomery, So.; DB Jordan Richards, So.; LB Shayne Skov, Sr.; DL Terrence Stephens, Sr.; RS Drew Terrell, Sr.; TE Levine Toilolo, Sr.; P Daniel Zychlinski, Sr.;
• UCLA: DB Andrew Abbott, Sr.; OL Jake Brendel, Fr.; WR Shaq Evans, Jr.; TE Joseph Fauria, Sr.; QB Brett Hundley, Fr.; LB Eric Kendricks, So.; DL Cassius Marsh, Jr.; RS Damien Thigpen, Jr.;
• USC: LB Dion Bailey, So.; QB Matt Barkley, Sr.; ST Tony Burnett, Sr.; TE Xavier Grimble, So.; PK Andre Heidari, So.; DL Wes Horton, Sr.; OL John Martinez, Jr.; P Kyle Negrete, Sr.; LB Hayes Pullard, So.; RB Silas Redd, Jr.; OL Max Tuerk, Fr.; DL George Uko, So.; DL Leonard Williams, Fr.
• UTAH: DB Brian Blechen, Jr.; DL Nate Fakahafua, So.; DL Joe Kruger, Jr.; TE Jake Murphy, So.; OL Jeremiah Poutasi, Fr.; LB Trevor Reilly, Jr.; DB Eric Rowe, So.; P Sean Sellwood, Sr.; OL Tevita Stevens, Sr.; RB John White, Sr.;
• WASHINGTON: LB Travis Feeney, Fr.; ST Justin Glenn, Sr.; DL Andrew Hudson, So.; DB Sean Parker, Jr.; RB Bishop Sankey, So.; OL Drew Schaefer, Sr.; DL Danny Shelton, So.; LB Shaq Thompson, Fr.; LB John Timu, So.; WR Kasen Williams, So.;
• WASHINGTON STATE: WR Brett Bartolone, Fr.; OL Elliott Bosch, Jr.; RS Teondray Caldwell, Fr.; LB Cyrus Coen, So.; DL Xavier Cooper, Fr.; LB Travis Long, Sr.; LB Darryl Monroe, Fr.; DB Daniel Simmons, Sr.

NOTES

• By School: OREGON and STANFORD placed the most players on the first team with five selections each, followed by OREGON STATE with four.
• By Class: Of the 26 first-team selections, 14 are seniors, five are juniors, six are sophomores and one freshman.
• Unanimous: Only one player was named on the first-team ballot of all 12 head coaches--WR Marqise Lee of USC.
• Two-time selections: Two players are repeat first-team selections from last year--DT Star Lotulelei of Utah, LB Chase Thomas of Stanford.
• All-Academic: Two players were named to the first team on both the All-Pac-12 Team and the Pac-12 All-Academic Football Team--P Jeff Locke of UCLA, OL Khaled Holmes, USC. In addition, OL Kevin Danser of Stanford, DL Ben Gardner of Stanford and Michael Clay of Oregon were named second-team All-Academic and second-team All-Pac-12.

Welcome to Week 8.

Kevin and Ted both went 4-1 last week. For the season, Ted is 44-15 and Kevin is 43-16.

All games are Saturday.

USC AT ARIZONA

Kevin Gemmell: Unlike Washington last week, the Trojans are much better equipped to handle a shootout. And if the USC passing attack is really back to the level it showed last week, the Trojans have enough firepower to pull away. USC 45, Arizona 35.

Ted Miller: This one gives off the slight scent of an upset. But I'm with Kevin. USC 44, Arizona 28.

UCLA AT ARIZONA STATE

Kevin Gemmell: I think the bye week helps UCLA tremendously, while ASU will likely still be trying to pick up the pieces of last week's loss. A rested UCLA team balances out the fact that it is on the road. UCLA 35, Arizona State 27.

Ted Miller: The Sun Devils will be without defensive tackle Will Sutton, and that's not good. But the Bruins struggle on the road, and I think Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly bounces back. Arizona State 30, UCLA 24.

CALIFORNIA AT UTAH

Kevin Gemmell: Just when I start to put my faith in Cal, they rush for 3 yards. And Utah's defense is coming off probably its best game of the season against Oregon State. Recent history suggests Utah's second-half run starts now. Utah 17, Cal 10.

Ted Miller: It's gut-check time for both teams. The loser might kiss bowl hopes goodbye. We like the Bears to step up for Jeff Tedford. Cal 24, Utah 17.

WASHINGTON STATE AT STANFORD

Kevin Gemmell: Stanford's defense had as good of a performance as any team in the conference last week. No reason to think that won't carry over with the Cardinal back at home against an offense that has failed to reach the end zone twice this season. Stanford 27, Washington State 10.

Ted Miller: Stanford should be able to control both lines of scrimmage. End of story. Stanford 35, Washington State 13.

COLORADO AT OREGON

Kevin Gemmell: So... next week should be fun. Oregon 49, Colorado 14.

Ted Miller: I suspect Oregon's starters will get plenty of rest in the second half. Oregon 45, Colorado 10.

OREGON STATE AT WASHINGTON

Kevin Gemmell: Mike Riley has faith in Sean Mannion, and Mannion has been given the green light to play. CenturyLink is a very hostile environment, but the Beavers have done some of their best work on the road this year. Oregon State 24, Washington 14.

Ted Miller: The Huskies have lost three in a row since upsetting Stanford, and quarterback Keith Price has not been himself. The Beavers should keep on trucking, but I wouldn't be surprised if this one was hotly contested deep into the fourth quarter. Oregon State 28, Washington 24.

We're tracking the offensive, defensive and coach-of-the-year races in the Pac-12.

For a more thorough look at offense, re-read our Heisman Trophy update.

Offensive player of the year

1. De'Anthony Thomas, RB/WR, Oregon: Thomas scored a touchdown against Washington State but it was a relatively quiet game for him. For the season, he's rushed for 302 yards (9.7 yards per carry) with five touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 193 yards and three TDs.

2. Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA: He ranks fourth in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with 139.4 yards rushing per game. He rushed for 111 yards on 15 carries in the blowout victory over Colorado. He also caught three passes for 48 yards.

3. Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon: Barner rushed for 195 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over Washington State. He averaged 9.8 yards per carry and ran for scores of 22, 10 and 80 yards. He's second in the Pac-12 in rushing with 121 yards per game and his nine rushing touchdowns leads the conference.

4. Taylor Kelly, QB, Arizona State: Kelly is first in the Pac-12 and 16th in the nation in passing efficiency. The Sun Devils are second in the Pac-12 with 38.4 points per game. Kelly threw three TD passes in the win at California and now has nine for the season.

5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC: Barkley was off last week. His 12 TD passes still leads the conference, but he's fifth in the conference in passing efficiency.

Keep an eye on: UCLA QB Brett Hundley; USC WR Marqise Lee; Oregon State WR Markus Wheaton. Arizona QB Matt Scott; Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor.

Defensive player of the year

1. Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State: Won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career-high eight tackles (six solo), including three sacks, and forced a fumble in a 27-12 victory over California. He's second on the Sun Devils with 34 tackles, including 10 for a loss. Also has 6.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.

2. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah: Off last week. Fourth on the Utes with 19 tackles. Also has four tackles for a loss, a sack, two pass defenses and two forced fumbles.

3. Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford: Had a sack and four tackles against Washington. He's third on the Cardinal with 23 tackles. He also has five tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks.

4. Morgan Breslin, DE, USC: Leads the conference with 2.38 tackles for a loss per game and has five sacks.

Keep an eye on: T.J. McDonald, S, USC; Travis Long, OLB, Washington State; Chris Young, LB, Arizona State; Datone Jones, DE, UCLA; Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA.

Coach of the year

1. Mike Riley, Oregon State: The Beavers, who went 3-9 last year, are now 3-0 and ranked 14th. 'Nuff said.

2. Chip Kelly, Oregon: Ducks are atop the Pac-12 and ranked No. 2. If they ended up winning a fourth consecutive Pac-12 title and earn another berth in the national title game, Kelly wins.

3. Todd Graham, Arizona State: While the Sun Devils are lacking a marquee win, they've been impressive during a 4-1 start. Of particular note is their discipline and efficiency on both sides of the ball. That wasn't what you said about the Sun Devils in the past, even during the good times.

Keep an eye on: Jim Mora, UCLA; Steve Sarkisian, Washington

For those who participated in Wednesday's chat, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness. So you've got that going for you.

For those who didn't, you don't get to enjoy this Caddyshack reference. So stop enjoying it. You, sitting at your work computer with the Starbucks, stop enjoying it.

You can, however, read the highlights or catch the complete chat here.

Nick (Boston): Hi Kevin, I think that Stanford Washington game tomorrow night will be really interesting, I think if Price is able to make plays the Huskies can keep it close and have a chance to win the game in the 4th quarter your thoughts?

Kevin Gemmell (2:01 PM): The answer lies in the question. I think Price is going to be on the move quite a bit this week -- given the issues on the offensive line and the aggressive nature of the Stanford front seven. If they can keep contain, it will be a long day for Price. If he can make plays with his feet, he'll force Stanford to move up a safety to spy and adjust and that could keep them in the game.

Beavtastic (Corvegas): What will it take for the Beavs to be 8-0 coming into the Stanford game? I think if the improvements are made on offense, 8-0 is not unreasonable.

Kevin Gemmell (2:03 PM): At this point, I would agree that 8-0 is possible. I think the ASU game the week before could be a trap. If ASU keeps playing the way it does, there is the slight possibility OSU could be looking ahead. Also, keep in mind the Beavers have to play 11 straight weeks now. That could take a toll.

Ben (Clovis, CA): Do you think Jarek Lancaster is getting hosed by the Stanford coaches? The guy could be an all conference linebacker IMO

Kevin Gemmell (2:10 PM): I talked with someone on the staff about Lancaster. I was told they are yet to stop Vaughters in practice. I think Lancaster has the experience, but Vaughters seems to be the better talent. He just needs to get some experience under his belt. With that said, Lancaster is one of the gutsiest players in the conference and one of my all-time favorite interviews. Good, good dude.

Bryce (SF): What does DAT need to do to climb the Heisman rankings? All the talk seems to be about Geno Smith, who hasn't even played a good team yet!

Kevin Gemmell (2:15 PM): More touches, more touchdowns. But I don't call the plays and I'm not going argue with how Kelly and Co. call plays. The Heisman would be sweet. A national championship would be sweeter.

Kirk (Campbell, CA): First year QB's often drop a close game or two on the road, do you think Stanford can beat UW, Notre Dame and Cal away from home to possibly be undefeated by the time they play Oregon?

Kevin Gemmell (2:24 PM): A lot of first-year quarterbacks are asked to do a lot. With the running game support and the defense backing him, Nunes is in a position where he doesn't have to be stellar on a weekly basis. When you look at the USC game, he was OK and made two fantastic plays when he had to -- the scramble for the first down and the touchdown to Ertz. The fact that he pressure isn't on him to throw four touchdowns and 300+ yards every week is a good thing.

Jason (Vancouver, WA): Thoughts on Colt Lyerla being used in Oregon's backfield? He playing running back in high school and was 1st team all-state with 1,600 yards and 20+ tds as a senior. He is like a power DAT to me. I hope they start using him all over the field more.

Kevin Gemmell (2:39 PM): I love it. I love innovative offenses and keeping teams on their toes.

Kevin (OKC): What are your thoughts on the season that Will Sutton is having so far. He was an absolute beast vs Utah. If he keeps playing this way can he get All-American status? Surely at least All-Conference. He outplayed Utah's stud DT the other day.

Kevin Gemmell (2:44 PM): I wrote about Sutton last week before the Utah game and he didn't disappoint. He's playing as well as any defensive lineman in the country right now. Tough for Pac linemen to get the love though. He'll have to really have stellar numbers.

Walter Jr. (New Mexico): Which coach's autobiography would you want to read the most?

Kevin Gemmell (2:46 PM): Interesting question... This might seem like an obvious answer given my job last season -- but I would go with Shaw -- only because if I were a football coach, my philosophies would be in sync with his. I love the pro-style offense, I love the 3-4 defense. I love the grind-it-out approach to the game and he's got a really interesting history as a former player, the son of a coach and the fact that he gave up an NFL job to go with Harbaugh to a non-scholarship program at USD (where he and I first met).

Tyler (Portland, OR): With Matt Barkley's inability to get the passing game going for USC and with Oregon's stellar secondary coverage against Arizona on Saturday and the addition of Colt Lyerla to the running game, do you see the November 3rd meeting in LA going differently than you did at the beginning of the season?

Kevin Gemmell (3:00 PM): I have no problem saying I was wrong. I picked USC to win the title. Things change. And I think Oregon is the best team in the conference right now. That said, I still think that will be a great game, but as of right now I'm leaning toward Oregon.

We're tracking the offensive, defensive and coach-of-the-year races in the Pac-12.

For a more thorough look at offense, re-read our Heisman Trophy update.

Offensive player of the year

1. De'Anthony Thomas, RB/WR, Oregon: Thomas is 24th in the nation in all-purpose yards and 13th in the nation in scoring, with 10.5 points per game. He also was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which, yes, counts for something.

2. Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA: He ranks fourth in the nation with 146.5 yards rushing per game. Only had 45 yards rushing in loss to Oregon State.

3.Taylor Kelly, QB, Arizona State: Kelly is first in the Pac-12 and ninth in the nation in passing efficiency. The Sun Devils are second in the Pac-12 with 41.3 points per game. Only six touchdown passes hurts.

4. Matt Barkley, QB, USC: His stock took another hit with a middling performance in the victory over California. His 12 TD passes still lead the conference, but he's fifth in the conference in passing efficiency.

Keep an eye on: Arizona QB Matt Scott; Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor; UCLA QB Brett Hundley; USC WR Marqise Lee; Oregon RB Kenjon Barner.

Defensive player of the year

1.Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah: Fourth on the Utes with 19 tackles. Also has four tackles for a loss, a sack, two pass defenses and two forced fumbles.

2. Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford: He's got 16 tackles, four tackles for a loss and a sack. The leader of what might be the conference's best defense.

3. Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State: He's second on the Sun Devils with 26 tackles, including six for a loss. Also has 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

4. Morgan Breslin, DE, USC: Leads the conference with 9.5 tackles for a loss and is tied for second with five sacks.

5. Chris Young, LB, Arizona State: He's second in the conference with 8.5 tackles for a loss. Tied for third in conference with eight tackles per game. Has two sacks and a forced fumble.

6. Datone Jones, DE, UCLA: He's third in the conference with eight tackles for a loss. He also has two sacks and 13 total tackles with a forced fumble.

Keep an eye on: T.J. McDonald, S, USC; D.J. Welch, Oregon State; Travis Long, OLB, Washington State.

Coach of the year

1. Mike Riley, Oregon State: The Beavers are back in the national rankings. If they finish there, Riley could become the front-runner. Unless Oregon or Stanford goes undefeated.

2. Chip Kelly, Oregon: Ducks are atop the Pac-12 and ranked No. 2. If they ended up winning a fourth consecutive Pac-12 title and earn another berth in the national title game, Kelly wins.

2. David Shaw, Stanford: If the Cardinal eclipses Oregon in the North Division and wins the Pac-12, Shaw would have the inside track.

Keep an eye on: Todd Graham, Arizona State; Jim Mora, UCLA.