Over The Pylon

4.) Southern California Trojans

What You Need to Know
In the conversation of teams of the last decade, clearly USC has a death grip on that title. No matter how you evaluate that honor, chances are head coach Pete Carroll and the Trojans have a resume bullet that exhibits their dominance. Under Carroll the Trojans have racked up not only the hardware (two AP National Championships, 1 BCS Championship) but also the finer points of success. 7 straight 11+ win seasons, 7 consecutive PAC 10 championships, 53 players selected in the NFL Draft, three Heisman Trophy winners, and 25 All American First Teamers all are impressive, not to mention the fact that the Trojans became the only team in history to win three consecutive Rose Bowls.

Through this decade, USC has made their living recruiting the best athletes in the country to easily transition between personnel changes for graduation or early entry to the NFL Draft. This year, the ability to seamlessly transition will be put to the test as USC loses valuable skill players on offense as well as an unbelievable number of defensive starters. Luckily for Carroll and the Trojans, there are a host of players on the roster ready to step in and be the next All-Stars.

Last season the Trojans had one minor blip which cost them a chance for a national title when they were upset at Oregon State. Their only loss dropped them from the #1 ranking and overshadowed their victory against #5 Ohio State the week prior. After that loss, the Trojans were simply dominant and ended their season with a 38-24 decimation of Penn State in the Rose Bowl. This season, the Trojans are gunning for their 8th consecutive season with a PAC 10 title and their 8th straight appearance in a BCS Bowl Game, both goals well within reach for this talented group of players and coaches.

Offensively, the Trojans lose only 2 starters in QB Mark Sanchez and WR Patrick Turner, but those 2 starters were integral parts of USC’s offensive attack last season. This year in fall camp a QB battle has begun between sophomore Aaron Corp and freshman Matt Barkley, with junior and former Arkansas Razorback Mitch Mustain waiting in the wings. Regardless of who wins the position battle, they will have an offense capable of great things and big plays. Last season the Trojans averaged 37.5 points per game, along with 455 yards. They return 4 of their best 5 rushing options from 2008, as well as 8 of their top 9 receivers. On the offensive line, the Trojans return all of last year’s starters, as well as all of their backups, making the Trojan offensive line one of the deepest and most talented in all of college football. Also mixed in with the transitional issues is the replacement of former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian with John Morton when Sarkisian left for the head coaching job at Washington.

Defensively is where many of the losses will be felt for the Trojans, as 8 starters are lost from a unit that was dominant throughout 2008. The Trojans held opponents to 9 points per game with 222 total yards, and only 134 through the air. Of the three returning starters, 2 of them are in the secondary with senior CB Josh Pinkard and senior FS Taylor Mays. The only other returning starter is junior NT Christian Tupou, meaning of the Trojans’ front 7, 6 of them will be new full time starters. The most notable departures are the exceptional linebacking crew of Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, and Kaluka Maiava who are all on NFL rosters now. The majority of the USC defense’s new folks has playing experience, but hasn’t started consistently. How quickly those players develop into consistent playmakers in a starting role will determine how good this season is for USC. With Carroll and defensive coordinator Nick Holt at the helm and the talent these players possess, that should be an easy transition.

The Trojans have a schedule which features a remarkably challenging non-conference games in their road trips to Ohio State and Notre Dame as well as road games against some of their toughest in conference matchups. At home this season, the Trojans get San Jose State in their season opener for their only non-conference home games. In conference the Trojans host Washington St., Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, and Arizona. They must travel to Washington, Cal, Oregon, and Arizona State.

For the Trojans, they are facing a season in which many pundits and college football experts are consumed with Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. However, with the schedule they have, should the Trojans win out, they are a virtual certainty to play for a national title.

Who You Need to Know & Their 08 Stats
RB Stafon Johnson: 138 att, 705 yds, 9 TDs
WR Damian Williams: 58 rec, 869 yds, 9 TDs
FS Taylor Mays: 53 tkls, 2 TFL

Game to Watch
All eyes will be on the Trojans September 12th for their contest in Columbus against Ohio State. A win puts the Trojans in great position to challenge for a national championship. After that, their road contests against Cal (10/3) and Oregon (10/31) will be their biggest roadblocks to winning their 8th consecutive conference crown.

They’ll Do Well If…
… the players new to the starter slots live up to their lofty expectations and their prior performances. It’s not like USC is replacing NFL caliber talent with people that wouldn’t starters at any other program in the country. Additionally, most of the folks, aside from the QB position, have significant playing experience.

Season Outlook
USC comes into this year’s season a consensus top 5 pick for most every major writer, coach, and preseason publication. Ironically enough, despite that lofty ranking, very few people are giving the Trojans much of a shot to push their way into the title conversation, reserving those sorts of talks for Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida. For USC, their out of conference schedule is simply brutal, road contest at Ohio State and Notre Dame are long travels and great teams in impressive home environments. In conference, trips to Cal and Oregon will be challenging. Look for a loss against either Ohio State or Notre Dame, which will knock the Trojans out of national title contention, but I expect the Trojans to run the table in the PAC 10. 11-1 overall, 9-0 in conference, and USC will be making a return trip to a BCS Bowl, their 8th straight.

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11.) California Golden Bears

What You Need to Know
For the Cal Golden Bears, it’s tough being them. In-state rival and conference rival USC consistently grabs the headlines, the attention, and the titles, while Cal perennially is good but always seems a step behind the Trojans for the Pac 10 and the national championships. Last season it was a frustrating time for the Golden Bears as each time they appeared in the national polls, they lost the following week. They did close the season with an Emerald Bowl win against the Miami Hurricanes, but a 9-4 season left much to be desired. This year, though, Cal figures to have all the pieces needed for a Pac 10 title run but also potentially a national championship chance.

Most of those pieces for a title run are located on the offensive side of the ball for the Golden Bears. Junior RB Jahvid Best clearly is the most valuable weapon, as he led the Pac 10 in rushing last season while setting a Cal single-game record in the season finale with 311 yards. Best is clearly a front-runner for the Doak Walker award, and looks to give Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and Colt McCoy some company at the Heisman Ceremony. Handing Best the ball will be junior Q B Kevin Riley, who no longer has to battle with Nate Longshore. Riley was far from epic last season, but looks to improve on his 50.7% accuracy. On the offensive line, the Golden Bears lose All American center Alex Mack, as well as 2nd Team Pac 10 RG Noris Malele but the Cal offensive line is experienced, talented, and deep. It will be hard to eclipse last year’s 32.6 points per game, but this unit is talented enough to do it.

Defensively, Cal returns 8 starters from a unit that allowed only 315 yards per game and 19.9 points. They do lose their top 2 tacklers, but return experience and talent all over the field. The most felt losses are LB Zack Follett, whose 10.5 sacks last season accounted for one-third of Cal’s total sacks and Worrell Williams. Anthony Felder also departs, as does Shea McIntyre, leaving the linebacking unit depleted and virtually the only area of concern for the entire Cal team despite highly touted young bucks chomping at the bit. The entire secondary returns, most notably Syd’Quan Thompson who excels not only as a corner but also as a punt returner.

Cal’s schedule is challenging but not impossible, as their lone out of conference road game is against Minnesota in a definite winnable game. Their most challenging out of conference game is their season opener against Maryland, at home. In conference, the Golden Bears play 5 of their 9 Pac 10 games on the road, but do get Oregon State and USC at home.

Since taking over in 2002, Jeff Tedford has built Cal into a consistent winner, perennial contender, and a team that no one can take lightly. When your “down year” is 9-4 with a Bowl win, that’s doing things the right way. This year, Tedford looks to take the Bears to the next level and challenge USC for the conference crown and the accompanying BCS berth.

Who You Need to Know & Their 08 Stats
RB Jahvid Best: 194 att, 1580 yds, 15 TDs
QB Kevin Riley: 112-221, 1360 yds, 14 TDs, 6 INTs
CB Syd’Quan Thompson: 70 tkls, 2 sacks, 5.5 TFL, 14 PBU, 4 INTs

Game to Watch
For the Golden Bears, they look to be undefeated, highly ranked, and able to make a gigantic statement about the rest of the season on October 3rd when USC rolls into Berkeley. Should they win, their next contest (after a bye week) on October 17th against UCLA could be their toughest remaining challenge for Pac 10 supremacy and a win there puts an undefeated season well within their sights.

They’ll Do Well If…
… Kevin Riley steps into the starter’s role with confidence and swagger. Many will point to the defensive losses as a reason Cal won’t succeed, but with enough success from Riley, that’s a burden easily overcome.

Season Outlook
For Cal, this season may not be historic, but it will be a good year to be a Golden  Bears fan. After running through their non-conference schedule at 3-0, Cal will put USC and UCLA to the test, defeating one of the two and losing a heartbreaker to the other. They’ll be favored in the rest of the conference matchups and close the year 11-1, with an outside shot at a Pac 10 championship depending on who the “1” was. A great year for Cal and another outstanding performance from Jahvid Best will make 2009 a year to remember.

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16.) Oregon Ducks

What You Need to Know
When it comes to the Pac 10, the media favorite is certainly not the team that plays their home games in Autzen Stadium. New head coach Chip Kelly is going to try his hardest to change that reputation and continue the strong, albeit relatively overlooked, program that former head coach and current athletic director Mike Bellotti built into a consistent winner. Kelly, while new to the head coach role, has been at Oregon as the offensive coordinator since 2007, where his offenses have been impressive to say the least. This year appears to be more of the same with talented skill position players, a darkhorse Heisman candidate, a serviceable defense, and a favorable, albeit tough, schedule.

Offensively, the Ducks return 4 starters, but in the case of senior RB LeGarrette Blount, 2008 backup to Jeremiah Johnson, he had a season most starters dream of. Despite a limited spring due to injury and a winter suspension, Blount looks to improve markedly on last season’s 1002 yards and 17 TDs. The most important position in Kelly’s spread attack is the quarterback , and Oregon has a talented one in junior Jeremiah Masoli. Catching balls from Masoli will be a talented group of inexperienced but very highly touted receivers. Junior Jeff Maehl is the leading returning receiver statistically, and senior TE Ed Dickson leads all pass catchers in returning yardage. The offensive line remains the biggest question mark for the Ducks, as they have lost 6 of their top 10 players on the offensive line including numerous selections to the All Pac 10 Teams with the lone returning starter junior RT Ce Kaiser. Those sorts of heavy losses up front may put a bit of a damper on the offense’s production and will almost certainly see a dip from last year’s record setting season.

Defensively, Chip Kelly returns 5 starters to a unit that gave up 389 yards per game (8th in the Pac 10) along with 28.2 points (7th in the Pac 10). The Ducks were stronger against the rush (2nd in conf.) than the pass (10th in conf.) but those numbers may not be the same this year. Among the losses are 3 of the front 4, including DE Nick Reed to the NFL. The lone returner on the D Line is senior DE Will Tukuafu, who used his 7.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss to be named to the 2008 2nd Team All Conference team. The secondary also took heavy losses as Patrick Chung and Jairus Byrd no longer suit up. Those two combined for 175 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, and 6 interceptions and both received 1st Team All Pac 10 honors. Also of note for the Ducks is the loss of key special teams players like K Matt Evensen, P Josh Syria, and return man Jairus Byrd.

The schedule for the Ducks is daunting but manageable, in addition, their 9 conference games shake out favorably with 5 home games. Out of conference, the Ducks face Boise State, Utah, and Purdue, with BSU on the road to open the season. Despite the challenging schedule, Kelly’s first season as the head man in Autzen looks to be a continuation of success for a proud Oregon program.

Who You Need to Know & Their 08 Stats
QB Jeremiah Masoli: 136-239, 1744 yds, 13 TDs, 5 INTs, 127 rush, 718 yds, 10 TDs
RB LeGarrette Blount: 137 att, 1002 yds, 17 TDs
TE Ed Dickson: 35 rec, 508 yds, 3 TDs

Game to Watch
For the Ducks, they start 2009 with a bang, traveling to Boise State on September 3rd. Two weeks later on September 19th the Utah Utes make the trip to Eugene. In conference, their most challenging games come against Cal (9/26), USC (10/31), and in-state rival Oregon State for the annual Civil War on December 3rd. All those games are at Autzen Stadium, a tremendous home field advantage for the Ducks.

They’ll Do Well If…
… the Ducks’ offensive and defensive lines overcome a lack of experience to perform at a level that allows the UO offense and defense to succeed. Football is certainly a game won in the trenches, and for the Ducks to be successful this season they’ll need to win more battles than they lose up front.

Season Outlook
For the Ducks, the talent is certainly there, even if the experience is not. Were it not for that, this would be a disaster season in Chip Kelly’s first at the helm. The UO attack on offense will not be as potent as last year off the bat, which may lead to early season losses, most notably their season opener at Boise. As the year progresses, Oregon will improve dramatically week to week as the lines gain experience and the schematics begin to click. Look for the Ducks to upset at least one of either USC or Cal. When all is said and done, Oregon will be on the outside looking in for the Pac 10, but a 9-3 record (7-2 in conference) with this schedule and this team is impressive.

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