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When talking about the Pac 10,
you have to start with the USC Trojans. Will
they be able to get back to another title game
or was last season’s loss to Texas a bad
omen ? Let’s just say trying to replace
Leinart, Bush, and White won’t be easy;
it will be impossible. USC might not be able
to make it back to the title game, but they
still have to be the favorite to take the Pac
10 despite probable QB trouble this season.
Great QB play has been a staple at USC in recent
years, but it could take a major back slide
in 2006 as Mark Sanchez is battling legal problems,
and David Booty’s back continues to give
him trouble even after surgery. A speedy, big
play defense and a nice freshman class will
keep this team potent and at the top of the
Pac 10.
UCLA should put up some good offensive numbers
through the air led by QB Ben Olson. The Bruins
lose tight end Mercedes Lewis to the NFL, but
senior J.J. Hair, who is already a solid blocker,
should be a strong contributor to the offense.
Ryan Moya had a good spring and could be a big
play receiver this season. UCLA is currently
13th in the coaches poll and they’ll likely
end up about there at the end of the season.
They start off the year with an easy schedule,
which will make their September 30th showdown
with Stanford a tough game.
Oregon could have an early season QB merry-go-round
before either Brady Leaf or Dennis Dixon emerges
as clearly better than the other. Dixon in far
more mobile, and perhaps a tandem QB attack
could work for the Ducks. With Receiver Derrick
Jones and tight end Dante Rosario, the Ducks
could be lighting teams up through the air.
Jones is a transfer from USC with a ton of potential
and is one of the fastest players in the Pac
10. I anticipate him making some noise in the
Pac 10 this season within Oregon’s spread
offense. His eligibility is in question surrounding
transfer complications, however. Linebacker
Kwame Agyeman will anchor the Oregon defense.
Last season Oregon State couldn’t defend
the pass to save their lives. In fact, they
gave up 300 yards per game. This year they should
be improved in this area and as a result they’ll
be more competitive in the Pac 10. Experience
will be a major asset for this team on the offensive
side of the ball as they return 5 starting offensive
linemen, tailback Yvenson Benard, and tight
end Joe Newton. And the only place for QB Matt
Moore to go is up. Last season, he threw 19
INT’s and just 11 TD’s. Another
year and a better grasp of the offense will
make a big difference for him and the Beavers
in 2006.
Stanford’s defense has a long way to
go if they want to be competitive this season.
Defensive Coordinator, A.J. Christoff is still
up in the air about whether his guys are better
suited for a 4-3 or 3-4. Frankly, it won’t
matter what defense they play. Michael Marcellari
should provide good defensive line play and
Tim Sims will try to anchor the defensive backfield,
but overall their just isn’t enough talent
to have a great defense. Offensively, the Cardinal
is excited about Trent Edwards who will be one
of the best QB’s in the conference.
Washington bottomed out in 2005-06 tying for
dead last in the conference and finishing just
2-9 overall. They will likely struggle again
this season and their schedule won’t be
of any help to them as they face the Sooners
on the road in week 2 and follow that one up
with Frenso State and UCLA. It’s tough
to crawl out of an early season hole as it shoots
your confidence and the Huskies will likely
be trying to crawl out of a hole this season.
A pass defense which made Oregon State’s
look good will have to be majorly improved before
we talk about anything on the offensive side
of the ball.
The November 18th matchup against in-state
rival Washington will likely be the only game
of any importance for Washington State this
season. Mkristo Bruce will be one of the few
bright spots on this team. He had 10 sacks and
15 tackles for loss last season and will be
a strong NFL prospect. Injuries have gotten
the better of this team the past few seasons,
and depth will be a hindrance again this year.
Maybe, I’m being a little tough on these
guys. If they can stay healthy, they could sneak
into a bowl game at 6 and 5 on the season.
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Arizona has a big advantage over pretty much
every other Pac 10 team as they will finish
off most drives with points because of kicker
Nick Folk, who nailed a 62 yard field goal in
the spring game. His leg could be the difference
in several close game which Arizona will be
involved in during the Pac 10 season. If these
games go in the Wildcats favor, we could see
Arizona jump from 8th clear up to 3rd this season.
I also want to mention that I love Willie Tuitama
who played the final 5 games of the season for
the Cats last year and put up impressive number.
Arizona State will likely be a middle-of-the-road
team in 2006 as they just don’t have the
talent to make it over the hump. The Sun Devils
found themselves giving up good field position
to opponents far too often last year as they
were terrible at punting the football averaging
just 29.7 yards per punt. Hopefully JC transfer
Jonathan Johnson will be able to help alleviate
some of the field position issues. That in itself
will go a long way in helping this team improve.
DeSean Jackson will be one of the most exciting
players in the country this season. He is like
a Reggie Bush. He returns kicks and has great
hands as a receiver out of the backfield. Teams
will have to build their defensive schemes around
slowing him down which will open up some plays
down the field. Cal is also excited about linebacker
Justin Moye and safety Bernard Hicks making
some noise on defense. Cal will be one of the
most exciting teams to watch in the Pac 10 this
season.
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Jimmy Boyd is a documented member of The Professional
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