For a short while in 2013 it looked like the Pac-12 could not miss when it came to the national championship. However, once again it was not meant to be as both Stanford and Oregon did their best to avoid the much clamoured for showdown with Alabama. As it turns out, the Crimson Tide never got their themselves as we wait another year for green versus red.
This time around I fully expect USC to re-emerge with a strong football program while UCLA have all the pieces to win it all.
Pac-12 North
Oregon Ducks
The Ducks fell way below expectations in 2013 after the season opened up for them to reach the national championship game. Putting up 50 to 60 points per game against the likes of Virginia and Tennessee is pointless if you cannot win the big games against rivals Stanford.
Josh Huff left for the NFL and the man due to take his place, Bralon Addison, tore his ACL in the spring, leaving the team without a true wide receiver. Nevertheless, Oregon boasts potentially the best quarterback in college football with Marcus Mariota and key defenders Derrick Malone and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu return. I have the Ducks winning the Pac-12 and claiming a berth in the play-offs.
Stanford Cardinals
An early loss to Utah and a defeat at the hands of the flailing USC meant all of Stanford’s hard work to beat Oregon and put themselves back in contention was undone in an instant. The linebacker corps took a big hit when Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy left town along with safety Ed Reynolds. Also, not forgetting the offense, where left guard David Yankey and right tackle Cam Fleming also found homes in the NFL.
The Cardinals usually get close to the big game but come up short at some point. Sadly, with the incurred losses, trips to Eugene and UCLA will prove too much.
Washington Huskies
Former Boise State head coach Chris Petersen has taken the helm at Washington and he has 14 returning starters to help him carve out a new legacy.
The Huskies have plenty of the strength in the trenches which is not a bad start for any team looking to kick on from a nine-win season.
Quarterback and running back do pose some dilemmas, especially with leading rusher Bishop Sankey now out of the fold. The man under center will be Cyler Miles who was strongly recruited out of high school. His growing pains along with new faces in the back field and at wide receiver is likely to slow this team down a little, but there is enough quality on the field and the sideline to produce high quality football.
Oregon State Beavers
The Beavers’ offense will have to do some adjusting after prolific slot receiver Brandin Cooks was selected in the first-round of the NFL Draft. It felt like Sean Mannion threw the ball on every play last year but it is unlikely he can do the same again this time around.
Outside of Cooks, only defensive end Scott Crichton is a notable loss so there is minimal turnaround, leaving the side to go on the hunt of causing upsets and ruining national championship ambitions of their conference rivals.
Washington State Cougars
Connor Halliday used his arm to good effect in 2013 to lead the Cougars to their first Bowl game in over a decade and I expect more of the same this fall.
After a 6-6 season a late comeback by Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl spoiled the party but the basis for a good future was built.
Unfortunately for Washington State, the Pac-12 North is loaded with great teams and it is hard to see them seriously pushing state rivals Washington or even Oregon State. However, if Halliday can minimise the turnovers and keep a lacklustre defense off the field, there is no reason why they cannot improve further and target eight wins.
California Golden Bears
A 37-30 victory over Portland State is all the Golden Bears have to show for last season. A defense that conceded at least 30 points in every game loses outside linebacker Khairi Fortt and defensive tackle Viliama Moala. However, wide receivers Chris Harper Bryce Treggs do return along with quarterback Jared Goff to add some offensive stability.
Anything more than a four-win season is out of the question but it is almost impossible for this team to go backwards.
Pac-12 South
UCLA Bruins
After a slightly damp year I have the Bruins returning back to the top of the Pac-12 South in 2014 thanks to an extremely impressive roster.
Barring a freak occurrence, this will be quarterback Brett Hundley’s last year as a Bruin. The dual-threat signal caller has a number of school records in his belt and will go down as the greatest ever if he can lead his side to the play-offs.
Linebacker Myles Jack, who disguises himself as one hell of a running back, is one of the most talented sophomore in the nation and can take the next step towards total domination in 2014. And, just in case he needed a helping hand, prolific tackling machine Eric Kendricks will also be there to hand out the punishment.
UCLA have slowly been gaining momentum towards the upcoming season, hopefully they can put on the show we all want to see.
USC Trojans
Despite Steve Sarkisian inheriting a ten-win team, it is hard to gauge just how well he will do after his move from Washington.
He should be familiar with the system and the way things are done in southern California, but his head coaching record is not the greatest.
The Trojans have a loaded schedule in 2014 and there will be no hand-outs. Nevertheless, Cody Kessler will take his second term under centre with confidence after a solid redshirt sophomore year. Running back Javorious Allen has star qualities and will help him out no end, while wide receiver Nelson Agholor who could potentially be a first-round draft pick come next May.
USC move one stop closer to being their old self in 2014 but just fall short of the Bruins.
Arizona State Sun Devils
The Sun Devils produced a stunning 2013 campaign only to suffer heavy defeats to Stanford in the conference game and Texas Tech in the National University Holiday Bowl.
Unsurprisingly, after such a good season a number of underclassman bolted for the NFL leaving the roster a bit thin in a number of positions. But, the key offensive trio of quarterback Taylor Kelly, running back D.J. Foster and wide-out Jaelen Strong are intact and expected to put up huge numbers once more.
A return to the conference title game is unlikely two seasons on the bounce but with UCLA and Stanford both traveling south an upset could be on the cards.
Arizona Wildcats
Back-to-back eight win seasons is a good start for the Wildcats but coming up short against rivals Arizona State will not suffice and it is time they took the next step.
Running back Ka’Deem Carey will be sorely missed but wide receiver Austin Hill returning should give the offense a huge boost. Add to that the presence of offensive tackles Fabbians Ebbele and Mickey Baucus and you have a solid offensive core to build up from.
It will all boil down to the showdown with the Sun Devils but if Arizona can nab a ninth win from somewhere then they cannot go wrong. I have them finishing fourth in the South, however.
Utah Utes
Last season was a bizarre one for Utah. A close run loss to UCLA was followed up with a tremendous win over then no.4 ranked Stanford. Then things took a turn of the worse and five straight losses saw them go from 4-2 to 4-7 in the blink of an eye.
After constantly regressing since their ten-win 2010 campaign, the Utes showed signs of fight and that will hold them in good stead for relentless schedule. And, despite being a better football team, it is that torrid schedule which sees them near the bottom of the South.
Colorado Buffaloes
The 2013 season was a miserable one for Colorado fans as just a single conference win was registered, leaving them dead bottom of the south.
2014 does not appear to offer much more in the way of hope after outstanding wide receiver Paul Richardson turned pro. On a positive note, leading Pac-12 tackler from a year ago Addison Gillam returns to lead the defense. Sadly, there is nothing to suggest they won’t be propping up the division come the new year.