Pac-10 Pre-Season Power Rankings

Will the Ducks finish the season celebrating again? (Getty Images)

With a new season just around the corner, here are my predictions for how the teams will all shake out…

1) Oregon – When the defending champion returns 17 starters, 9 of whom were part of the best offense in the conference last year, they deserve to remain at the top.  The loss of Masoli hurts the Ducks, but with a defense that will continue to improve, and the best running back corps in the conference, I don’t expect the Ducks to miss a beat this season

2) USC – While many people are picking them to finish near the top, I think USC remains one of the biggest wildcards in the conference.  Based on talent, they definitely deserve this ranking, however it remains to be seen how motivated they will be without the chance of making the postseason, and how well Lane Kiffin can handle the pressure that coaching USC brings.

3) Stanford – While the Cardinal will severely miss Toby Gearhart this season, Andrew Luck is a dark horse candidate for conference player of the year.  While everyone is talking about Jake Locker, many seem to forget how good this guy is, and with arguably the best coach in the conference in Jim Harbaugh, I’m predicting a big season in Palo Alto.

4) Oregon State – The biggest question mark this season will be who plays quarterback for the Beavers, but whoever ends up under center will have some serious help in the form of James and Jaquizz Rodgers.  While the Beavers need both of these guys to stay healthy in order to remain successful, Mike Riley always seems to make things happen in Corvallis, and I don’t think this season will be any different.

5) Washington – While I mentioned above all of the hype that Jake Locker has been receiving this year, I must also add that it isn’t without reason.  This guy has all of the tools you look for in a quarterback, and now in his second season within the Sarkisian system, Locker could make the jump into an elite group of quarterbacks in conference history.  Combine all that with the emergence of Chris Polk, and the Huskies know that their success hinges solely on whether or not their defense can rise to the occasion.

6) California – The Golden Bears remain an interesting team to predict, given the history of quarterback Kevin Riley.  No player in the conference has experienced such highs and lows over their career, and yet, here he stands as the starting quarterback for his senior year.  While I don’t think he has the tools to consistently lead an elite college program, the Bears have lots of talent overall, and should remain in the middle of the pack this season.

7) UCLA – Call me an optimist, but I think this is the year that UCLA emerges under Rick Neuheisel as a serious competitor.  With the return of quarterback Kevin Prince, and a new offensive scheme, I think UCLA is poised to compete, as long as their defense can maintain the high level of play.  That being said, this is a defense which has lost Brian Price and Alterraun Verner, which is why I have them finishing seventh.

8 ) Arizona – Not much to say here other than that I am not expecting much from the folks from Tuscon this season.  The offense has some playmakers, however, overall this team doesn’t jump out at me, and that leads me to believe they won’t be anything other than bystanders in the conference race.  A player to watch this season, however, is quarterback Nick Foles, who quietly put together a very impressive rookie season last year, and could emerge as the conference’s best kept secret.

9) Arizona State – Unfortunately for ASU, the quarterback competition between Threet and Osweiler may be the most exciting and talked about storyline the program has going for them this season.   The team lost seven players on each side of the ball, and with a new quarterback and a new system, folks shouldn’t be expecting much come fall.

10) Washington State – The Cougars will be much, much, much better this season, and may even sneak out of the cellar, however I can’t seem them moving out of the bottom three.  The Cougars are a young team with lots of room for improvement, however, they are a long way from being relevant again.  Jeff Tuel has a chance to become a good college quarterback, but it remains to be seen if he has enough help around him to make a difference.

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