2006 Pac 10 Predictions

With USC once again reigning supreme, our 2006 Pac 10 predictions show the boys from Troy riding high all the way to the BCS once again. With Marc Lawrence giving the run down on each team in the league, we want you to feel comfortable betting this conference this season. If you want weekly help, then check out one of his college football picks packages.

As it turns out a ‘Three-Peat’ wasn’t in the cards for USC but make no mistake, the Trojans will be going all-in in 2006. Opposition aplenty comes calling in the PAC 10 as programs that were down last year are back up again this season. Fasten your seat belts for a high scoring, wide-open race in the Wild West.

Here is my take on the PAC 10 CONFERENCE for 2006. Coming up next: the SEC CONFERENCE. Enjoy…

ARIZONA
Thanks to Mike Stoops, the times are changing in the desert. According to the 2006 media guide: ‘for the first time in his tenure the roster is peopled by those who believe. The 2006 Cats are a bowl team. The players believe it. The coaching staff believes it’. Seventeen returning starters, including sensational sophomore QB Willie Tuitama, are anxious to get it on. They’ve penciled a rematch against Washington as a top-priority game on this year’s itinerary. “The way the kids play says a lot about who we are. To me, we played the worst game in Arizona football history against Washington… That’s something that still lingers with me,” commented Stoops. We believe him.
PLAY ON: vs. Washington - *KEY - (9/30)

ARIZONA STATE
Scoring points has never been a problem since Dirk Koetter’s arrival to Tempe five seasons ago, averaging 31.5 PPG. Ask Koetter how he feels about his chances this season and he responds, “I’m the happiest guy in America. We have two great quarterbacks… it’s the greatest thing in the world.” The cause for enjoyment is 6’4” 240 lb SR QB Sam Keller, who tossed for 2,165 yards and 20 TD’s in only six games before closing down with a thumb injury last year. His backup, freshman Rudy Carpenter, closed out 4-1 with a QB rating of 175.0 – the highest in the nation. WR T-Rich (Terry Richardson) looks to clean up in ’06.
PLAY ON: vs. Oregon (9/30)

CALIFORNIA
Four was the operative number for the Bears last season when they went 8-4 overall, including 4-4 in the PAC 10, good for 4th place in the conference. Look for those numbers to improve dramatically in 2006 as 53 lettermen are back, including former starting QB Nate Longshore, who was injured-and-out during the first game of the season last year. Virtually every offensive skill player returns as well. “We’re a different team this season. We are a year older after being very young last season… there is a lot of potential in a lot of places,” understates head coach Jeff Tedford. With QB Joe ‘The Boob’ headed back to the bench, we’ll color this team DANGEROUS.
PLAY ON: vs. UCLA - *KEY as dog - (11/4)

OREGON
Oregon epitomized a ‘team on a mission’ last season, going 10-2 after a 5-6 effort in 2004. They’ll be put to the test again in ’06 as they lose their starting quarterback and running backs. Mike Riley only hopes that doesn’t denote the Ducks’ have been ‘gaggled’. Riley also remembers that were it not for a humiliating home loss against USC, the Ducks would have instead been undefeated and not BCS bowl snubbed at season’s end. He also knows his teams have averaged a mind-boggling 30 PPG in their 56 road games under his lead. Yes, they travel well. Look for the ‘skein’ to continue.
PLAY ON: vs. Southern Cal (11/11)

OREGON STATE
A 3-6 finish dashed any hopes the Beavers had of 4th straight bowl appearance last season. Directly attributable to their demise was a defense that collapsed nearly 100 yards from the 2005 club. Head coach Mike Riley will rely on the return of all four defensive backs in hopes of shoring up that unit. On the other side of the ball Riley welcomes back all five of his starting offensive linemen, in addition to an award winning place kicker in Alex Serna. Meanwhile Matt Moore, the incumbent, will battle Ryan Gunderson for starting honors in a well-fortified quarterback battle. OSU’s 20-0 mark at home in non-conference clashes catches our attention.
PLAY ON: vs. Idaho (9/23)

SOUTHERN CAL
Pete Carroll’s plea for three fell just short in a last second loss to Texas in the BCS title game in what was perhaps the most exciting game of the season (sans Notre Dame and USC). Gone are Heisman Trophy winners Reggie Bush and Matt Linehart, along with a handful of others now employed in the NFL. He does have 56 lettermen back however, half of which who were on last year’s season-ending two-deep squad. “There’s no denying we lost a lot of outstanding players from the 2005 team… but this in not an unfamiliar situation for us,” warns Carroll. Remember, the last time USC lost a game it went on to win its next 34.
PLAY ON: as dog vs. Notre Dame (11/25)

STANFORD
Walt Harris’ return to the Bay area seemed like a natural fit. His west-coast offense looked like a perfect fit in the PAC 10. With 10 starters back on offense, points-a-plenty looked to be the order of the day. Somewhere long the way something went awry. Terribly awry. An embarrassing home loss to Division 1-AA Cal Davis (first loss in 114-year history to a non-Division 1-A school) set the table. When the dust settled Stanford’s offense ranked No. 101 in the land as they were outstatted in all but one game. Like last year, 10 starters are back again on offense, this time with the entire line in tact. It’s take-two for the red-faced Cardinal.
PLAY ON: vs. Oregon (9/2)

UCLA
Disappointing finishes seem to be the order at UCLA where the Bruins have seen many a good season ruined down the stretch. Last year was no different when, after an 8-0 start, Karl Dorrell’s troops closed out 2-2 to cap off a 10-win campaign. That actually ‘improved’ their mark in games from November out to 8-18 SUATS since 2000 (note: they are 0-10 SU in these games against foes with a win percentage of .666 or greater). Meanwhile new assistant head coach Jim Colletto, former head honcho at Purdue, will be working with prized recruit, 6’5” Sophomore QB Ben Olson, the top quarterback in the 2002 class. Big Ben, you’re on the clock.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Arizona State – *KEY as favorite - (11/18)

WASHINGTON
Who would’ve ever thunk it. Three wins the last two years from a former football factory that saw an eight-year bowl run come to a grinding halt in 2003. Tyrone Willingham’s first year at the throttle showed feint, if not moderate, improvement. “Last year we couldn’t tell you that we knew our players, nor could our players tell you that they truly knew us,” surmised Willingham. Fourteen returning starters, including QB Saiah Stanback and their top two running backs, key the attack. Improvement looms under the Ham’s honey baked approach, if for no other reason, as we said last year, there’s nowhere to go but up for this downtrodden program.
PLAY ON: vs.Oklahoma (9/9)

WASHINGTON STATE
On the heels of back-to-back losing seasons, it was a good-news/bad- news scenario for the Cougars last year. The good news came about when their offense came alive, improving 120 YPG. The bad news – you guessed it – was a 76 YPG slippage by the defense. Bill Doba, who lost his wife to cancer this spring, was the defensive coordinator at WSU before assuming the head coaching reins. He knows better than anyone the importance of needing to re-tool his defense (they allowed 589 YPG over a 4-game losing span last year) should they wish to regain their winning ways. A 0-12 log during October under Doba finds us flipping the calendar for now.
PASS