Chip Kelly vs. Herm Edwards! (2018 PAC-12 Preview Thread)

[nddulac]

I know you gotta sell this stuff, but the beavs are going to get entirely murdered in Columbus. There's no way they are in it past the first quarter, more or less late into the game. I wish they were in position to spoil their opener, but way too much change to do well going on the road against a deeply talented and seasoned team.

You never know how these things will go. How many times have you seen an elite team (cough - Alabama - cough) struggle like hell for three quarters against a significantly weaker team in their opener, only to go on and crush everybody for the remainder of the season?

While think your prediction is probably correct, I would not be surprised to see the Beavers hang around a confused Buckeye team for a significant portion of the game.

 

[WizardHawk]

You never know how these things will go. How many times have you seen an elite team (cough - Alabama - cough) struggle like hell for three quarters against a significantly weaker team in their opener, only to go on and crush everybody for the remainder of the season?

While think your prediction is probably correct, I would not be surprised to see the Beavers hang around a confused Buckeye team for a significant portion of the game.

If this was the beavs even a few years ago I'd agree.

We were not that impressed with Smith as our OC and play caller and trust me, that's an understatement at best. They graduated their most potent weapon last year and I really don't see a lot going on defensively. This is an entire rebuild job from the ground up and it's a total first time HC in his very first game going against an established, talented team at their crib.

This is totally the wrong team at the wrong time IMO. I don't care if this thing is a 30 point spread, take the over. This will be the most lopsided P5 match up in week 1 to be sure.

They won't have anywhere to go but up after this thing.

 

[navamind]

Herm Edwards was the best coaching hire of the year regardless of how good or bad ASU does.

 

[Boise4Life]

If this was the beavs even a few years ago I'd agree.

We were not that impressed with Smith as our OC and play caller and trust me, that's an understatement at best. They graduated their most potent weapon last year and I really don't see a lot going on defensively. This is an entire rebuild job from the ground up and it's a total first time HC in his very first game going against an established, talented team at their crib.

This is totally the wrong team at the wrong time IMO. I don't care if this thing is a 30 point spread, take the over. This will be the most lopsided P5 match up in week 1 to be sure.

They won't have anywhere to go but up after this thing.

It’s going to be a slap down. And I believe the last time I saw the line it was 38.5.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Oregon

Preview segment: The Oregon Ducks

Last season: ...So I try to install some confidence back into a rebuilding Oregon State team, and people like @WizardHawk starts calling me a "salesmen". Geez. If I was truly a salesman, I wouldn't be here. I would be in Eugene, Oregon trying to sell players on the football program
Sadly, Oregon football had taken a PR hit in recent years. And we can blame that on a 4-8 season (which led to Mark Helfrich getting fired) and a 7-6 season (that saw Willie Taggart abandon ship after just one year) over the last 2 seasons. Now with Mario Cristobal stepping in, Oregon fans are hoping that things will settle down a bit.

Good news: The O-line will return 4 starters, which will help Oregon's new superstar QB Justin Herbert (more on him later). Jim Leavitt dramatically improved the Ducks defense last year (which led to a big, fat pay raise), and it should run wild again; the D-line showed great progress in the spring.

Bad news: No thanks to having 3 coaches in 3 years, Oregon's depth is a worry in some key areas like CB and WR. And I'm sure that Oregon still has some good RB's to choose from, but Royce Freeman will be missed.

2018 X-factor #1: QB Justin Herbert- Or to be more specific, the health of Justin Herbert. Remember when he had a collarbone injury in the middle of the 2017 season? In the 5 games without him Oregon went 1-4 and averaged just 15 PPG (Seriously, I did the math). Sooooo... let's hope Oregon keeps Justin healthy this time... or at least have a capable backup QB ready.

X-factor #2: New head coach Mario Cristobal- At last count, Oregon is now on their 3rd head coach in 3 years. And I know that some people in Eugene are still a little miffed about how Mario got the gig, but let's hope that Mario can calm things down with his players.

Key games:
9/22 vs. Stanford (Oregon will ease their way into the season before they get their first big test in Stanford. The question is, will the Ducks D-line be ready for this?)
10/13 vs. Washington (How about THIS for a sweet QB duel: Justin Herbert vs. Jake Browning. )
11/10 @ Utah (This might be the toughest road game Oregon will have all year... if only because Utah has big plans for 2018.)
11/23 @ Oregon State (Again, the Beavers will remember the Ducks hanging 69 points on them last year.)

Bottom line: A favorable schedule, combined with a strong QB to lead the way, should equal a nice season for Oregon... one that's WAY better than 2017's 7-6 mark. But catching Stanford and Washington in the PAC-12 North? Mario and his players have better take a rain check on that goal.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Washington

Preview segment: The Washington Huskies

Last season: Okay... I might as well say it, because some of you guys probably know about it already: Last year, I stupidly predicted that Washington would enter the 2017 CFP undefeated and get to the title game. But needless to say (thanks to Arizona State and Stanford), that didn't happen.
OK, don't laugh! I'll bet some of you guys bit on that apple as well. Oh well, at least the Huskies got another 10-win season and Fiesta Bowl berth as a consolation prize.

Good news: Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin are back for one more year, and once again their supporting cast is strong as hell. And not just on the O-line, but on the defense as well; 9 starters return to that unit including maybe the best secondary in the country.

Bad news: However, Vita Vea is NOT coming back to Washington's defense (he's now at Tampa Bay). But the biggest worry for Washington might actually be the kicking game; it struggled in 2017 and there's still major questions at both punter and kicker.

2018 X-factor: The receivers- Chris Petersen had some injury troubles with his wide-receivers last season, no doubt about it. And in 2018, there's still a few questions at that position as the WR's Chris has now are pretty young. But there IS some talent there, so we'll see how it goes.

Key games:
9/1 vs. Auburn [in Atlanta] (Auburn will only have it's margin-of-error for the national title on the line in this game, but you wanna talk about pressure! Washington might just have the weight of the whole PAC-12 on their shoulders here in Atlanta.)
9/15 @ Utah (Browning vs. Huntley... What a QB showdown that's gonna be.)
10/13 @ Oregon (The last time Washington visited Eugene they smoked Oregon 70-21. Think the Ducks are gonna remember that?)
11/3 vs. Stanford (Petersen's boys won't need any additional encouragement for this one. They know that when they lost to Stanford last year, they lost their chance to repeat as PAC-12 champs.)
11/23 @ Washington State (The Huskies are gonna be hankering for their 6th straight win in the "Apple Cup.")

Bottom line: Call me redundant, but once again I LOVE Washington's chances at winning the PAC-12 title. All they have to do is fix some problems on offense, and people in Seattle can start dreaming about another "New Year's Six" bowl.
But rest assured, folks: I will NOT be picking Washington to go undefeated in 2018.

 

[WizardHawk]

It’s going to be a slap down. And I believe the last time I saw the line it was 38.5.

Honestly, I'd still take the over at 40.

 

[WizardHawk]

Washington

Preview segment: The Washington Huskies

Last season: Okay... I might as well say it, because some of you guys probably know about it already: Last year, I stupidly predicted that Washington would enter the 2017 CFP undefeated and get to the title game. But needless to say (thanks to Arizona State and Stanford), that didn't happen.
OK, don't laugh! I'll bet some of you guys bit on that apple as well. Oh well, at least the Huskies got another 10-win season and Fiesta Bowl berth as a consolation prize.

Good news: Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin are back for one more year, and once again their supporting cast is strong as hell. And not just on the O-line, but on the defense as well; 9 starters return to that unit including maybe the best secondary in the country.

Bad news: However, Vita Vea is NOT coming back to Washington's defense (he's now at Tampa Bay). But the biggest worry for Washington might actually be the kicking game; it struggled in 2017 and there's still major questions at both punter and kicker.

2018 X-factor: The receivers- Chris Petersen had some injury troubles with his wide-receivers last season, no doubt about it. And in 2018, there's still a few questions at that position as the WR's Chris has now are pretty young. But there IS some talent there, so we'll see how it goes.

Key games:
9/1 vs. Auburn [in Atlanta] (Auburn will only have it's margin-of-error for the national title on the line in this game, but you wanna talk about pressure! Washington might just have the weight of the whole PAC-12 on their shoulders here in Atlanta.)
9/15 @ Utah (Browning vs. Huntley... What a QB showdown that's gonna be.)
10/13 @ Oregon (The last time Washington visited Eugene they smoked Oregon 70-21. Think the Ducks are gonna remember that?)
11/3 vs. Stanford (Petersen's boys won't need any additional encouragement for this one. They know that when they lost to Stanford last year, they lost their chance to repeat as PAC-12 champs.)
11/23 @ Washington State (The Huskies are gonna be hankering for their 6th straight win in the "Apple Cup.")

Bottom line: Call me redundant, but once again I LOVE Washington's chances at winning the PAC-12 title. All they have to do is fix some problems on offense, and people in Seattle can start dreaming about another "New Year's Six" bowl.
But rest assured, folks: I will NOT be picking Washington to go undefeated in 2018.

TBH, as much as we as UW fans bitch about that kicking game, that's not even in the top 3 right now of things that concern going into the season. They actually spent a scholarship on a promising kicker and supposedly there was dramatic improvement with the one they had last year that was a frosh.

The biggest question on special teams is probably more who is going to return now that Pettis is gone and how does that impact things.

The biggest overall questions though are who are going to be Washington's big play makers for Browning, and how much of a hit will the pass rush take after Vita left. Gains staying for his senior season really REALLY helps with that latter point, and that leaves the big questions at receiver/TE.

Hunter Bryant was slated to be the go to option for Browning this year before off season ACL surgery again left them asking which young player is going to emerge and be that dependable target for the passing game? They do get McClatcher back and his speed will help spread the defense and keep the secondary honest, but he's no Ross or Pettis in route running and ball hawk skills. It's not that they don't have any guys back with playing time. There are guys like Quinten Pounds and Aaron Fuller that have catches and experience with Browning, but none of their veteran players has been a feature weapon. Look for a youth movement with a few true freshman getting play time this season. The one we will be watching the most is Marquis Spiker. At 6'3" and 180 he has length and speed and had great hands in HS.

The other noteworthy question mark is with the change at both coordinators and play callers. The defensive move isn't much concern as their DC simply stepped aside to allow their DB coach to take on more duty. It shouldn't disrupt things, but coach Lake hasn't ever called plays before.

The change at OC is major one. Hamdan is a bright and up and coming coach, but this is his first gig as OC and he has never called plays before. He does have a seasoned and veteran offense as well as Petersen being an offensive guy. Things seemed pretty promising in spring ball. They were focusing on plays that featured what Browning is best at. Yeah, that seems simple, but was something lacking in prior years. Still, it's one thing to look good in practice and it's quite another to break in on the road against a team like Auburn. So that is something for sure to watch particularly in the first 4 games.

I'm not expecting better than 3-1 over that first four stretch. I could even see them beating Auburn and still coming back and laying an egg in week 4 at Utah. That game will be Utah's first real challenge so they likely will have quite a few plays in their hat that aren't on film yet and their D is always sharp against Petersen's squad.

I've been back and forth on which game outside of those first two big ones is the most key. Stanford feels way more polished and dangerous at this point, but it's a home game. Washington has to travel to Autzen in what will be their second straight road game while Oregon will be coming off their bye. Two weeks to rest and prepare and stew on the memory of the last time UW came to town means you can't sleep on how that game shapes up.

They are favored to win the North for a reason, but this conference is not nearly as cake walk as those outside of it want to make it appear. UW needs to establish some play makers in the receiving corp and take their offense to the next level if they want to reach all of those preseason expectations.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

TBH, as much as we as UW fans bitch about that kicking game, that's not even in the top 3 right now of things that concern going into the season. They actually spent a scholarship on a promising kicker and supposedly there was dramatic improvement with the one they had last year that was a frosh.

The other noteworthy question mark is with the change at both coordinators and play callers. The defensive move isn't much concern as their DC simply stepped aside to allow their DB coach to take on more duty. It shouldn't disrupt things, but coach Lake hasn't ever called plays before.

The change at OC is major one. Hamdan is a bright and up and coming coach, but this is his first gig as OC and he has never called plays before. He does have a seasoned and veteran offense as well as Petersen being an offensive guy. Things seemed pretty promising in spring ball. They were focusing on plays that featured what Browning is best at. Yeah, that seems simple, but was something lacking in prior years. Still, it's one thing to look good in practice and it's quite another to break in on the road against a team like Auburn. So that is something for sure to watch particularly in the first 4 games.

Oooo... I totally forgot about the change of coordinators. Good to know.

 

[Olyduck]

You never know how these things will go. How many times have you seen an elite team (cough - Alabama - cough) struggle like hell for three quarters against a significantly weaker team in their opener, only to go on and crush everybody for the remainder of the season?

While think your prediction is probably correct, I would not be surprised to see the Beavers hang around a confused Buckeye team for a significant portion of the game.

i will be surprised if the Beavers find the field and arent looking for a horse to have sex with because they heard it was a "horse shoe"

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

California

Preview segment: The California Golden Bears

Last season: It was Cal's 3rd 5-7 record in 4 years, they lost 3 of their final 5 games by a FG or fewer, and yet people are calling the 2017 season a "unqualified success". Hmm... Maybe that's because a few stars emerged during Justin Wilcox's 1st year on the job in Berkeley... stars that could point to a brighter future ahead.

Good news: Nearly everyone from 2017's offense will return to Cal, including an experienced O-line and stars like QB Ross Bowers and RB Patrick Laird. The strongest position at Cal, however, may be at wide-receiver. 7 starters return on defense...

Bad news: ...but that defense may still struggle early as studs like James Looney and Devante Downs are now in the NFL. The kicking game may be a worry too, and behind Patrick Laird there is no experienced RB on the roster.

Key games:
9/8 @ BYU (Cal will start the season with North Carolina again, but if I'm honest this one looks more difficult.)
9/29 vs. Oregon (Defeating Justin Herbert and Oregon would be a great start for Cal's PAC-12 campaign, plus they get 2 weeks to prep for it.)
10/27 vs. Washington (Most of the CFB magazines are worried about Cal's late season slate, which starts with a visit from the PAC-12 favorites.)
11/10 @ USC ( Now I see why the magazines are freaking out over Cal; by this time the Trojans should have everything running well.)
11/17 vs. Stanford (Stanford was one of those close games in the conference that Cal just couldn't pull off last year. But I've got a feeling that THIS year, Cal's gonna hold up the "Stanford Ax" trophy high above their heads.)

Bottom line: The Golden Bears are the "wild-card" of the PAC-12 Conference for 2018; they're building themselves a good team, but can they defeat a powerhouse? If they do that (or at least make a bowl game), expect Cal's upward projectory to continue.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Colorado

The last preview segment for the PAC-12: The Colorado Buffaloes

Last season: After the magical rainbow-covered run that Colorado took everyone on in 2016, a hangover looked inevitable. And sadly, a hangover was what we got as the Buffaloes defense went to s--t and they lost their last 3 games to finish 5-7.

Good news: The addition of former Virginia Tech RB Travon McMillian will help the offense (and the special teams) immensely. QB Steven Montez has the arm to make great things happen...

Bad news: ...but unless his O-line improves (it was flat-out miserable last year) he won't get a chance to make plays. Questions also abound on the D-line as it must get better at defending the run.

2018 X-factor: Colorado's WR's- Montez will have an almost all-new group of WR's to work with this season, but with Tony Brown and Juwann Winfree standing out in the spring we'll see if that position can remain a strength for Colorado.

Key games:
8/31 vs. Colorado State [from Denver] (This rivalry has ALWAYS been a big tone-setter for the rest of the season for the Buffaloes.)
9/8 @ Nebraska (It's a reunion of two former Big 12 rivals! But while Nebraska will treat this like a high-school reunion, Colorado have better take this seriously [they haven't beaten the Huskers since 2007].)
9/28 vs. UCLA (This PAC-12 opener will all come down to the running game: Colorado's ability to run the ball, and their ability to stop UCLA running the ball.)
11/17 vs. Utah (The "Rocky Mountain Showdown" will get moved up a week, but this will still be a huge game. Don't forget these 2 facts: Colorado defeated Utah the last time they met in Boulder, and Utah stole a bowl berth from them last year in Salt Lake City.)

Bottom line: Uh oh... From the penthouse in 2016, to being back in the PAC-12 South basement in 2017. Colorado fans are REALLY hoping that their team doesn't stay there in 2018, so a good start is vital for them. If they exit the month of September with a winning record, it'll bode well for Colorado's bowl chances.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

PAC-12 Predictions

So tomorrow I must deal with a team that people like Stanford and USC knows all too well: Those bleeping Fighting Irish from Notre Dame. Before that, though, let me see who'll finish where in the PAC-12 in 2018:

PAC-12 North:
1. Washington (Conference champs)
2. Stanford (Maybe "New Year's Six")
3. Oregon
4. California
5. Washington State
6. Oregon State

PAC-12 South:
1. Arizona
2. USC
3. Utah
4. Arizona State
5. UCLA
6. Colorado

Oh, and if you want to hear my comments about Notre Dame, tune in to my final CFB preview thread for 2018... all about the Atlantic Coast Conference (which starts tomorrow)!

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Utah looks really strong and could be the best team in the West this year, yet I think your prediction is correct. Arizona avoids BOTH Stanford and Washington

USC does have to face Stanford but they at least avoid Washington

Utah has the worst draw of teams in the South, the only thing that could be considered a benefit is they host both USC and Arizona, but Utah hasn't really been helped by home field advantage

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

impossible. Everyone knows Pac 12 fans aren't passionate. there is just more interesting things to do out west on a saturday. nope. not buying it. Fake news.

oh stop with this crap. I am so SICK of hearing this

Read through and saw where this thread took a wild turn

this failure to detect sarcasm here was so funny I just about fell out of my dadburn chair

 

[nddulac]

Utah looks really strong and could be the best team in the West this year, yet I think your prediction is correct. Arizona avoids BOTH Stanford and Washington

And has Khalil Tate. He is somewhat good at football.

 

[Inimical]

4 seasons

wtf, i never see you in t he wee forums you scrub

 

[KingKoolKat75]

I hope Herm does a great job. I loved listening to his commentaries on the Nfl. He's a bright guy and is a disciplinarian also. Good luck to him!

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

And has Khalil Tate. He is somewhat good at football.

That they do sir, the only worries with Arizona is other than Tate and a couple more playmakers on offense they really lack talent everywhere else, especially on defense

 

[The Derski]

Boom. South champs baby.

That’s what I’m talking about baby.

Khalil Tate baby.