Our PAC-12 preview thread 2016

[trojanfan12]

Beavers shock the PAC and start 6-0 on their way to a perfect season...

Shouldn't that post be in Scenario Village?

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Shouldn't that post be in Scenario Village?

See U clowns in the PAC Champ game losah...


cheers...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Southern California

Preview segment: The USC Trojans

Last season: and then . That's what this thread has become, and I love it!
Actually, all of those smilies could represent what happened to Southern Cal in 2015: Lots of hype for all the fans, but then things went SO, SO wrong. And it all ended with an 8-6 record, Steve Sarkisian resigning due to drug issues, and a lot of chaos.

2016 X-factor: New head coach Clay Helton- On the one hand, Clay did a masterful job trying to keep the ship afloat. On the other hand, can he run a program full-time? We'll have to wait and see.

Bad news: The defensive line is almost all-new, and losing Kenny Bigelow Jr. to injury in the spring won't help matters. The QB race is deadlocked right now and needs to be resolved quick.

Good news: But this IS still USC, so whoever wins the QB job will have a lot of great targets waiting for him. Adoree' Jackson leads a good secondary into battle, and the O-line remains in tact.

Key games:
9/3 vs. Alabama [in Arlington] (Just know that tickets are still available for this game.)
9/17 @ Stanford (Actually, USC's schedule is basically this:
September: OH GOOODDDD!
October: Pretty easy.
November: OH GOOODDD!
And the Stanford game is where this roller-coaster truly begins.)
11/12 @ Washington (In November, USC will first host Oregon, then visit a Washington team that may or may not be thinking PAC-12 title.)
11/19 vs. UCLA (Then, it's the season-ending blood-baths against rivals UCLA...)
11/26 vs. Notre Dame (...and the Fighting Irish.)

Bottom line: After the chaos of 2015, Trojan fans just want a return to normalcy. But with one of the hardest schedules in the country and question marks on the D-line, this USC team is a "wait-and-see" project.
Thankfully, Clay Helton's 1st USC team should at least fulfill it's minimum requirement to the CFB fans: Be entertaining for us, one way or the other.

 

[socaljim242]

I dare you to find me doing anything other than calmly explaining my point of view. You and your opinions have so little relevance in my life that nothing you can say here would ever cause me to be "butthurt".

"some duck fans". It helps if you actually read.

 

[Olyduck]

Southern California

Preview segment: The USC Trojans

Last season: and then . That's what this thread has become, and I love it!
Actually, all of those smilies could represent what happened to Southern Cal in 2015: Lots of hype for all the fans, but then things went SO, SO wrong. And it all ended with an 8-6 record, Steve Sarkisian resigning due to drug issues, and a lot of chaos.

2016 X-factor: New head coach Clay Helton- On the one hand, Clay did a masterful job trying to keep the ship afloat. On the other hand, can he run a program full-time? We'll have to wait and see.

Bad news: The defensive line is almost all-new, and losing Kenny Bigelow Jr. to injury in the spring won't help matters. The QB race is deadlocked right now and needs to be resolved quick.

Good news: But this IS still USC, so whoever wins the QB job will have a lot of great targets waiting for him. Adoree' Jackson leads a good secondary into battle, and the O-line remains in tact.

Key games:
9/3 vs. Alabama [in Arlington] (Just know that tickets are still available for this game.)
9/17 @ Stanford (Actually, USC's schedule is basically this:
September: OH GOOODDDD!
October: Pretty easy.
November: OH GOOODDD!
And the Stanford game is where this roller-coaster truly begins.)
11/12 @ Washington (In November, USC will first host Oregon, then visit a Washington team that may or may not be thinking PAC-12 title.)
11/19 vs. UCLA (Then, it's the season-ending blood-baths against rivals UCLA...)
11/26 vs. Notre Dame (...and the Fighting Irish.)

Bottom line: After the chaos of 2015, Trojan fans just want a return to normalcy. But with one of the hardest schedules in the country and question marks on the D-line, this USC team is a "wait-and-see" project.
Thankfully, Clay Helton's 1st USC team should at least fulfill it's minimum requirement to the CFB fans: Be entertaining for us, one way or the other.

wait so you mention Oregon under the Washington game but don't list Oregon, a team that beat USC last year?

 

[WizardHawk]

Well to be fair he did say 'some duck fans' not OLY and every duck fan. So there's that.

"some duck fans". It helps if you actually read.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Washington

Preview segment: The Washington Huskies

Last season: Washington finished 7-6, which to most "Power 5" programs doesn't look too good. However, considering that the Huskies were starting over on offense, the kids from Seattle were very happy.
Now all of a sudden, a LOT of people are expecting Chris Petersen to lead Washington past rebuilding Stanford and win the PAC-12. Why is that?

Good news: ...Oh, NOW I get why! 8 defensive starters return for the Huskies, including a mighty secondary. QB Jake Browning is a budding star in Seattle, and so is his RB Myles Gaskin.

Bad news: Washington has to replace people at linebacker, and the O-line is inexperienced.

Key games:
9/24 @ Arizona (After a soft start to the season, the Huskies open conference play against a squad they roasted 49-3 last year.)
9/30 vs. Stanford (The biggest game for Washington by a f--king mile. If they can't stop McCaffery in the friendly confines of Husky Stadium, there'll be no PAC-12 North title for Washington this year.)
10/8 @ Oregon (Then, it'll be gut-check time as they visit a school they haven't beaten since 2003.)
11/12 vs. USC (Control of the West Coast could pivot on this game.)
11/25 @ Washington State (Oh, I got a bad feeling about this "Apple Cup" game for the Huskies. #1: Washington stunned Wazzu 45-10 last year, and #2: The Cougars want a PAC-12 North title, too!)

Bottom line: Coming into 2016 with a lot of hype, coach Petersen has to continue doing a good job of piloting the ship. If that offense continues to improve, Washington will delight fans in the Pacific Northwest.
But a PAC-12 North title? Sorry, but I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[WizardHawk]

Washington

Preview segment: The Washington Huskies

Last season: Washington finished 7-6, which to most "Power 5" programs doesn't look too good. However, considering that the Huskies were starting over on offense, the kids from Seattle were very happy.
Now all of a sudden, a LOT of people are expecting Chris Petersen to lead Washington past rebuilding Stanford and win the PAC-12. Why is that?

Good news: ...Oh, NOW I get why! 8 defensive starters return for the Huskies, including a mighty secondary. QB Jake Browning is a budding star in Seattle, and so is his RB Myles Gaskin.

Bad news: Washington has to replace people at linebacker, and the O-line is inexperienced.

Key games:
9/24 @ Arizona (After a soft start to the season, the Huskies open conference play against a squad they roasted 49-3 last year.)
9/30 vs. Stanford (The biggest game for Washington by a f--king mile. If they can't stop McCaffery in the friendly confines of Husky Stadium, there'll be no PAC-12 North title for Washington this year.)
10/8 @ Oregon (Then, it'll be gut-check time as they visit a school they haven't beaten since 2003.)
11/12 vs. USC (Control of the West Coast could pivot on this game.)
11/25 @ Washington State (Oh, I got a bad feeling about this "Apple Cup" game for the Huskies. #1: Washington stunned Wazzu 45-10 last year, and #2: The Cougars want a PAC-12 North title, too!)

Bottom line: Coming into 2016 with a lot of hype, coach Petersen has to continue doing a good job of piloting the ship. If that offense continues to improve, Washington will delight fans in the Pacific Northwest.
But a PAC-12 North title? Sorry, but I'll believe it when I see it.

They are replacing a couple of players on the defense in the pass rush and LB, but mince no words here Azeem Victor is going to be a household name before seasons end if there are people that haven't already heard of him.

If he hadn't been suspended for the first half of the duck game the results would have likely been far different. In the second half of that game they entirely shut down that offense and the play at LB was noticeably different. As long as he's the anchor of that LB corp they aren't in bad shape at all.

You also left out the return of John Ross III. He missed all of the 2015 season with a knee injury and looked rock solid in the spring session. He factors to not only add a dynamic WR presence to the to offense, but also make some waves as a returner. He gives them legit deep threats in the passing game and someone who has dangerous speed/moves as a returner.

Can't argue with the end of that as we all want to see them produce before handing them the keys to anything.

 

[CCF151]

It's you and Oly who are constantly whining.

"some duck fans". It helps if you actually read.

It helps if you remember what you type too.

 

[WizardHawk]

wait so you mention Oregon under the Washington game but don't list Oregon, a team that beat USC last year?

Welcome back to perceived mediocrity.

 

[socaljim242]

It helps if you remember what you type too.

"Some duck fans " refers to Duck fans prior to this year who were out of control with their bravado.

Try to keep up. It's not that hard.

 

[wazzu31]

Welcome back to perceived mediocrity.

Mediocrity is still be than 0-12

 

[WizardHawk]

Mediocrity is still be than 0-12

Man, you totally coug'ed that insult didn't you.

 

[wazzu31]

Man, you totally coug'ed that insult didn't you.

Goddammit read my signature, it's Friday

 

[CCF151]

"Some duck fans " refers to Duck fans prior to this year who were out of control with their bravado.

Try to keep up. It's not that hard.

Yes, but by specifically talking about me and Oly in the first sentence it makes it seem we were included in the "some duck fans" category. Either way we should probably take this convo over to the PAC 12 thread.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

UCLA

Preview segment: The UCLA Bruins

Last season: We honestly didn't know WHAT was going to happen to UCLA in 2015. I mean, the team was loaded for a run, but the big worry was freshmen QB Josh Rosen. Was he up to the task?
Well, guess what? Rosen said "Yes!" But in critical times, everyone else on the team said "No", as losses to Arizona State, Washington State, and USC ruined their dreams of the PAC-12 title game. And I'll bet losing to a 5-7 Nebraska team in their bowl game didn't help, either.

Good news: The secondary looks to be nasty, with Randell Goforth the one to watch. Helping out Mr. Rosen in the passing game will be a young but good WR camp, including newcomer Theo Howard.

Bad news: Uh, where did everyone else go? People like Kenny Clark are gone from the defense, and Paul Perkins and 3 WR's are also gone. The O-line is rather thin, too. Even the offensive coordinator left Pasadena, as Noel Mazzone's now with Texas A&M.

2016 X-factor: Eddie Vanderdoes- A lot of SportsHoopla was made about Eddie's injury knee injury during the spring. So if Eddie comes back and does well, things will be fine on the D-line... right?

Key games:
9/3 @ Texas A&M (...Well, speak of the devil. UCLA deals with Mazzone right away in College Station.)
9/17 @ BYU (Casual fans are expecting another QB duel between Rosen and BYU's Tanner Mangum. But to me, this is a must-win for the Bruins...)
9/24 vs. Stanford (...because they don't wanna limp into their PAC-12 opener.)
10/22 @ Washington State (After [hopefully] getting revenge on Arizona State, UCLA will look to do the same against Luke Fulk and the Cougars. Expect some NFL scouts to be at this game.)
11/19 vs. USC (Last year's "Battle of L.A" decided the PAC-12 South.)

Bottom line: Something tells me that despite some rebuilding, it'll be down to the Bruins and Trojans for the South division again. UCLA has the slight edge with Rosen, but with all of these new faces they'll need to be careful. One false move, and USC (or even someone else) goes to Santa Clara.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

California

The final preview segment for the PAC-12: The California Golden Bears

Last season: Finally, "Pearls Before Swine" creator Stephen Pastis had something to celebrate from his alma-mater in 2015. With help from Jared Goff, Cal made it's first bowl game since 2011 and won it, giving them an 8-5 record.
But Cal's biggest nightmare then came true. No, it wasn't Stephan's retirement. Instead, Goff would forsake his senior year and is now the QB of the new Los Angeles Rams. Now what will happen to the Bears?

Good news: Sayyyy... The offense may be all right without Goff; the O-line is strong. That's great news for a running game that'll carry the team. The new QB will also...

Bad news: ...Wait, there are 4 QB's vying for the starting role? Oh dear. And losing Hardy Nickerson Jr. (last year's leading tackler) to Illinois was NOT good for a defense that's already unsettled.

2016 X-factor: Transfer QB Davis Webb- Straight outta Texas Tech, Davis Webb looks to be the starter- Wait wait wait... Now we have 5 QB's fighting for the starting job?! Oregon must be laughing their heads off!

Key games:
9/10 @ San Diego State (For the Aztecs, it's about a "New Year's Six" bowl. For Cal, it's about putting a minor-league "Sunshine State" school in it's place.)
9/17 vs. Texas (If it's any consolation for Cal, the Texas Longhorns will be having QB problems, as well.)
10/1 vs. Utah (Had the Golden Bears found a way to stop Utah last year, Cal could have been thinking PAC-12 title.)
10/27 @ USC (On this Thursday night game, it'll be either a slug-mouth 20-14 type of game or a giant shootout. Either way, Cal would LOVE to win this.)
11/19 vs. Stanford (Even WITH Jared Goff, Cal still hasn't beaten Stanford since 2009.)

Bottom line: This team's pretty easy to call, actually. With so much turnover on offense and an unproven defense, expect Cal to be staying home for bowl season in 2016.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

PAC-12 Predictions

You guys have made your predictions, and now it's time for me to make mine:


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

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

Now there's only 1 more conference left for me to do, and that's the Big 10! That thread starts tomorrow, so I'll see you guys there.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Heisman picks

Good morning, folks! I'm giving you guys a little surprise today: Heisman picks! Now since it's near impossible to predict this award, it's customary to just give you a list of contenders:

Clemson QB Deshawn Watson- Most people's favorite to win the Heisman this year. And Deshawn will soar to New York if he passes Clemson back into the playoff picture.

LSU RB Leonard Fournette- For the SEC, I could have gone with Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs or Ole Miss's Chad Kelly, but I'm going with Fournette. Mainly because he's a rare RB that can install fear into opposing defenses.

Houston QB Greg Ward Jr.- If anyone from the "Group of 5" schools is gonna run for the Heisman, Greg Ward is the safest choice.

Ohio State QB J.T Barrett- After 2 stressful years, J.T Barrett has won the "Battle of the Ohio State QB's". And he'll be bound for New York if he lifts up an inexperienced Buckeye team to the Big 10 title.

Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey- A year ago, it was "Christian Who?" Now all of the Heisman voters are staring him down, hoping he'll as good as he was last year.

Washington State QB Luke Falk- My dark-horse contender is Mr. Falk. Great numbers, name recognition, and his team has a chance to do wondrous things in 2016.

...Okay, NOW I'm done with this thread.

 

[RegentDenali]

Thanks for all the work on the PAC preview.