THE PAC 12 THREAD v.3

[WizardHawk]

Now that Hogan has officially said he is staying I change my pick in the North to Stanford.

There was the thought he was leaving which would have left only Goff as a returning QB in the North.

Not really that impressed with other parts of their team, but with Oregon breaking in a new QB and no one else with enough depth to challenge them it's Stanfords division to win IMO.

TF12. I never said USC would win the south, but I do think the strongest teams in the conf this year will be from that division and USC could be in the mix.

 

[socaljim242]

I thought this excuse was officially over in 2013..

USC played UCLA with about 50 scholarship players this past season. There were many games where USC was just hanging on at the end because kids werent able to come out.

"Sarkisian said he expects USC to be close to a full slate of 85 scholarship players by 2016. His expectation is to be in the mid-70s next fall, after signing a full class of 25, which should include six or seven mid-year enrollees."

 

[TROJAN-MAN]

Oh ya, Canton K is 6'7" 305 lbs of muscle and hasn't graduated from HS yet.

Don't know that I would want a kid taller than 6'6" on either side of the ball, taller kids no matter their weight or strength, tend to lose a lot of leverage it's a matter of physics

 

[TROJAN-MAN]

I thought this excuse was officially over in 2013..

USC will be at 80 at NSD, don't think depth will be an issue unless injuries are an abundant at key positions. However, I'm sure true freshman will be playing in key rolls

 

[Ironbreaker]

DAYUM!! Lots of PAC on PAC crime up in here.

Couple of comments:

Not sure why everyone keeps saying USC will win the South and maybe the PAC next year. Would love to see it happen, but doubt it will. I think we will be good next year, possibly even very good. However, we still won't be at full schollies, so depth will remain an issue (although not as bad as the past couple of seasons). I believe that at some point in the season, the lack of depth will jump up and bite us in the ass.

Kessler, and more depth.

I think he will be a top heisman candidate from the word go, as a senior he will prove it.

Biggest hurdle will be Sarks bad habits...

 

[Louie]

I'm not writing off Oregon. I'm saying I think they take a step back trying to replace Marsha, and that if fans of duckberg think it's going to be business as usual, you're delusional and fail to realize exactly what you had.

I've said and maintain that Oregon isn't going away, but that doesn't mean they are playoff bound every season.

Next year they aren't winning a playoff game because they won't be there. They aren't winning the rose bowl for the same reason, nor the PAC. Hell not even the division. It's back to furd next year in the north.

If Oregon doesn't win the North next season, then who will? IMO, Oregon will be the class of the PAC North next season.

 

[WhiteMamba]

Kessler, and more depth.

I think he will be a top heisman candidate from the word go, as a senior he will prove it.

Biggest hurdle will be Sarks bad habits...

Nailedit

 

[WhiteMamba]

Don't know that I would want a kid taller than 6'6" on either side of the ball, taller kids no matter their weight or strength, tend to lose a lot of leverage it's a matter of physics

In the not so distant past I felt the same. But with these athletic freaks of nature we are seeing ie Watt, Clowney, Armstead 6'9" I am beginning to think we are seeing 6'6" + guys that are equally as balanced and athletic as the 6'3" 6'4" guys of days past.

 

[trojanfan12]

I thought this excuse was officially over in 2013..

Uh no, that's what you get for thinking I guess.

This is the first season since 2012, that USC has been able to recruit a full class of 25. By the end of last season, we were down to about 50 scholarship players. If every one of those players came back, we would still only be at 75.

Several are graduating and/or heading to the NFL early. We have about 4 who will be back next year that missed this past season with injury.

Right now, estimates put us at about 70 scholarship players once everyone is signed.

 

[trojanfan12]

Now that Hogan has officially said he is staying I change my pick in the North to Stanford.

There was the thought he was leaving which would have left only Goff as a returning QB in the North.

Not really that impressed with other parts of their team, but with Oregon breaking in a new QB and no one else with enough depth to challenge them it's Stanfords division to win IMO.

TF12. I never said USC would win the south, but I do think the strongest teams in the conf this year will be from that division and USC could be in the mix.

Don't recall saying that you did. Plenty (including in the media) are saying just that though. I've seen USC ranked as high as #4 is some of the early polls.

 

[bamabear82]

In the not so distant past I felt the same. But with these athletic freaks of nature we are seeing ie Watt, Clowney, Armstead 6'9" I am beginning to think we are seeing 6'6" + guys that are equally as balanced and athletic as the 6'3" 6'4" guys of days past.

OJ Howard is a testament to sech, he's 6'6 240 and can run like a damn deer. I really thought he was gonna blow up this season but the combo of Sims being locked in on Cooper and OJ not be aggressive enough when going after the ball bit him in the ass. Anyway, there's some very capable monsters out there these days it seems.

 

[WABLTY]

I know it sounds homerish, but I think ASU will be the best team in the South and maybe conference next year. There are a few questions, but they all should have pretty reasonable answers.

1. They need an LT and have a 4th year, 4 star junior who's been waiting for it. They need a new RT too, but they're replacing Sulka, who wasn't that great this year. The guards and center are back and will crush souls. All 3 are All Conference contenders.

2. They need to solidify the interior of the defensive line, but I think you'll see tremendous improvement there since Tashon Smallwood, Emanuel Dayries and Connor Humphreys were all true freshmen. Smallwood is a natural 3 tech and Dayries and Humphreys will both benefit tremendously from another year to pack some pounds and strenth onto 6'4" frames. Also possible you see Mo Latu finally slim down enough to be effective for more than a few plays and the return of Jaxon Hood. They also have several 6'5", 300 lbsish defensive ends who could move inside if needed. I think it's possible ASU's rotation on the DL averages around 6'4, 305.

3. Someone's got to take the hybrid "Devil" position. Enter Davon Durant, the top JuCo LB and next in ASU's string of JuCo successes. We can't go toe to toe with USC in LA, but we put talented JuCos in the NFL and they know that. This year Marcus Hardison, Damarious Randall and Jaelen Strong will probably all be drafted.

4. How good is Berco and does he have enough receivers to keep up without Strong? I've got basically zero concerns about the receivers with Foster and Cam Smith around still, plus Jefferson, Chambers and all the redshirts. So basically, we're left wondering if Bercovici will play well enough to win and keep the rush defenses honest via downfield threat instead of QB mobility. I suspect he will be fine.

Other than that, all the corners are back. All the linebackers are back. Randall is gone, but Simone is back and they've got 2 or 3 really talented guys to fill in. Marcus Ball and James Johnson were probably ready to start last year. I don't see any significant problems that aren't addressed, whereas I don't think any other team can say as much.

 

[WhiteMamba]

OJ Howard is a testament to sech, he's 6'6 240 and can run like a damn deer. I really thought he was gonna blow up this season but the combo of Sims being locked in on Cooper and OJ not be aggressive enough when going after the ball bit him in the ass. Anyway, there's some very capable monsters out there these days it seems.

Kiffin needs to not only use him but abuse him. TE in college is so under utilized.

 

[trojanfan12]

Kessler, and more depth.

I think he will be a top heisman candidate from the word go, as a senior he will prove it.

Biggest hurdle will be Sarks bad habits...

Believe me, I want sooooo badly to be wrong. I think Kessler will have a great season and like I said, I think we'll be good and possibly very good.

I just think that while our depth will be better numbers wise, as TROJAN-MAN pointed out, much of that depth will be freshmen. I'd love for it to happen a year early, but I'm looking at 2016 as more realistic.

I will say though, if Kessler has a Heisman caliber season, we might just arrive a year early.

 

[trojanfan12]

I know it sounds homerish, but I think ASU will be the best team in the South and maybe conference next year. There are a few questions, but they all should have pretty reasonable answers.

1. They need an LT and have a 4th year, 4 star junior who's been waiting for it. They need a new RT too, but they're replacing Sulka, who wasn't that great this year. The guards and center are back and will crush souls. All 3 are All Conference contenders.

2. They need to solidify the interior of the defensive line, but I think you'll see tremendous improvement there since Tashon Smallwood, Emanuel Dayries and Connor Humphreys were all true freshmen. Smallwood is a natural 3 tech and Dayries and Humphreys will both benefit tremendously from another year to pack some pounds and strenth onto 6'4" frames. Also possible you see Mo Latu finally slim down enough to be effective for more than a few plays and the return of Jaxon Hood. They also have several 6'5", 300 lbsish defensive ends who could move inside if needed. I think it's possible ASU's rotation on the DL averages around 6'4, 305.

3. Someone's got to take the hybrid "Devil" position. Enter Davon Durant, the top JuCo LB and next in ASU's string of JuCo successes. We can't go toe to toe with USC in LA, but we put talented JuCos in the NFL and they know that. This year Marcus Hardison, Damarious Randall and Jaelen Strong will probably all be drafted.

4. How good is Berco and does he have enough receivers to keep up without Strong? I've got basically zero concerns about the receivers with Foster and Cam Smith around still, plus Jefferson, Chambers and all the redshirts. So basically, we're left wondering if Bercovici will play well enough to win and keep the rush defenses honest via downfield threat instead of QB mobility. I suspect he will be fine.

Other than that, all the corners are back. All the linebackers are back. Randall is gone, but Simone is back and they've got 2 or 3 really talented guys to fill in. Marcus Ball and James Johnson were probably ready to start last year. I don't see any significant problems that aren't addressed, whereas I don't think any other team can say as much.

I don't think it's homerish at all. I think the South will come down to the Arizona schools and USC with UCLA as a dark horse. I also think Utah will have a say in it by upsetting one or more of those 4.

 

[trojanfight]

I think I would be more confident had they brought back algholor and buck allen. hell even George farmer. juju smith becomes #1. and Ronald jones was recently rated #2 back of 2015. I think they will make the pac 12 championship game but may not win it.

 

[trojanfan12]

I think I would be more confident had they brought back algholor and buck allen. hell even George farmer. juju smith becomes #1. and Ronald jones was recently rated #2 back of 2015. I think they will make the pac 12 championship game but may not win it.

Yeah, would have liked to see Farmer and Buck Allen come back (I knew Agholor wasn't coming back, but was surprised by Farmer). Losing Buck may not be so bad though because Tre Madden comes back.

 

[WhiteMamba]

Believe me, I want sooooo badly to be wrong. I think Kessler will have a great season and like I said, I think we'll be good and possibly very good.

I just think that while our depth will be better numbers wise, as TROJAN-MAN pointed out, much of that depth will be freshmen. I'd love for it to happen a year early, but I'm looking at 2016 as more realistic.

I will say though, if Kessler has a Heisman caliber season, we might just arrive a year early.

Last years USC class is sure fire PAC championship pedigree. Maybe more. It burns me to no end Ducks struck out on all of the big 3 head to head.

 

[WhiteMamba]

South beating each other up will be a drek fest.

 

[trojanfan12]

Last years USC class is sure fire PAC championship pedigree. Maybe more. It burns me to no end Ducks struck out on all of the big 3 head to head.

I'm still amazed that we got all 3. They all got a ton of experience this year too, which will be huge going forward.

Adoree Jackson became my favorite player this year. Couldn't believe how many big time plays he made as a true freshman.