THE PAC12 THREAD v.4

[wazzu31]

I don't think UW has the talent to win a NC but with such a weak schedule and if the top 15 preseason ranking holds true I think they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. They are really the only north (and most likely the whole conference) who goes into the season without huge questions with their team.

Stanford should struggle

Oregon and their transfer QB who couldn't start for any team outside of Oregon State.

We lost our best offensive and defensive lineman

Oregon State and Cal will be dumpster fires this year.

The north realistically should be a cakewalk until the AC but Falk can't play worth shit in bad weather.

 

[socaljim242]

I don't think UW has the talent to win a NC but with such a weak schedule and if the top 15 preseason ranking holds true I think they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. They are really the only north (and most likely the whole conference) who goes into the season without huge questions with their team.

Stanford should struggle

Oregon and their transfer QB who couldn't start for any team outside of Oregon State.

We lost our best offensive and defensive lineman

Oregon State and Cal will be dumpster fires this year.

The north realistically should be a cakewalk until the AC but Falk can't play worth shit in bad weather.

I'm not buying the demise of Stanford. Yes they lost some seniors and the starting QB but they have possibly the best O line recruiting in the nation and their defense is still going to be tough. With McCaffery they will score enough. I don't see them in the NCG but they will be tough for PAC teams to handle.
Same goes with Oregon. They aren't the MM Ducks but they have firepower. I'm not buying that Hoke will do wonders for the defense . I don't think he's ever been a D cord and if he has it's been a long time.That said they will be hard to beat.
Teams are going to have to play outstanding to beat these two. If Washingtons defense is as good as some people think that will keep them in every game but is the offense ready to jump up that dramatically? They were 9th in total offense only in front of utah , Colorado and Oregon State.

 

[wazzu31]

I'm not buying the demise of Stanford. Yes they lost some seniors and the starting QB but they have possibly the best O line recruiting in the nation and their defense is still going to be tough. With McCaffery they will score enough. I don't see them in the NCG but they will be tough for PAC teams to handle.
Same goes with Oregon. They aren't the MM Ducks but they have firepower. I'm not buying that Hoke will do wonders for the defense . I don't think he's ever been a D cord and if he has it's been a long time.That said they will be hard to beat.
Teams are going to have to play outstanding to beat these two. If Washingtons defense is as good as some people think that will keep them in every game but is the offense ready to jump up that dramatically? They were 9th in total offense only in front of utah , Colorado and Oregon State.

Guess we will disagree, Stanford won't dropped like Cal will but can't see them being anywhere as strong with basically breaking in a new offense. They struggled last year when Hogan wasn't playing well.

Oregon blew without Adams and Prukop isn't Adams.

UW's defense should be tops again but like I said they are coming back with the only question marks are if their players got better in the off season not who is going to emerge as the starter.

 

[socaljim242]

Guess we will disagree, Stanford won't dropped like Cal will but can't see them being anywhere as strong with basically breaking in a new offense. They struggled last year when Hogan wasn't playing well.

Oregon blew without Adams and Prukop isn't Adams.

UW's defense should be tops again but like I said they are coming back with the only question marks are if their players got better in the off season not who is going to emerge as the starter.

Most teams lose a little when their starter isn't playing. The kid who's supposed to start not with Hogan gone Keller Chryst, was like the #2 QB recruit the year he came out he's 6'5" and can throw the ball a mile. The other kid he's competing against for the starting job was a 4* recruit. While they don't have experience they have the perfect system to break in a QB with the power running game they have. The offense they will run will look exactly like it's looked for the past eight years but with Christian they have a serious long play threat.

 

[RegentDenali]

How Huskies handle Stanford and Oregon back to back will be the judge of our PAC12 title hopes. Happens early in the season this year.

Most teams lose a little when their starter isn't playing. The kid who's supposed to start not with Hogan gone Keller Chryst, was like the #2 QB recruit the year he came out he's 6'5" and can throw the ball a mile. The other kid he's competing against for the starting job was a 4* recruit. While they don't have experience they have the perfect system to break in a QB with the power running game they have. The offense they will run will look exactly like it's looked for the past eight years but with Christian they have a serious long play threat.

Agreed. But there is always a learning curve for first year QBs. The ones who were meant to be playing on Saturdays improve as the season goes on, like Browning did with the Huskies last year. The tale about Stanford this year is that they lost a tremendous amount of talent to grad and draft, including

G Joshua Garnett (Outland winner)
T Kyle Murphy.

Those guys were a big reason McCaffrey got to the Heismen ceremony. They created holes you could drive a city bus through for him. Both are now gone.

QB Hogan. Gone.

TE Austin Hooper. Gone.

WR/TE hybrid Deven Cajuste. Gone.

LB Blake Martinez. Gone.

DT/DE Azziz Shittu (Rose bowl Defense MVP). Gone.

OLB Kevin Anderson. Gone

RB Remound Wright. Gone.

DB Kodi Whitfield. Gone.


Yes, Stanford has great recruiting classes so there is always plenty of talent waiting to take over, but that's still a massive experience hole to fill this year. Anyone who watched the PAC last year knows how much those guys were the reason they got to and won the Rose Bowl. And they didn't just win the Rose bowl. They absolutely annihilated the other team.

It's why I think Stanford doesn't repeat as PAC champs this year. 8-9 wins and a respectable bowl like Holiday, but it's looking like a transition/rebuild year for them. Won't count them out either. They could come out this year and put the screws to everyone in the PAC again with that smash mouth power game.

Ducks lost lots of talent as well. I think that's a factor the Huskies are getting so much love from the analysts right now. We lost barely anyone this year and return the best D in the PAC. We get Stanford and Oregon early while they're still trying to get all the new pieces developing. It sits us up nicely, but we still got to take advantage of that gift. If we can't beat the Ducks this year, even in their house, we got no business being in any kind of playoff discussion. I still don't think we got all the pieces in place for a true Rose Bowl/ Playoff caliber team till next year, but whatever. Baker could be gone so strike now.
We get 9 or more wins this year, I'll be more than happy. That will be the next step we've all been desperately craving ever since Petersen arrived and had to patiently watch develop. He's been painfully methodical in his approach to this team. Loving that it seems to be coming together, but damn did it take patience for our fanbase with Sark always being stuck in 3rd gear and Petersen having to rebuild the team into what he needed.

 

[WizardHawk]

LOL if the Huskies win another NC before the Duckies after Uncle Phil sunk over half a billion dollars in that "school's" athletic facilities. Plus all the sleezey Nike involvement in recruiting and off the books consultants working for the athletics programs.

Especially with Petersen as the coach. That's just icing on the cake. Oh baby.

But I'm still not buying all that level of hype right now. Next year was when it was looking like this team would have enough talent for a Rose bowl bid. But if we find a way to get there this year, sweet.

For development of the offense maybe, but not for the defense. Much of the key pieces of that D are going to leave for the draft after this season.

If defense wins you championships they have to find a way to make their move this year. The offense should keep getting deeper and stronger into next year, but the defense probably will take a step back.

 

[wazzu31]

Most teams lose a little when their starter isn't playing. The kid who's supposed to start not with Hogan gone Keller Chryst, was like the #2 QB recruit the year he came out he's 6'5" and can throw the ball a mile. The other kid he's competing against for the starting job was a 4* recruit. While they don't have experience they have the perfect system to break in a QB with the power running game they have. The offense they will run will look exactly like it's looked for the past eight years but with Christian they have a serious long play threat.

Without question Stanford will have talent but with breaking all the new guys in, regardless of their stars will take time. Stanford has a scheme that can hide flaws but they will need whoever their QB is to win games like Hogan did, McCaffery got all the hype because of his numbers but Hogan was every bit responsible for McCaffery's non special teams numbers.

I'm just saying UW should have the easiest path to the North since Stanford shouldn't IMO be as formidable and Oregon should be a slightly better version of them without Adams last year which shouldn't scare any team in the conference let alone the team that has the best defense and just needs to continue to improve like they did at the end of last year.

 

[RegentDenali]

For development of the offense maybe, but not for the defense. Much of the key pieces of that D are going to leave for the draft after this season.

If defense wins you championships they have to find a way to make their move this year. The offense should keep getting deeper and stronger into next year, but the defense probably will take a step back.

I hear you. We do have what could be one of the top Ds in the country this year so let it lead us, and give our O max ops to do their thing. That and Browning and Gaskin building upon what they did last year, team stays healthy, and let's get to a champ game and see what we can do.

So excited for Huskies and Hawks this fall. Gonna be football nirvana up here.

 

[Olyduck]

I'm not buying the demise of Stanford. Yes they lost some seniors and the starting QB but they have possibly the best O line recruiting in the nation and their defense is still going to be tough. With McCaffery they will score enough. I don't see them in the NCG but they will be tough for PAC teams to handle.
Same goes with Oregon. They aren't the MM Ducks but they have firepower. I'm not buying that Hoke will do wonders for the defense . I don't think he's ever been a D cord and if he has it's been a long time.That said they will be hard to beat.
Teams are going to have to play outstanding to beat these two. If Washingtons defense is as good as some people think that will keep them in every game but is the offense ready to jump up that dramatically? They were 9th in total offense only in front of utah , Colorado and Oregon State.

I dont think Hoke has to do wonders with the defense for Oregon. 116th in total D and still won 9 games and was still in 3 of the 4 losses. so if he even gets them back to average it will help.

 

[Olyduck]

Guess we will disagree, Stanford won't dropped like Cal will but can't see them being anywhere as strong with basically breaking in a new offense. They struggled last year when Hogan wasn't playing well.

Oregon blew without Adams and Prukop isn't Adams.

UW's defense should be tops again but like I said they are coming back with the only question marks are if their players got better in the off season not who is going to emerge as the starter.

Prukop may not be Adams but Alie/Lockie aren't Prukop/Jonsen

 

[socaljim242]

All I know is every year Stanford gets some of the top O linemen in the country and they are just sitting behind studs . Since Luck left Stanford has gone 12-2, 11-3, 8-5, 12-2 so I doubt losing Hogan is suddenly going to derail them. Saying they lost a bunch is true but they have been using the same power system so they are coming in knowing exactly what to do.

 

[Olyduck]

All I know is every year Stanford gets some of the top O linemen in the country and they are just sitting behind studs . Since Luck left Stanford has gone 12-2, 11-3, 8-5, 12-2 so I doubt losing Hogan is suddenly going to derail them. Saying they lost a bunch is true but they have been using the same power system so they are coming in knowing exactly what to do.

so what was the story with 8-5? what did they lose that year vs the others?

 

[socaljim242]

so what was the story with 8-5? what did they lose that year vs the others?

I have no idea but its obviously an out liar. I think they had a ton of injuries if I'm not mistaken.

 

[socaljim242]

I dont think Hoke has to do wonders with the defense for Oregon. 116th in total D and still won 9 games and was still in 3 of the 4 losses. so if he even gets them back to average it will help.

The thing is no score a ton on offense and so so defense has won the NC. Defense is needed more than offense.

 

[socaljim242]

To expand on that. That's why Washington is getting the love right now. Their offense is still kind a mystery but people feel their defense will be really good which makes them favorite pick to win the north. Oregon will have offense they always do but the defense or lack of is why people aren't buying them this year.
USC had offense when Pete was there but it was the defense the years they won big. The year they lost to Texas the defense was crap and they just couldn't outscore them.

 

[Olyduck]

The thing is no score a ton on offense and so so defense has won the NC. Defense is needed more than offense.

except Auburn. Total Offense 7th Total Defense 60th.

 

[socaljim242]

except Auburn. Total Offense 7th Total Defense 60th.

Well it helps to have cam Newton to bull his way to first downs when ever you need it. That's a different offense.
The Ducks, the Baylors the A&Ms. those teams didnt do it.
Clemson is a dynamic offense and they were in the top ten on defense but Bama was top three

 

[Not Neutral]

LOL if the Huskies win another NC before the Duckies after Uncle Phil sunk over half a billion dollars in that "school's" athletic facilities. Plus all the sleezey Nike involvement in recruiting and off the books consultants working for the athletics programs.

Especially with Petersen as the coach. That's just icing on the cake. Oh baby.

But I'm still not buying all that level of hype right now. Next year was when it was looking like this team would have enough talent for a Rose bowl bid. But if we find a way to get there this year, sweet.

Without question Stanford will have talent but with breaking all the new guys in, regardless of their stars will take time. Stanford has a scheme that can hide flaws but they will need whoever their QB is to win games like Hogan did, McCaffery got all the hype because of his numbers but Hogan was every bit responsible for McCaffery's non special teams numbers.

I'm just saying UW should have the easiest path to the North since Stanford shouldn't IMO be as formidable and Oregon should be a slightly better version of them without Adams last year which shouldn't scare any team in the conference let alone the team that has the best defense and just needs to continue to improve like they did at the end of last year.

UW had the best PAC 12 defense last year. Obviously, they need more than that.

 

[SUBuddha]

so what was the story with 8-5? what did they lose that year vs the others?

8-5 year, broke in 4 new starters on the O-line, Hogan's father was dying of cancer (no one on the team knew) he passed before the UCLA game. Lost 2 starting running backs (McCaffrey was a true frosh and not ready from a playbook perspective), Ertz and Tolilo went pro, leaving only frosh TE's etc.

I think Stanford can go 12-2 again, but I expect them to be a 9-10 win team most likely. The defense will be nasty this year though.

 

[WizardHawk]

UW had the best PAC 12 defense last year. Obviously, they need more than that.

The love for UW by the national media is not just because of their D. They are assuming that the defense will still be solid AND the offense makes leaps forward. Not just because of the increases over the last few games of the season, but the return of John Ross III. He will be not only adding speed to the offense, but also doing kick off and punt return duties and should help improve all 3 areas tremendously.

It's not a stretch to expect gains, but as I said, it also assumes all of the pieces are able to play at least most of the season and we all know injuries are the rule not the exception. They need Ross to stay healthy, Gaskin to stay upright, Browner to keep improving and stay injury free, the line to stay relatively healthy, etc.

Depth is so key and there just aren't answers if any core player goes down for UW this year.