After two weeks of Pac-10 play my ranking of teams is as follows:
1. USC: Pete Carroll`s team is loaded with talent and they are beginning to show maturity. Players from the top five recruiting classes are beginning to produce results. The Conference has a fair amount of parity amongst teams with the exception of the Trojans. The men from Troy have earned the right to be voted the best college team in the country.
2. Arizona State: The Sun Devils earn the second spot for two reasons, they have a coach who knows how to win and they have a quality quarterback with experience.
3. Oregon: After two games the Ducks are leading the nation in total offensive yards per game at 592 yards and their defense is playing with a confidence not seen for awhile. The defense is giving up 91.5 yards rushing per contest. Additionally they have more depth than in past years.
4. California: The Golden Bears lost most of their skill position players from a year ago, after their seasoning ending melt down. Not to worry, they have more speed this year than last. Watch for speedy running back Jahvid Best. Open competition at quarterback finds Kevin Riley taking most of the reps and making better decisions in protecting the ball. Cal has adopted a 3-4 base defense and the players are responding with solid play.
5. UCLA: This could be the surprise team in the conference. New head coach Rick Neuheisel has hired two talented coordinators in Norm Chow and DeWayne Walker. The Bruins won their first game against Tennessee with great coaching. UCLA has more experienced talent on the defensive side of the ball than they do on the offensive side. The season will hinge on individual growth and the injury situation for the Bruin offense.
6. Arizona: The pressure is on Mike Stoops, go Bowling or go home. The early schedule is soft and the Wildcats are taking advantage of it. They have won easily, scoring a total of 111 points in their first two games. Quarterback Willie Tuitama and running back Nic Grigsby have led the way. If “AIR-ZONA” keeps clicking and the defense steps up….look out this team will cause some problems.
7. Stanford: Jim Harbough is instilling a toughness in the Cardinal team we have not seen for awhile. They will surprise some teams in the conference, but they are still a couple of years away from having the talent necessary to challenge in the Pac-10 conference.
8. Oregon State: The Beavers have a recent history of starting late, lets hope for their sake that history repeats itself. To move up the ladder the Beavs need to find a solid running game which is certainly possible when the offensive line gels. On the defensive side, seven new starters, all needing more experience and a more physical attitude.
9. Washington: Toughest schedule in the country with an extremely young team, not a formula for success with a rebuilding program. Tyrone Willingham and his staff are attempting to rebuild a depleted program and as we know, fans are into immediate gratification. My guess, the fans will see definitive improvement, as in wins, after the Oklahoma contest at Husky Stadium.
10. Washington State: The cupboard was a little bare upon new head coach PaulWulff`s arrival. The Cougs have yet to settle upon a quarterback to run their no huddle offense and the defense and special teams did not show up last week against California.
Check back frequently, this is college football and the Pac-10 power ranking will change on a weekly basis.