Guest Post: 2012 Pac-12 College Football Preview

2012 Pac-12 College Football Preview

The Pac-12 is a rising brand in college football; its expansion to 12 teams and the subsequent addition of a conference championship game--along, of course, with good teams and good coaches--make this a conference to be reckoned with in the college football world.

Arizona

Will new head coach Rich Rodriguez prove to be a better fit for the Wildcats than he was for the Wolverines? RichRod has brought in Jeff Casteel to run his unorthodox defense, so maybe Rodriguez will flourish in a place that is not so bound to tradition.

Arizona State

Arizona is not the only team in the state to have a new coach this season; Arizona State hired former Pitt head coach Todd Graham in the off-season. Will Graham be able to overcome the negative press surrounding his employment change and which quarterback will he choose from a pool of three to start?

California

Can head coach Jeff Tedford put together a good enough season to cool down his hot seat? Tedford has coached at Cal for going on eleven years, but last season's 7-6 ledger did little to appease the Golden Bears' fans. Cal has had good recruiting classes over the past few years, but can Tedford make the most of them?

Colorado

Can the Buffs recover from their abysmal Pac-12 debut and turn their program around? The upside of last year's dud of a season is that there is nowhere to go but up, but head coach Jon Embree will have his hands full sufficiently motivating his patch-work team through a back-heavy Pac-12 schedule.

Oregon

Will the Ducks be able to overcome personnel losses at key positions? Chip Kelly's teams often boast a high-flying offense, but inexperience at offensive skill positions such as quarterback and running back may partially ground the offense. This year's Oregon Ducks defense may be special, however, led by linebacker Dion Jordan.

Oregon State

Will the Beavers be able to buck up their offense? Their O-line has been porous the past couple of seasons, and nobody named Rodgers will be lining up in the backfield. The Beavers will have to find an offensive identity and will have to coach up players to run said offense.

Stanford

The biggest question on the Farm is obvious: How will the Cardinal face life after Luck? Superstar quarterback Andrew Luck has graduated to playing on Sundays, but Stanford's cupboards are by no means bare. A pair of former 4-star recruits will battle for the starting QB job, and other skilled players want to prove themselves this fall.

University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)

The Rick Neuheisel era has come to a close, so Bruins fans are anxious to see whether new head coach Jim Mora can turn their program around. Will Mora and new offensive coach Noel Mazzone be able to lead the Bruins to a winning record in spite of a lack of a definitive depth chart?

University of Southern California (USC)

The USC Trojans are ready to put the unpleasantness of post-season ineligibility behind them, so the question surrounding them is how much the scholarship losses and other sanctions will hurt the program. Heisman buzz has already surrounded superstar quarterback Matt Barkley, and the wide receiver tandem of Robert Woods and Marqise Lee is well-known throughout the Pac-12.

Washington

Will new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and his assistants be able to field a Huskies defense that is capable of stopping anyone? RGIII & Co. bombed Washington in the Alamo Bowl last season, but Wilcox's 3-4 defense may be the solution to removing the Huskies even farther from their 0-12 debacle in 2008.

Washington State

The hiring of "Dread Pirate" Mike Leach has the Wazzu fan-base abuzz, making fans and pundits alike question whether Leach will be able to run his air-raid offense with the Cougars. Neither Washington State's offense nor defense was good last year, but Coach Leach has been known to make football magic happen.
By Don Phan – Just another sports enthusiast.