NCAA Preview #3 - Go West, Young Men

Pacific-10
1. Oregon Ducks (8-1/11-1) - The Ducks only return ten starters from last year, but they are one of the best stocked teams in the conference. They also have one of the most experienced quarterbacks in Jeremiah Masoli. Although not a starter last season, he filled in for eight games. He filled in admirably, and the team is looking forward to him taking over the reins full-time.

2. USC Trojans (7-2/9-3) - The perennial conference champ has to replace their quarterback and most of the defense. For the rest of the conference, that's good news. The Trojans have such a depth of talent that the defense will be fine before the season ends, but some teams see opportunity in the Trojans' off-season losses.

3. California Golden Bears (5-4/8-4) - The Bears are primed with a strong offense and strong defense. Their Achilles Heel is quarterback Kevin Riley. His play was inconsistent last season, so much so that Coach Jeff Tedford left him out of their Emerald Bowl appearance. Riley is likely to start this season, but if he cannot improve his play, Cal won't be able to take advantage of USC's tumble this season.

4. Oregon State Beavers (5-4/8-4) - The Beavers get a nice early schedule for once, which should give time for a new secondary to start to gel. They'd better, because playing all conference opponents this year means the Beavers have some powerful passing teams coming to town, including USC and Oregon.

5. Stanford Cardinal (5-4/8-4) - The Cardinal running game is strong, which should give new QB Andrew Luck time to grow into the job. The defense is not outstanding, but they are tenacious, observant, and adaptive. This team has the potential to outperform any team in the second half, making them contenders in any game they play.

6. UCLA Bruins (4-5/6-6) - The Bruins may have the best defense in the conference. Unfortunately, their offense may be among one of the worst. That means the offense will sputter for two years in a row, a fate rarely seen in LA. Patience will be wearing thin with Coach Rick Neuheisel after this season.

7. Arizona State Sun Devils (4-5/6-6) - The Sun Devils have an easy early schedule, helping the development of new QB Danny Sullivan. They don't much of a running game to spell him, so Sullivan will have to gain the experience to lead the offense in their difficult final stretch.

8. Arizona Wildcats (3-6/5-7) - The Wildcats are in for a rebuilding year, losing their quarterback, best receiver, half of the offensive line, and the defensive secondary. The defensive line is strong, so teams will have a hard time running against them, but not a lot of Pac-10 teams deal with the run. However, with so many new quarterbacks in the conference this year, a strong run defense could come in handy.

9. Washington Huskies (1-8/2-10) - Returning 16 starters from last year gives experience to the 0-12 team. Fortunately, they can only improve. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they'll improve by much.

10. Washington State Cougars (0-9/1-11) - It's unknown whether the Cougars have significantly improved a defense that lost five games last year by 49 or more points. That doesn't bode well if they want to crawl out of the conference cellar.

Mountain West
1. BYU Cougars (7-1/10-2) - Plenty of starters return from last season's 10-3 team. The Cougars further benefit from hosting both TCU and Utah, the main challengers for the conference title. BYU has a chance to recapture the title, and perhaps even play in a BCS bowl.

2. Air Force Falcons (6-2/10-2) - The Falcons return most of the crew that surprisingly went 8-4 last season. They could make a real impact this year, and perhaps even challenge for the conference title.

3. Utah Utes (5-3/8-4) - The Utes finished with their best ranking ever last season - #2. They want to improve on that. Replacing their quarterback and kicker makes that unlikely. Road contests against TCU and BYU won't help, either.

4. UNLV Rebels (5-3/7-5) - With 15 returning starters who beat ranked Arizona in overtime, and a favorable schedule, has created an air of expectation and enthusiasm around Las Vegas. They may be justified in that feeling. This team has always been capable of surprising opponents in the past, and with the confidence generated last season, this team could be a competitor.

5. TCU Horned Frogs (4-4/6-6) - Losing half of their starting defense won't help the Horned Frogs' cause, neither will a tough road schedule. Their offense looks good, but they may have trouble stopping opponents, especially early in the season.

6. San Diego State Aztecs (3-5/6-6) - For the Aztecs to be successful, they need to improve their running game and their running defense. They've talked big about those, with new offensive schemes and new coordinators, but we haven't seen any proof. Until I do, the Aztecs will contine to be an "also ran" team.

7. Colorado State Rams (3-5/5-7) - The Rams made great strides last year, but they'll slip backwards. They have to replace their quarterback, their main running back, and half of the receiving corps. Worse, their entire defensive line will be new, and their best linebacker is sitting out for disciplinary reasons. That does not bode well.

8. Wyoming Cowboys (2-6/3-9) - They return eight starters from a defense that ranked 38th last season, so the Cowboys will be a tough opponent. Their offense needs to be revamped, though, so they may not be able to score much themselves.

9. New Mexico Lobos (1-7/2-10) - New coach Mike Locksley is shifting to a spread offense, but he doesn't have the right tools to do that. The defense has some strength, but not enough to stop the best offenses in this conference.

Western Athletic Conference
1. Boise State Broncos (6-2/9-4) - The Broncos return 14 starters from last year's 12-1 team, but are lacking experience among the receivers and runners. Those are important positions for the Broncos' spread offense. They are good at developing talent, so their offense should run smoothly in the second half of the season, but this year's success may depend upon how well they get through their early games. They are tested in their first game, as the Oregon Ducks come to town.

2. Nevada Wolf Pack (6-2/8-4) - The Wolf Pack's powerful offense returns, and they've beefed up their defense. They still have holes, especially in the secondary, but Nevada might be a contender this season. They have a favorable schedule, hosting most of their tough opponents, so the Pack will push for a possible title.

3. Hawaii Warriors (5-3/8-5) - After a year's experience, the Warriors' young offense should be better. However, they lose nearly their entire defense from last season. This team may be able to score more efficiently than last season, but preventing others from scoring will be tougher.

4. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (5-3/7-5) - The Bulldogs have a strong running game and rushing defense, but they are susceptible to the pass. That hurts, although not as much as it would in conferences like the SEC or Mountain West. The running game is supported by a returning offensive front that is one of the conference's largest. The Bulldogs won't light up the scoreboard, but they will compete.

5. Fresno State Bulldogs (5-3/6-6) - The runners and receivers are back, but a new quarterback will lead them. The Bulldogs' system isn't that complex, though, so that might not be a problem. A bigger problem is the rebuilding of both lines. There's enough part-time experience there, though, that they should develop quickly -- quickly enough to make an impact in conference play.

6. San Jose State Spartans (4-4/5-7) - Returning nearly all of last season's squads, the Spartans are confident they can compete. This is definitely an interesting season this year, as the conference finds itself top-heavy and bottom-heavy, with practically nothing in between. Unfortunately, San Jose State isn't quite ready to dethrone the top teams, but they'll come close.

7. New Mexico State Aggies (2-6/4-9) - New coach DeWayne Walker brings an emphasis on defense to the Aggies, but they don't have the players for it. Former coach Hal Mumme focussed exclusively on offense; signing capable defenders wasn't a consideration. It'll take at least a couple of recruiting classes for Walker's philosophy to take hold.

8. Idaho Vandals (1-6/2-10) - The Vandals have a tough schedule this season. Coach Robb Akey has been working with his players for two years, establishing a consistent program that was lacking since Tom Cable in 2003. They'd like it to pay dividends this year, but their schedule will make that difficult.

9. Utah State Aggies (1-7/2-10) - New coach Gary Andersen could have some surprises under his sleeve, as he showed running Utah's defense against Alabama in their Sugar Bowl victory, but even he is concerned about the strength of his team. He's not sure how they'll stack up against the stronger teams in the conference, so finese plays may become popular this season.