Good luck predicting the Pac-10 champion.
Attrition often is a factor in championship races, but this year, the attrition started well before the season did.
For years, the safe bet to win the Pac-10 crown was
Reigning champion
Add to those factors that
That all contributes to what figures to be a wide-open Pac-10 race.
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1.
2.
3.
4. Stanford
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
THE PLAYERS
BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER:
BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: UCLA FS Rahim Moore. Every coach agrees that turnovers are the deciding factors in most games. With that in mind, any coach would want Moore on his team. Moore led the nation with 10 interceptions in ’09. He also posted 49 tackles and seven pass breakups. Moore, a junior who has started every game of his career, figures to be a leading contender for the Thorpe Award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER ON THE SPOT:
DEFENSIVE PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Arizona State CB Omar Bolden. He’s trying to come back from a knee injury that prematurely ended his junior season. If he comes back strong, he’ll provide a boost to a Sun Devils secondary that will have three new starters. If there are lingering effects from the injury, the Sun Devils’ pass defense may be in trouble.
BREAKOUT OFFENSIVE STAR:
BREAKOUT DEFENSIVE STAR:
BEST OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER:
BEST DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER:
MOST OVERRATED PLAYER:
THE COACHES
COACH ON THE HOTTEST SEAT:
BEST COACHING STAFF:
BEST OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR:
BEST DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR:
THE OTHER STUFF
TEAM THAT WILL SURPRISE: Stanford. Some may expect the Cardinal, who won eight games last season, to ebb somewhat after losing Gerhart. But Stanford didn’t reach a bowl with Gerhart in ’08. The big difference was the quarterback play of
TEAM THAT WILL DISAPPOINT:
GAME OF THE YEAR:
TOUGHEST SCHEDULE:
EASIEST SCHEDULE:
THE 10 BEST GAMES
(listed chronologically)
Stanford at
Stanford at