What do we know about Pac-10 Conference football?
Or, better still, what do we think we know?
The Pac-10 appears quite strong at least in terms of the most arbitrary method of measurement available — poll results.
Four Pac-10 teams are in the Associated Press poll’s top 25: No. 2 Oregon (15 first place votes), No. 14 Stanford, No. 17 Arizona and No. 24 Oregon State. The Beavers are, by virtue of rankings, the nation’s second-best two-loss team, but the argument for them over No. 22 Florida is convincing. Oregon State’s two losses are to No. 3 Boise State and No. 4 TCU; the Gators have fallen to No. 8 Alabama and No. 9 LSU thus far.
Where humans may be a little apprehensive toward recent Pac-10 performances, computers find the conference to be very strong. Jeff Sagarin’s rankings for USA Today show five Pac-10 schools in the top 11: Oregon (first, 92.22 rating), Stanford (fourth, 90.39), Arizona (seventh, 87.30), Cal (ninth, 86.46) and Oregon State (11th, 86.17). Arizona State checks in at 20th (82.18), while USC — ineligible from both the postseason and the USA Today rankings — is Sagarin’s 29th-best team (79.64).
Strength of schedule is a major component of Sagarin’s formula. Pac-10 teams pride themselves on challenging out-of-conference games, and the computers appear to agree. The Beavers have played the nation’s toughest schedule to date; all seven Pac-10 teams in Sagarin’s top 30 have top-40 schedules. The lowest of the group? The Ducks, with the 39th-most-challenging schedule in college football to date.
Oregon averages 54.3 points and 567.0 yards of offense a game in 2010, leading the nation in both categories. The Ducks are also the conference standard bearer in rushing offense, averaging 317.8 yards per game on the ground.
Not surprisingly, the improvement of LaMichael James is a major contributor to Oregon’s national rushing rank. The sophomore now leads the nation in rushing yards with 169.6 per game and is the first running back to lead the nation in rushing this year. Michigan sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson dropped to No. 2 this week with 165.17 yards per game, followed by Connecticut running back Jordan Todman, Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez and Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter.
Three Pac-10 running backs are in the top-20 nationally in rushing: James, Cal’s Shane Vereen (No. 13 with 115.40 yards per game) and UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin (No. 16 with 113.17 per game). Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers is the next Pac-10 player on the list, at 28th (96.20 per game), but the preseason Heisman Trophy candidate figures to move up the list as the Beavers heat up.
Billed as the Conference of Quarterbacks earlier this season, the Pac-10 has seen its rushing offenses excel this season. Oregon (fourth), UCLA (17th), USC (21st), Cal (22nd) and Stanford (25th) all occupy the top 25 nationally in rushing; only the Arizona schools crack the top 25 in passing offense.
Four quarterbacks are in the top 25 nationally in passing efficiency: Andrew Luck of Stanford (10th), Matt Barkley of USC (14th), Nick Foles of Arizona (21st) and Darron Thomas of Oregon (25th). Washington quarterback Jake Locker, considered a Heisman candidate and a possible No. 1 NFL draft pick at the beginning of the season, is ranked 68th.
Defense? The Pac-10 plays some of that, too, specifically Arizona (10th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 14.60 points per game) and California (8th nationally in total defense, allowing 254.80 yards per game), the two stoutest defenses in the conference to date. Still, no one will ever accuse the Pac-10 of being a defensively focused league — just three teams (Arizona, Cal, and Oregon) allow fewer than 21 points per game.
Oregon’s defense in particular is merely 45th in total defense but leads the nation with 22 turnovers forced. Cornerback Cliff Harris is tied for the national lead with four interceptions and is fourth nationally in passes defended (.67 per game). Defensive lineman Brandon Bair, who recorded 3.5 tackles for loss against Washington State, has averaged two per game this season, tied for the seventh-best mark in the nation.
Assuming that the Pac-10’s highly regarded offenses fail to produce, the conference has a stable of excellent punters. Arizona State’s Trevor Hankins is presently the best in the nation, averaging 48.5 yards on 22 attempts. UCLA’s Jeff Locke (sixth, 46.62 yards per punt), Cal’s Bryan Anger (seventh, 46.47), Washington’s Kiel Rasp (11th, 45.47) and Washington State’s Reid Forrest (16th, 44.88) are all among the nation’s elite.
Cougars fans have not had much to cheer for this season —no wins against Football Bowl Subdivision schools, and few good opportunities in sight — but they can take pride in their special teams. Washington State has allowed just 15.69 yards per kickoff return this season, one statistic in which the Cougars sit atop the national rankings.
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