With college football literally right around the corner (USC plays Hawaii in Honolulu on Thursday), the SB Nation Pac-10 contingent has assembled to bring you our 2010 Predictions, which Avinash over at the California Golden Blogs has painstakingly constructed.
I'll give you the jist of how the predicitins go from an Oregon State standpoint, but you need to make sure you check out the entire SB Nation Pac-10 Preseason Predictions Post over on CGB.
Here is how the conference standings shook out, with first place votes in parentheses.
SB Nation Pac-10 Predicted Standings
Projected rank | Points (out of 80) |
Oregon (5) | 73 |
Oregon St. (2) | 70 |
Arizona (1) | 56 |
USC | 55 |
Stanford | 54 |
Cal | 40 |
Washington | 40 |
UCLA | 26 |
Arizona State | 17 |
Washington State | 9 |
Pac-10 Awards and Oregon State anaysis from CGB after the break...
Ballots were submitted from AZ Desert Swarm (Arizona Wildcats), House of Sparky (Arizona St. Sun Devils), California Golden Blogs (Cal Golden Bears) Addicted to Quack (Oregon Ducks), Building the Dam (Oregon St. Beavers), Bruins Nation (UCLA Bruins), Conquest Chronicles (USC Trojans), Coug Center (Washington St. Cougars).
The preview also includes also includes several awards. Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers tied in the voting for Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year with Jake Locker, and Stephen Paea received some recognition for Defensive Player of the Year.
Make sure you check out Avinash's team-by-team analysis. Here's what he had to say about the Beavers, who came in at No. 2:
2. Oregon State. If there's anyone to knock off Oregon from defending their crown, this feels like the team. USC, Cal, Oregon all come to their place. It makes no difference whether they start the season and get bowled over by TCU or Boise, as they're prone to doing every season. The bigger question is whether they can handle those games without picking up injuries to their frontline guys.
Because if they can, the Beavers have all the ingredients of finally making the leap under Mike Riley. The Rodgers brothers return for their third and final hurrah of terrorizing the conference with their midget demonry (James is a senior, so only Jacquizz comes back next season). Joe Halahuni is the conference's best-kept secret and could be the go-to guy if sophomore Ryan Katz has trouble connecting outside. We haven't even mentioned Paea and a defense returning eleven guys with starting experience, although there are big questions at linebacker with Keaton Kristick and David Pa'aluhi gone about how well they can handle the outside and intermediate areas of the field.
On offense, everyone is wondering whether Katz will be able to deliver in his new role--Sean Canfield was so good for the Beavers last season that it's hard to see him matching that production. But there will be experienced talent around him to guide him, and unlike the Ducks, the schedule does seem to favor a young quarterback getting most of his big reps at home.
Again, major props to Avinash at the California Golden Blogs for assembling this report. Make sure you check out his post in it's entirety.
--Jake | (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)