Pac-10/West Coast notes for '09

[Conan]

I thought I'd start this one out for the conference I know the best and toss in other WC schools as they come my way.

Here's something HUGE that I just saw about UCLA. Anyone who followed them last year knows how godawful their OL was. Nearly no running game other than when QB Kevin Craft had to take off and run for his life.

Now coach Neuheisel speaks through his actions... an interesting development here. The Bruins seem on track to recover from what HC Karl Dorrell left behind.
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Xavier Su'a-Filo picks UCLA

February 4, 2009 2:38 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

A big one for UCLA: offensive tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo taps the Bruins.

The big worry going into signing day was that UCLA wasn't getting enough help on the offensive line. With Su'a-Filo, No. 35 on the ESPNU 150, and Stanley Hasiak signing with the Bruins, Rick Neuheisel now has lured two of the best in the country.This signing also certainly will land UCLA in the nation's top 25.
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I will be using this thread to track the developments in the Pac-10 as I see them. Feel free to comment or join in with more. It's never to soon to learn something important.

 

[SunDodger]

It looks like Neuheisel has learned from his days at Washington. It seemed like too much of his focus was on recruiting the skill positions and not enough was spent on going after big lineman.

I'm afraid to look at Washington's list of recruits.

 

[Conan]

It looks like Neuheisel has learned from his days at Washington. It seemed like too much of his focus was on recruiting the skill positions and not enough was spent on going after big lineman.

I'm afraid to look at Washington's list of recruits.

Wanna bet Norm Chow schooled him on it?

 

[Conan]

A pretty good summary of where things stand as of today... This should be useful for people like Russ who is in the midst of gathering up current info on the teams. I notice where Zona is on this list... maybe a little better than I thought.

IMHO, I can say that I've warned everyone about Cal this year. The whole team is back without QB Nate Longshore. If you remember a lot of folks here were pissed off about Tedford leaving Longshore in during their bowl game vs Md because he was so ineffective... that's not the first time he's looked bad. Jahvid Best carried the team in its bowl win. Now they have Kevin Riley as their starter who IMHO was a much better QB than Longshore ever was. Losing Nate Longshore will prove to be a positive thing.

Oregon also deserves the rank they are getting here because their offense is like a revolving front door in a department store. Speed and skill players are plentiful on their roster. The key to their success is having a QB that can run Chip Kelly's spread option offense. The Ducks came on strong towards the end of the year as Masoli became more comfortable with the offensive system. I think they will score a lot right out of the chute next year because Masoli will be a year older and a year better.

And don't count out the Beavers either because they lost 8 starters on defense. It's only a matter of a few games and they will end up just as effectie as their defense was last year after losing their front 7 on D. DC Mark Banker wisely rotated in his seconds on nearly every series, so just because they didn't start doesn't mean they can't play. They only need a little time to gel and they will win their 8 or 9 games as usual. This year their offense will carry the team with both Rogers brothers healthy and ready to play. Lyle Moevao will also be a year older and a year better too. They also picked up a couple of studs on their OL to help block for Quizz. It's possible that the Beavers passing game will lead the conference, and with Quizz getting the yards on the ground with regularity, the Beaver's should present problems for everyone they play. Interesting return match vs Cincinatti this year but this time it's Cincy that travels to Reser.

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Pac-10 post-signing day power rankings
February 9, 2009 12:00 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

This pecking order includes 2008 finish, NFL early defections, recruiting and an early projection for the 2009 season.

1. USC: The Trojans lost quarterback Mark Sanchez to early entry and looked slightly less invincible during recruiting this signing day, but they remain top dogs until someone knocks them off their pedestal for the past seven seasons.

2. California: The Bears unexpectedly lost tight end Cameron Morrah to early entry as well as three outstanding linebackers to graduation, and the recruiting class was a minor disappointment, but 17 returning starters from a nine-win team indicates the Bears might be the top challenger for USC next fall.

3. Oregon: The Ducks saw cornerback Jairus Byrd bolt for the NFL early, both lines take some big hits and the recruiting class ranked sixth in the Pac-10. But if you watched the Holiday Bowl whipping of Oklahoma State, the return of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and running back LeGarrette Blount suggest the Ducks will find a way to be in the race.

4. Oregon State: Beavers fans probably yawn at their recruiting class being ranked eighth in the conference, but they surely are concerned about a defense that loses eight starters. On the other hand, running back Jacquizz Rodgers and quarterback Lyle Moevao lead an offense that will welcome back seven in 2009.

5. Arizona: Offensive tackle Eben Britton bolted early for the NFL and the recruiting class ranked seventh in the Pac-10, but the Wildcats should be in pretty good shape for another bowl run if someone emerges at quarterback. Of course, that's a big "if."

6. UCLA: The Bruins perk up in the power rankings in large part because of the momentum of an outstanding recruiting class, which includes a handful of guys who can provide immediate help. Moreover, 16 returning starters means there will be nice competition for the incoming youngins.

7. Arizona State: Linebacker Vontaze Burfict and defensive tackle Corey Adams made the recruiting class -- Dennis Erickson is putting a stamp on his defense. And 16 starters will be back in 2009. But the Sun Devils have critical questions at quarterback and on the offensive line.

8. Stanford: With 17 starters back and the conference's third-rated recruiting class, the Cardinal look poised to move up. And the margin between Nos. 6, 7 and 8 is small. But the bad taste of losing three of four to finish the season -- thereby falling one win shy of bowl eligibility -- lingers.

9. Washington: The Huskies lost to Washington State in the Apple Cup and signed an inferior recruiting class compared to their rivals. And 17 returning starters from a winless team doesn't mean a whole lot. But one of those starters is quarterback Jake Locker, a certifiable difference-maker.

10. Washington State: The Cougars signed a better recruiting class than Washington and beat the Huskies last year, but -- despite 16 returning starters -- there are more roster questions heading into spring practices, particularly who will end up starting at quarterback.

 

[UoweDucks]

I am not nearly as bullish on AZ.

Matt Scott should be taking over at QB. He has no experience. This offense is pass driven and relies on timing. They lost their top WR, and left tackle.

Defensively good but challenged offensively. 5 losses? That is how I see it.

I also see ASU struggling next year. Would move Stanford above them.

As for these"power" rankings including results from the recruiting class???
Please.
Only a VERY small fraction of this years recruits will step on the field let alone have an impact.

 

[UoweDucks]

Michalzik leaving UW already.

I had mentioned in another thread how surprised I was that UW was able to steal the CAL Oline coach. Well he is already leaving UW and headed to Oakland.

This is a bummer from a UW perspective. I think he was the best pure "coach" on their squad.

 

[GoSooners]

Michalzik leaving UW already.

I had mentioned in another thread how surprised I was that UW was able to steal the CAL Oline coach. Well he is already leaving UW and headed to Oakland.

This is a bummer from a UW perspective. I think he was the best pure "coach" on their squad.

Ducks...It's just a wild guess. But O-Line coach Michalzik may have taken one look at what he had to work with and fled the scene. The reason I say this is that after OU played the Huskies last season, the first thing I was hearing out of the mouths of the OU lineman being interviewed when they got back to Oklahoma was how weak the Washington lines were on both sides of the ball. One lineman even went so far as to say Washington was physically the least imposing Division 1 team he's ever played against. So they definitely have some work to do. It sounds like Willingham left them with a pretty empty team except for Locker, who I kind of feel sorry for because he's such a talented QB.

 

[Conan]

WOW!!

This is indeed some very bad news about Udub. GoSooner's comments also described a pretty bleak picture I hadn't heard about. How in the world could Willingham have ended up with linemen who were as bad as that? I remember several years ago there was some talk about them being grossly out of shape and TW had everyone in the weightroom and on a diet INTENSELY. It appears that he got nowhere with it. Now it's up to Sark to change the entire culture of that team including getting rid of the Big Mac's and Double-cheeseburgers and lack of training in the weight room. That was their problem at one time and it sounds like nothing's changed. They were so ridiculously bad last year I didn't even bother to notice that.

Even Neuheisel was able to beef up UCLA's OL with some recruits with some talent and size there. It may not happen often, but I think these new guys will be playing on Saturdays in the very near future. The names escape me but I do remember a lot of *'s next to their names on signing day. I know for a fact that Norm Chow's was behind it. I can't say what will happen at Udub though. I'm sure Sarkisian realizes what's needed. It will be interesting to see what he does about it... or doesn't.

 

[UoweDucks]

Since he coached at CAL he had to know how bad the line and the offense in general was going to be. It was no secret as many articles had been written about it as far back as when Stanback was QB and could outbench all but one lineman.

While I think it is an epic fail to get just one Oline in this yrs recruting class, the huskies haven't done a terrible job in recruiting linemen prior to this year so the cupboard isn't bare. It was going to be a tough job but he had to know that going in. I mentioned at the time how surprised I was that Tedford let him go, perhaps he knew that Michalzik was going to make a money grab and he just couldn't afford him anymore...

For Michalzik the ability to not move and significantly upgrade his pay scale was probably too much to turn down.

PS. Gosooners, had Locker gone to UO he would have backed up Dixon and I think the ducks could have gone to the NC two yrs ago. Oh well, UO never had a shot at him.

 

[UoweDucks]

Ducks still in it for #1 recruit

<div><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="400" height="333" id="yfop"><param name="movie" value="http://d.yimg.com/cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="id=11977337&shareEnable=0" /><embed src="http://d.yimg.com/cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf" width="400" height="330" name="yfop" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="id=11977337&shareEnable=0"></embed></object><br /><a href="/video/recruiting-football/AMP-Bryce-Brown-breaks-it-down-44251">AMP: Bryce Brown breaks it down</a> @ <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/video" >Rivals Video</a></div>

 

[Conan]

Wow, after reading this they are really going to need Brown. If LeGarrette Blount doesn't make it back on the team that would be a huge blow.

 

[UoweDucks]

Wow, after reading this they are really going to need Brown. If LeGarrette Blount doesn't make it back on the team that would be a huge blow.

He missed a class and a "voluntary" workout. Not worried about it. Belloti is "getting his attention"

 

[Conan]

He missed a class and a "voluntary" workout. Not worried about it. Belloti is "getting his attention"

Well I sure hope that's all this is.

Just once I'd like to see how far the Ducks can go without losing 3 or 4 of their starting backfield during a season. I am almost certain that if that hadn't been pretty much true for the last 3-4 years they'd have a NC trophy on display in the Casanova center and people wouldn't be talking about USC being the whole Pac-10 conference.

I see that Bellotti has been signing some top notch JC's, even a couple good ones with 3 years of eligibility left -- immediate impact types. But where they are thin is in the RB dept. now that Blount is the only guy with substantial starting experience on the team. There's some excellent talent ready to step in (including a couple of WR's) but with all the O that are being replaced they need everyone they've got to make it through, especially at the start of the year.

There are some major hurdles for them to get over and especially early on their schedule. At least their visit to Boise is in W4 I believe. But my point is that with as many new players starting as they will have, they will need some time to get the bugs out of their offense and replacing Blount would add enormously to the problem. I hope the kid wakes up because they really need him... he's a beast.

 

[UoweDucks]

Well I sure hope that's all this is.

Just once I'd like to see how far the Ducks can go without losing 3 or 4 of their starting backfield during a season. I am almost certain that if that hadn't been pretty much true for the last 3-4 years they'd have a NC trophy on display in the Casanova center and people wouldn't be talking about USC being the whole Pac-10 conference.

I see that Bellotti has been signing some top notch JC's, even a couple good ones with 3 years of eligibility left -- immediate impact types. But where they are thin is in the RB dept. now that Blount is the only guy with substantial starting experience on the team. There's some excellent talent ready to step in (including a couple of WR's) but with all the O that are being replaced they need everyone they've got to make it through, especially at the start of the year.

There are some major hurdles for them to get over and especially early on their schedule. At least their visit to Boise is in W4 I believe. But my point is that with as many new players starting as they will have, they will need some time to get the bugs out of their offense and replacing Blount would add enormously to the problem. I hope the kid wakes up because they really need him... he's a beast.

Boise is week one so the staff will have all summer to prepare I prefer it to week 4 given the ducks record given extra time. You are right as Blount being gone would be terrible for UO. He stands to be a top draft pick so I expect that as motivation should be enough to get his ass in gear. There is a reason he was in JUCO (not much of a self starter).

A name that people should get familiar with is LaMichael James. He redshirted this year. He tore things up on the scout team this year. He is likened to JaQuizz Rodgers because of his size but he has an extra gear. You can see the similarities here:

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As for the JC's I think we'll see the biggest impact from LittleJohn at OLB and from Tyrece Gaines at WR. Gaines isn't listed as a commit yet as he hasn't gained admission yet but it is expected to be a formality. He is the #1 rated Juco WR. Stud.

 

[Conan]

My bad about the Boise game on the schedule. I've been reading up so much lately I probably got them confused with someone else, maybe it was LSU @ Udub in W4... or was it USC @ Ohio St.? Can't look it up now. All I know is that the Pac-10 has a monstrous OOC schedule yet again and the Ducks will feel the pressure right away. Masoli will end up being the player with more starting experience than almost all of the rest of his offense.

Here's something I just saw today in the Corvallis paper about the present state of the conference in numerous ways (and how glad I am to see Tom Hanson leaving...)

Time for drastic change in Pac-10

Commentary
By Kevin Hampton
Gazette-Times Reporter

Change is coming to the Pacific-10 Conference.

How much change? Well, that’s up to the new commissioner.

Current Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen is retiring on July 1 after 26 years in office. Hansen’s replacement will most likely be named by the end of the spring.

Names of potential candidates have already been floated about. Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice apparently thought about it before deciding to pursue other interests.

Former Stanford athletic director Ted Leland is presumed to be a leading name on the list.

We’ll see in due time.

What is evident is the conference needs a little shock to the system. It needs a dynamic leader, one who is unafraid to break away from the status quo.

There’s plenty of work to be done if the Pac-10 wants to keep an even playing field with the other major conferences.

Promotion is key for a conference essentially isolated from most of the country.

A big step would be looking into a different TV arrangement. The Pac-10 is currently under contract with Fox Sports Network, ABC/ESPN and Versus.

While other conferences are making major deals with major networks, we watch Pac-10 football games on Versus or FSN.

Nothing against those networks, but it’s hard enough for most of the conference to get exposure beyond the West Coast.

The contract with FSN expires at the end of the 2011-12 basketball season, so there’s time to take a long look at the options.

The incoming commissioner could also consider forming a Pac-10 network.

A Pac-10 television network would open up exposure for teams often left out in the cold when broadcast schedules are made.

Then how about looking at some different bowl games?

The Pac-10’s bowl tie-ins just aren’t at the level of the other conferences.

The Rose Bowl and Holiday Bowl are solid.

The Sun Bowl, the No. 3 bowl for the Pac-10, alternates with the Gator Bowl for teams from the Big East (second pick) or the fifth team from the Big 12. Notre Dame is also an option.

Then we have the Las Vegas Bowl with the Mountain West, the Emerald Bowl’s ACC tie-in, the Western Athletic Conference and the Hawaii Bowl and another Mountain West matchup in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Not much to get excited about.

The SEC, on the other hand, had ties after the 2008 season with the Independence Bowl in Shreveport (Big 12), the PapaJohns.com Bowl in Birmingham (Big East), the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta (ACC), the Music City Bowl in Nashville (ACC), the Outback Bowl in Tampa (Big Ten), the Capital One Bowl in Orlando (Big Ten), the Cotton Bowl in Dallas (Big 12) and the Liberty Bowl in Memphis (Conference USA).

Two of the games were played Jan. 1 and two on Jan. 2. For the Pac-10, only the Rose Bowl was played on Jan. 1.

Another priority should be the proper training of officials.

The conference’s football officiating has become an embarrassment in recent years. Blown calls and missed replays received national attention, calling the conference’s competence into question.

The next commissioner has a chance to break up the “good-old-boy” network that has ruled this area for far too long, bring in new talent and prepare the officials for the rigors of working games at the Division I level.

Fans have been waiting for change that’s been a long time coming.

It’s time change arrived.

Kevin Hampton is a columnist for the Gazette-Times.

 

[Conan]

Interesting little tidbit about Bellotti's returning (or not) for another year as HC.

The thinking is that if he does extend his HC job another year, it's for a good reason such as he thinks it could be the Duck's year to do something special.

Just wondering if you've gotten much of a feel yet for '09 Ducks. Bellotti's decision could very possibly be a "tell" of some kind. I also noticed that he has gone after JC's like never before in my recollection. He's signed 6 so far and he is after yet another.

As you pointed out there are some studs in the group as of now and perhaps another one or 2 yet to sign. I also think it will be interesting to see how big of a role Chris Harper gets this year, probably at WR where they may be a little thin on the depth charts without him. Anyting more you may have on him and that other red-shirt WR would be useful. Also something about their OL which could make life a lot easier for LaMichael James to break into their backfield.
.

 

[UoweDucks]

When it was first announced I thought 1 or 2 more yrs but now I think that Belloti is done. He has let go two coaches that he hired and allowed Kelly to hire the guys he wanted. I see no reason as to why Belloti would have done this if he felt there was a chance he would stick. The reasoning behind him not announcing right away most likely had to do with recruiting rules, allowing Kelly to have unlimited visits did help recruiting.

Additionally the timing of the Frohmeyer leaving (UO pres) is a big factor. He wants to insure that Belloti is in place at AD before he is gone. I hear that Kilkenny is fried at AD now. But what a hell of a job he has done.

As for Harper, Kelly has told him that the offense will be more focused on getting him the ball and it looks like slot wr is the spot. I don't envy the Boise St DC because he is not going to have any answers for what is coming in week one, Harper will be motioned frequently and will be a threat to run and catch. At 6'2 235 with 4.5 speed getting him the ball in space should reap dividends.

I know that there is concern about the Oline due to losses but not from me. Not only is Greatwood the best oline coach in the conference (won ncaa oline coach of yr this yr) he has depth that Oregon has never had. This unit will be fine. Every position has an uperclassman with starts under his belt coming in with redshirts behind them.

WR is unproven however there is speed and talent there + some intriguing additions in Diante Jackson and Tyrece Gaines. Given how poor the WR's performed this year I have a hard time saying there will be a dropoff. This is a key area to watch. New WR coach on board hopefully helps. Not sure if you saw it but they hired Scott Frost. I expect the WR's to be the most watched battle this spring and fall.

My area of biggest concern is Dline depth and thankfully it was addressed in this recruting class. Oregon signed 8 guys including 3 JC. Injuries from here could be very problematic though until these newer guys get up to speed. Oregon hired a new DL coach who has a lot of experience at 3-4. I am guessing that there may be a change coming given how many LB's the ducks have stockpiled in recent classes. That is pure speculation for now though.

 

[Conan]

Interesting stuff UoD. Pretty much as I had expected regarding Bellotti's immediate future because of the AC's let go for Kelly to replace. That's probably the clearest indication right there other than what's happening above Bellotti in the heirarchy.

Also nice to hear about Chris Harper's future.

That's intriguing about the 3-4 on D. You know what happened at Cal when Tedford found himself short of DL's last year and an abundance of LB's. It took them a few games to get the hang of it (the 3-4) but they improved consistently from there on and even ended up being a pretty good D vs the run. But they are starting over again now that they lost all 3 of their starting LB's. Still a little strange to watch them line up on defense and I will probably get the same feeling seeing the Ducks D line up too if that's where they are going. It's just me reacting to a system I have not seen much of but it doesn't mean it can't work.

I have to say I'm a little curious to see how Alliotti fits into this new scheme of coaches. Of course you know my sentiments about him but maybe with a new look things will be different.

 

[Conan]

Can't a guy get a break?

I think this was pretty lame of the NCAA to sanction Paul Wulff and his former team at EWU... pretty stiff penalties against a school on nobody's radar. Easy for the NCAA to get away with something like this... "major violations" my ass.

Wulff responds to NCAA penalties
February 12, 2009 2:34 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
While Washington State coach Paul Wulff admits his guilt pertaining to the rules violations the NCAA found during his tenure at Eastern Washington, it's also fair to say he doesn't feel terribly guilty.
"We're not talking recruiting violations," he said Wednesday night. "We're not talking the types of violations that truly give a competitive advantage."
Wulff has been suspended from the first three days of the Cougars' 2009 fall football practices due to NCAA rules violations that occurred when he was Eastern Washington's coach from 2000-2007.
The NCAA, terming the violations "major," found that from 2003-07 Eastern Washington exceeded the NCAA-mandated 11 coaches on its football staff. It also found the program allowed ineligible players to practice with the team. Finally, it charged the program with a lack of institutional control and Wulff with a failure to monitor his program.
The FCS program was put on three years' probation, lost two scholarships and a full-time coaching position for the next two academic years and has been banned from postseason play next season, which Wulff said was unfair.
"Eastern Washington is easier to kick around," he said.
Wulff said that the extra coaches weren't actually on-field coaches but were just helping the team with various tasks. The violations occurred because they weren't full-time students.
He also said the ineligible players who "practiced" weren't in pads and working out with the team but were doing various drills around the team.
He said that the violations were part of the "culture" of Eastern Washington, which he said didn't have the funds to support a full compliance staff.
"You have to understand: At Eastern Washington, this had gone on for two or three decades -- this isn't anything new," he said.
The NCAA also stated in its ruling that Wulff didn't report the violations immediately after he learned of them.
Wulff said he told the NCAA what he knew when investigators interviewed him in 2006.
"If I didn't report them, they wouldn't have even known about them," Wulff said. "But I didn't report them in a timely manner."
Wulff said he was asked about the issues at Eastern Washington during his interviews for the Washington State job after the 2007 season, and Cougars athletic director Jim Sterk backed up Wulff's account in a statement.
"During Paul's hiring process, he was straightforward about these allegations," Sterk said.
Besides the practice suspension, the NCAA also mandated that Wulff must attend, at his own cost, an NCAA Regional Rules Seminar during each of the three years of probation.
Wulff emphasized that he knows NCAA rules and that, while working with Washington State's compliance staff, he won't run into the same problems again.
"Some things did slip through the cracks under my watch," Wulff said. "I admitted it and I addressed it over two years ago."

 

[CoachCB]

Conan,

I agree about Wulff. What a joke for the NCAA to punish these kids at EWU for BS rules violations that occurred several years ago. This is a classic case of beating the dog a week later for shitting the rug!