2008 Pac 10 Football Preview

Pac Ten football preview from Maddux Sports for the 2008 season. Below you can find our official Pac 10 football preview as well as individual team previews for all 10 PAC10 football teams and our PAC 10 predictions. Haven't had much luck beating your bookie? This season up your chances and order Maddux's winning college football picks.

Is it to be USC again? It seems that the Trojans are always at the top of the Pac-10 heap, and it’s likely they’ll be there again this season. But Oregon, Arizona State and UCLA are all on the rise and none will be pushovers.

The Trojans once again will field an extremely talented team. Their defense is loaded with talent and playmakers. However, new starting QB Mark Sanchez is a question mark. It’s uncertain if he has the talent and toughness to perform as needed. Coach Pete Carroll never seems to have to rebuild, he just reloads each year.

Will the next Dennis Dixon please take the snaps? That’s what the Oregon Ducks are asking as they try to replace the dynamic quarterback. They haven’t quite figured that out yet. The good news is that the Ducks field a fine O-line and an excellent defense.

In the past two seasons, the Oregon State Beavers have won 19 games. The offense looks sound but the defense welcomes back just three starters. Coach Mike Riley is rebuilding, but he’s an innovative coach and will get his players to post wins.

There are questions concerning quarterback, running back and wide receiver for the California Golden Bears. The offense line is one of the best in the league and the linebacking unit is superior. This team collapsed at the end of the 2007 season. Hopefully, they’ve learned from that experience.

A new coaching staff is in place for the UCLA Bruins. Head coach Rick Neuheisel has built a strong cadre of assistants that includes Norm Chow and DeWayne Walker. Problems include depth at quarterback as starting and backup QBs are both injured.

The Arizona Wildcats have a dynamic duo in quarterback Willie Tuitama and receiver Mike Thomas. Overall, the offense is strong. But the defense is porous and that could prove to be a huge problem for this team and for coach Mike Stoops, whose job is on the line.

The Arizona State Sun Devils have an excellent QB in Rudy Carpenter, but they lack the offensive line to protect him. The team has a wealth of talent at the skilled positions. Coach Dennis Erikson knows how to get the most out of what he has on hand.

Look for the Washington Huskies under new sophomore QB Jake Locker to start to find their game. The offensive line looks ready to step up and the defense is improved. However, the running back and wideout units are thin. Still, this team looks to be a good year from breaking out.

In one year under coach Jim Harbaugh, the Stanford Cardinal team has shown improvement. But despite fielding a defense that’s experienced, this club will struggle on the offensive side of the ball as they seek to find a starting quarterback. Give Stanford another year, and they could be a contender.

The Washington State Cougars have a new coach—Paul Wulff. Wulff will implement a fast-paced offense geared around passing. One problem is that he may not have a quarterback capable of running a no-huddle game. If he does have one, then wide receiver and NFL prospect Brandon Gibson should have a field day. Depth is a problem as Wulff starts to rebuild a program that up to a few years ago was successful.

Pac 10 Predictions

1) USC Trojans
2) Oregon Ducks
3) Oregon State Beavers
4) California Golden Bears
5) UCLA Bruins
6) Arizona Wildcats
7) Arizona State Sun Devils
8) Washington Huskies
9) Stanford Cardinal
10) Washington State Cougars

For more info on the 2008 PAC Ten Conference, view their official website or read up on all the pac 10 football team previews below.