Pac-10/West Coast notes for '09

[UoweDucks]

Ducks...Something that I've been hearing this week is there is a chance that Mike Leach could get fired from TT. And he's a west coast kind of guy having gone to school at Pepperdine. With all of the head coaching jobs taken, wouldn't it be something if Tedford hired him as offensive coordinator at Cal. Could happen. I've been hearing that the TT faculty are pretty much fed up with Leach. He never has had a great relationship with them. And with all of the problems that they're having trying to iron out his new contract, they might just say see ya, don't let the door hit you in the ass.

This is funny as that is the first thing I thought of as well. The key thing in my mind that Tedford would have to get around is that Leach runs an offense that is foreign to Tedford and I doubt Leach is a long term solution. So Tedford could end up diminishing his value to CAL by bringing in Leach.

I'll tell you what worries me. That is Tedford again reaching back into his Oregon roots and goin after Steve Greatwood Oregons OL coach. Greatwood has head coaching aspirations and an upgrade to OC is another step for him. It makes too much sense.

 

[UoweDucks]

From Wilner a very good beat writer out of NoCal. I would swap Stanford and ASU positions and I echo his sentiments on AZ wholeheartedly. They are going to struggle next year.



Pac-10 football: Projecting the ‘09 race (could it be Oregon’s year, or Cal’s?)

Posted by Jon Wilner on February 18th, 2009 at 8:22 am



Part of an on-going, post-signing day, slightly-delayed series looking ahead to Pac-10 football in ‘09. (For the non-conference schedules, go here.)
Hotline readers know I was not all that high on the conference last fall, especially after the bad early-season results and despite the perfect (albeit misleading) bowl performance.
But I think the league will be strong in ‘09 even if the kingpin, USC, suffers a slight dip.
There should be six or seven quality teams (maybe eight, if UCLA doesn’t lose all its quarterbacks by May 1st.)
And the bottom won’t be as bad as it was last year … it cannot possibly be as bad as it was last year.

Here, then, are my from-the-hip, ridiculously-early, guaranteed-to-regret-them projections for the ‘09 season, to be updated after spring practice and then again during training camp.
1. USC: My bottom line when dealing with a bazillion-time defending champ: Pick them to win it the following year, and keep picking them to win it, until somebody knocks them off (same thing with UCLA basketball). That said, the Trojans will be vulnerable with a new quarterback and retooled defense — yes, even with all the vets at TB, WR and OL and the return of Taylor Mays: A new quarterback can make other units look mediocre in a hurry. Another issue is the schedule: It’s tough. Very tough. The Trojans play in Columbus and Berkeley early, before the new QB has a chance to settle in. (They also visit Eugene and South Bend.) And there’s no reason to think USC won’t lose a game it shouldn’t, since it does that every year. Toss it all together and we could be looking at 9-3 or — gasp! — 8-4 … I know, I know: There’s too much talent for three losses. We’ll see.
2. Cal: The Bears have a legit shot at the Rose Bowl, as they appeared to have in ‘06. All they need is decent quarterback play, because there’s enough returning talent at TB, WR and OL for them to score a ton of points. And the defense should be very strong on the line and in the backfield and better than expected at linebacker. The biggest question that does not directly involve the QBs is how the Bears handle the expectations of a preseason top-15 ranking (and any possible Pac-10 title talk that might follow). They seem to fare better when starting the season away from the spotlight. Also, getting USC in Berkeley in early October is big. Also also, not having Nate Longshore around to tempt Tedford in BIG.
3. Oregon: There’s a reason Mike Bellotti might stay on the job another year: The Ducks have a legit shot at the BCS, either as an at-large team or as the Pac-10 champ. The schedule includes Boise State, Purdue and Utah, so it carries enough punch to help the Ducks in the computer/human polls but not so much that Oregon can’t go 3-0. With Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount (assuming he’s in good graces) returning, we know the offense will have some pop, even if the line must be reworked. And don’t forget about WR Drew Davis, who should be back from injury. The defense lost a bunch of talent, from Nick Reed to Jairus Byrd and Patrick Chung. Still, as long as the unit can hold opponents to 30, the Ducks should be fine. Cal and USC must go to Eugene.
4. UCLA: A solid upperclass talent base combined with two stellar recruiting years combined with the second season in Norm Chow’s system combined with a (presumably) healthy QB not named Craft combined with the defensive duo of tackle Brian Price and cornerback Alterraun Verner … it should all result in more than four victories. Many more. If you’re looking for a sleeper, the Bruins are it. My bottom line: Only two or three coaches would refuse to trade their roster for UCLA’s.
5. Oregon State: The second-best program in the conference over the past three years should be an upper-division finisher again. The Beavers lose WR Sammie Stroughter and OL Andy Levitre but bring back both Rodgers and both quarterbacks. The issue will be replacing eight defensive starters (Victor Butler and Brandon Hughes, for example). Of course, I thought that would be an issue last fall and OSU was one game from the Rose Bowl. So … woe to anyone who picks against the Beavers ever again. Mike Riley, with superb support from Mark Banker, does more with less than anyone in the league. And since the “less” is steadily becoming more, the floor keeps rising.
6. Arizona State: Admittedly, this projection is based more on faith than fact. I was a non-believer in ‘07 (soft schedule) and skeptical in ‘08 (tougher schedule), but I have to think ASU will be much improved next fall even without Rudy Carpenter. Dennis Erickson is simply too good a college coach, and has too many returning starters/letterwinners, to suffer another sub-.500 season. With OSU, Cal and USC all headed to Tempe, he’ll find a way to win six or seven games.
7. Stanford: Yes, this might seem a bit low for what looks like a program on the rise — probably lower than the summer mags and the media poll will have the Cardinal. With most of its starters on offense and defense returning from a team that won five games, you’d think Stanford will be better in ‘09 and improve on its victory total (five). Except that: It loses two key offensive linemen in C Alex Fletcher and LT Ben Muth and top LB in Pat Maynor, plus CB Wopamo Osaisai; it lost assistant coach/running-game guru Chris Dalman; the schedule isn’t easier and the league is better; and the Cardinal still has a question at quarterback. Maybe Andrew Luck is as good as advertized, but will he be that good as a freshman? Having said that, we could have a situation in which one game separates fourth place from eighth, and I’d expect the Cardinal to be smack in the middle of that mix.
8. Arizona: The Cats return more starters than they lose, but the ones they lose are big ones (Willie Tuitama, Eben Britton, Mike Thomas, to name three). And as Hotline readers know, I have little confidence in Mike Stoops’ ability to make the most out of his talent. He had a good senior quarterback, two conference gimmes, a weak non-league schedule and job-on-the-line urgency working for him in ‘08 and he still won just seven games in the regular season. Next fall, with a fat new contract, no proven QB and a tougher schedule, the Cats will take a step or two backwards.
9. Washington: Huskies should be much-improved due to 1) slightly-easier schedule, 2) new-coach bounce, 3) a healthy Jake Locker (presumably) and 4) a load of returning starters, several of which are fairly talented — the late-Willingham-era signees. But “much-improved” might only mean two or three wins.
10. Washington State: Another team that should be better and still bad. As long as the Cougs don’t have to hold open QB tryouts during the season, they should beat an out-of-state FBS team. Which one, I’m not exactly sure.

 

[GoSooners]

This is funny as that is the first thing I thought of as well. The key thing in my mind that Tedford would have to get around is that Leach runs an offense that is foreign to Tedford and I doubt Leach is a long term solution. So Tedford could end up diminishing his value to CAL by bringing in Leach.

I'll tell you what worries me. That is Tedford again reaching back into his Oregon roots and goin after Steve Greatwood Oregons OL coach. Greatwood has head coaching aspirations and an upgrade to OC is another step for him. It makes too much sense.

I know that anything that Leach does as an assistant coach anywhere he goes is going to be temporary. But when I look back, he was at OU for just the 1999 season before moving on to coach at TT. But the influence he had on OU's offense is still there to this day. The reason I think he would stay active in football if he was fired is because of the 60 minutes special I saw on him this past year. And I could tell from his interviews and the exuberance he showed in his everyday practices that even though he has the education to do anything he wants, he has way too much passion for the game to be out of it for even a year. That's why at the small possibilty that he would be fired at TT, he would step in someplace for a year to keep his feet wet. And I think that judging by this last season that Cal could use a jumpstart on offense. Ducks...I looked at Cal's stats for this past season, and they were very good on defense allowing only 316 ypg. But they averaged only 380 ypg on offense. Now a few teams out there would like to have those offensive stats. But that's down for Cal from previous years. So they could use a little help in that department. Much of their success will probably depend on the improvment of QB Riley in the offseason. But I think for them to be successful next season their going to have to raise their offensive output to at least 425 yards or more per game. I say this because of some of the key players they lost on defense. And the fact that they were +12 in turnover margin. This is a high number. And it won them some close games last season. But you can't depend on turnover margin to do it for you every year. The Bears have to pick up the slack somewhere. And I think it probably needs to be on offense.

 

[UoweDucks]

I know that anything that Leach does as an assistant coach anywhere he goes is going to be temporary. But when I look back, he was at OU for just the 1999 season before moving on to coach at TT. But the influence he had on OU's offense is still there to this day. The reason I think he would stay active in football if he was fired is because of the 60 minutes special I saw on him this past year. And I could tell from his interviews and the exuberance he showed in his everyday practices that even though he has the education to do anything he wants, he has way too much passion for the game to be out of it for even a year. That's why at the small possibilty that he would be fired at TT, he would step in someplace for a year to keep his feet wet. And I think that judging by this last season that Cal could use a jumpstart on offense. Ducks...I looked at Cal's stats for this past season, and they were very good on defense allowing only 316 ypg. But they averaged only 380 ypg on offense. Now a few teams out there would like to have those offensive stats. But that's down for Cal from previous years. So they could use a little help in that department. Much of their success will probably depend on the improvment of QB Riley in the offseason. But I think for them to be successful next season their going to have to raise their offensive output to at least 425 yards or more per game. I say this because of some of the key players they lost on defense. And the fact that they were +12 in turnover margin. This is a high number. And it won them some close games last season. But you can't depend on turnover margin to do it for you every year. The Bears have to pick up the slack somewhere. And I think it probably needs to be on offense.

I actually hope Leach goes there because it is that important for Oregon retain Greatwood. Tedford and Belloti have had a deal of sorts about staff raiding but I think that goes bye bye if Kelly is the head cheese. If he does hire a guy like Leach my guess is though that you have to consider it an upgrade at least for the short term, but if they decide to change the offense dramatically then I would have to rethink my opinion on them next year as this would not be a quick or easy transition.

There has been a tremendous amount off staff turnover under Tedford and I think you can point to that as a prime reason for the continued dropoff offensively. Tedford had been calling plays but he got consistently less and less out of his teams, hence the move to Cignetti. I think the P10 had Tedfords offense pretty figured out after several yrs at Oregon and then at Cal. This may be enough of an impetus to chg the offense. Belloti recognized that his offense was getting stale and that is why he went spread.

Now as for 2009 you are right, they are going to have to score more pts to remain competitive in the conference. I have high hopes for Riley but they are going to need Best to stay healthy if they are to win the conf. That is going to be a challenge if they continue to rely on him so much.

 

[Conan]

Now as for 2009 you are right, they are going to have to score more pts to remain competitive in the conference. I have high hopes for Riley but they are going to need Best to stay healthy if they are to win the conf. That is going to be a challenge if they continue to rely on him so much.

Well that's an optimistic view of Riley. I'd feel the same way because I do agree that his skills eclipsed Longshore's. However there's been that "unexplainable" funk he goes into that's gotten to Tedford in the past, especially after he starts a few games. Thus he and Longshore swapped roles starting for the team. I realize that a lot of young QB's mature after a while, and especially in their Junior and Senior years. That's possible here too. But don't you think that this "funk" phenomenon has been going around at Cal for a little too long, handed off to one QB after the other as the seasons have gone by? And it's been no small issue either, year after year. It's a mystery to me why other than maybe Tedford has lost his touch. How can there have been as many QB problems as there have been? Is that all just some rotten luck or is there a deeper reason? The QB situation at Cal requires a close watch kept on it. If Riley can crack up to the task at hand, the Bears have an excellent chance to unseat USC. But will he?

 

[UoweDucks]

Well that's an optimistic view of Riley. I'd feel the same way because I do agree that his skills eclipsed Longshore's. However there's been that "unexplainable" funk he goes into that's gotten to Tedford in the past, especially after he starts a few games. Thus he and Longshore swapped roles starting for the team. I realize that a lot of young QB's mature after a while, and especially in their Junior and Senior years. That's possible here too. But don't you think that this "funk" phenomenon has been going around at Cal for a little too long, handed off to one QB after the other as the seasons have gone by? And it's been no small issue either, year after year. It's a mystery to me why other than maybe Tedford has lost his touch. How can there have been as many QB problems as there have been? Is that all just some rotten luck or is there a deeper reason? The QB situation at Cal requires a close watch kept on it. If Riley can crack up to the task at hand, the Bears have an excellent chance to unseat USC. But will he?

As of now I am very optimistic that Riley will have a good year. I believe that Tedford is a very good qb coach. With Longshore I think injuries really took their toll and mentally he just couldn't fight through that barrier, when healthy Longshore was a capable qb. Tedford stuck with him despite his issues and that can be second guessed. Prior to that he went with Ayoob who as a JC never blossomed into his lofty ranking, I'll give him a mulligan on that one. Those two aside I don't believe that there are many coaches in the NCAA that can boast the sheer number of QB's that Tedford has put into the NFL. If you have a look at what those NFL qb's say re. Tedford it should dispell any myths about his ability to coach that position.

If I had to handicap weather Riley works out I would give it 75% chance that he will. I've seen him play and see a ton of potential. I will of course be paying very close attention to spring drills coming out and if I see that Riley is not developing then I'll reasses. They have a highly rated backup in Mansion.

 

[Conan]

Well OK. That was the first logical thing that came to my mind was that Tedford should do OK with Riley... in a normal situation. I am fully aware of Tedford's success as a QB coach. But then, I'd have to say I've seen other sides of the man that have left me with some doubts... lately. Maybe he's straightened things out. I can't say for sure. But from one season of blowing it (after the Or.St. game) and then the next year with all the QB issues, not necessarily injuries, but just a lot of bad play (including Riley's) I can't help but wonder if it would be assuming too much to expect that things are back to normal again.

Also one more thing... you of all people here would understand what losing THE key offensive player can mean to a team. If Riley manages to get his head straight and does all right and Best turns out to be as big a part of their offense as he's expected to be, losing either one could be devastating. But we'll see. So far it's just speculation that Riley will develop into a star QB. If he doesn't, maybe there are deeper reasons behind why. I for one know that I'll be looking very closely at his game.

I'll also be watching Tedford and how he handles the situation. In the past he's rarely shown displeasure with a player in public (obviously not never.) Then you hear stories about fights breaking out in the locker room etc. which leaves me wondering how much control the HC had at the time. Then there's guys like Rick Neuheisel who are a lot more open about it when he's upset with a player. I can remember Kevin Craft getting the riot act read to him many times on the sidelines last season. Now I'm not saying that a kid never needs to hear the riot act read to him, but the relationship between a HC or QB coach and the QB can make or break a season for the whole team. Thus far Riley and Tedford have not done too well, but it's a new year and Riley's a little more experienced. If he blossomed out and developed into a good QB, I"m sure he and Tedford would get along just fine.

 

[Conan]

OK a last thought...

2 years ago, Lyle Moevao's QB play was much worse than Riley's. Then, I remembered last spring reading up on Moevao's off season work and the improvement he was showing in the spring, getting the ball downfield and finding his receivers and that he was making good decisions and executing well. Moevao's offense ended up leading the conference in some passing categories, at least up to late in the season before he was hurt. That's what can happen with a guy who had a mediocre to poor year and then the following year, he gets it -- as if a light went on in his head. Riley probably has it in him but will he find it or not? You're right, I think we might have that answer pretty soon.

 

[Conan]

I just saw this recent article that puts another spin on what we've been talking about in here. Kind of interesting.

Will Tedford call plays again?
February 19, 2009 6:30 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

It's fair to say that few California fans -- or reporters -- are treating offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti's one-and-done bolt from Berkeley to Pittsburgh as a big deal. The loss of offensive line coach Jim Michalczik? A big deal. He's credited with creating and maintaining the Bears consistently strong running game under Jeff Tedford. But Steve Marshall was a good hire to replace him.

Few would say Cal's quarterback play -- that was Cignetti's responsibility -- was good last year. The Bears ranked seventh in passing offense and sixth in passing efficiency in the Pac-10, despite using two quarterbacks with significant experience. The larger issue, explored here by Jonathan Okanes, is whether Tedford can replace Cignetti with someone he trusts calling the offensive plays. That potential someone will be calling plays from Tedford's offense -- not his own -- so not every quality offensive mind will jump at the chance. This is hardly a post with complete autonomy.

Tick, tick, tick. Spring practices start March 10.

What about Tedford calling the plays again? Perhaps. But recall that Tedford admitted last year that he lost touch with his locker room during the second-half slide of 2007. He only gave up play-calling responsibilities in 2008 because he wanted to have a more active role in supervising/managing his team.

So, here are the issues as we see them. Calling plays is a huge job. Can Tedford find the right guy to do it? And can he find the right guy to coach his quarterbacks in the process? Bears fans know that solid quarterback play could make or break 2009. And, failing that: Is Tedford willing to again take over the play-calling duties? And, if so, does that mean he risks losing touch with his locker room again?

These are big questions, particularly considering that Cal has the talent to challenge for the Pac-10 crown next fall and reach its first Rose Bowl since 1959.

 

[UoweDucks]

Well Tedford did it. He did go after someone with Oregon roots, just a different guy.

Looks like Ludwig to OC. I have to say I do not consider Ludwig a good coach. He was essentially pushed out the door at Oregon. I see this move as a real downgrade for Cal.

Don't let what happened at Utah fool you. This guy is not good at player development.

 

[Conan]

Well Tedford did it. He did go after someone with Oregon roots, just a different guy.

Looks like Ludwig to OC. I have to say I do not consider Ludwig a good coach. He was essentially pushed out the door at Oregon. I see this move as a real downgrade for Cal.

Don't let what happened at Utah fool you. This guy is not good at player development.

Very possible that all this upheaval in AC's at Cal might be worth a loss or two... maybe. Personally I wouldn't mind. Offensively they will be outstanding unless Riley keeps on making too many bonehead mistakes. His WRs last year weren't too bad but we still don't know them too well. They are all back again for another shot. Maybe they won't do as badly as last season. I think Cal was 7th or 8th in the conference in passing. That just goes to show you how important Jahvid Best is to their offense.

Defensively they will be tough to throw on and probably difficult to run on too. I don't think losing 3 starting LBs will have a drastic impact because 2 of the 3 replacements have playing experience. I hear they are all more athletic than the players they replace, assuming that the new depth chart will still include them. That may be another area to watch on the Bears team.

 

[Conan]

Here's a couple of things about some teams where spring camp may be very telling... I'm going over a short list in my head.

In no particular order...

1. Masoli's passing game. If he gets that down and his OL can provide him protection, that will add another dimension to the Duck offense and may help spring him for a 1000 yard type of rushing season (anyway.) But the Ducks still need to find some pass catchers to step in. Perhaps now that their QB issues seem to be settled, Chris Harper (QB/WR) can focus on his receiveing routes and make a name for himself. I think that's likely. Some very interesting JC's coming on board, maybe a few too many good ones to not think that Belloti may see 2009 as the year of the Duck. But I'm getting some signals that are crossed. Bellotti let go a couple of AC's so Chip Kelly can have the staff he wants around him. Why would he do that unless he was planning to vacate his job and let Kelly have it? Maybe the #1 issue of all in the Pac-10 to watch out for.... who will be coaching the Ducks in '09? That question should be answered pretty soon. Second question for Oregon will be Oregon's new offense with Masoli and Blount anchoring the team. What of it? Perhaps most of all, will Masoli's passing game continue to improve?

2. On the subject of QB's... I think there are 5 teams with returning QBs that have started games. Oregon St. (2), Oregon, Cal, Udub and UCLA (Craft does count.) I'm not counting Mustain because even though he started at Arkansas, he's not started where he is at USC and he never may. Everyone else will be breaking in a new guy. Getting some info on who's done what this spring could be very enlightening. Also some interesting situations on teams that return a starter and how they perform in spring drills.

3. Oregon State's defense, and for that matter, Oregon's defense too. Both were gutted over the winter. But the Beavers still have a kingpin on their DL, Stephen Paea who will be playing on Sundays. Also, on the subject of Oregon St., they scored Michael Philipp, a big O lineman with 4 stars (ranked #24) and that is good news to Quizz. They also signed up Markus Wheaton a talented WR (#65) to replace Sammie Straughter and another excellent athlete, Kyrell Hudson (#60) similar to Oregon's Chris Harper. (You will undoubtedly be hearing from both of them in the very near future.) Also, what about Ryan McCants? He was tabbed to be their next 1000 yard rusher before Quizz took the job for himself, but he should get better. The Bevers lose about 8 defensive startere this season but I have full faith in Mark Banker's new D. They said the same thing about them last year when they lost 7 and look at how they turned out. It should be pretty clear by now that Oregon State doesn't rebuild their defense, they just reload. I think the Beavers will continue to be heard from.

4. I'd also keep a watch on ASU's defense, expected to improve and perhaps end up as one of the leading defenses in the conference. They stole LB Vontaze Burfict, an immediate impact type of player away from USC and also signed another top 150 defensive player, DL Cory Adams. Their defense grows deeper by the day. That could very well translate into low scoring games for them because Rudy Carpenter is gone and their offense may not click for a while with Danny Sullivan, their new guy at QB. However, he might play like a deer in the headlights all year if his protection is anything like the protection Carpenter got last season. I may even feel a little sorry for him if things don't improve. They are down to one experienced RB (Dimitri Nance) because Keegan Herring is gone. At least they get to keep the services of WR Chris McGaha for another year, but their top guy Michael Jones is gone. So if they end up relying on their defense to keep them in games, that would be understandable. (My how things have changed over the past few years!)

5. And what about Sonny Dykes at UA? Big issue over who will step in for Tuitama. How will that affect their offense which rated as one of the best in the conference last year? They might get some pretty loose game totals for a while until the linemakers and public catch up... or if their new starting QB can catch up. They lost a couple of kingpins on offense to say the least. Mike Thomas... ouch.

6. What kind of support will Locker be given to help him out at UW? Will there be an OL that can protect him and throw a block or 2 for a RB? (Big IF) And maybe even more of an issue up there is what the hell will Nick Holt have to work with on defense? What's that going to look like? What kind of athletic talent exists on their roster or did TW leave with a cupboard that was completely bare? Any JC's coming on board? They are going to be scrood again if they don't get some help on their OL too. (More or less the same situation at WSU however this year WSU gets some fresh talent at QB that was sorely lacking last season, especially after everyone got injured.)

7. Cal's QB and LB's. Also double check on their lines on both sides just to verify that they are both as good as I think they are. Man, if they solve their LB situation, which may very well happen, I can hardly find a weakness on that team (perhaps their depth chart?) especially if QB Kevin Riley has the kind of year Ducks thinks he could have. I agree with him in principle because he's more talented than Nate Longshore ever was, but there are reasons to keep a close watch on the QB situation at Cal because that big issue is far from being resolved at this point in time.

8. Stanford should be better across the board at nearly every position. I heard that their new QB, Josh Nunes was a real "coup de etat" -- a diamond in the rough for Harbaugh to nail down. He will likely back up Alex Loukas for a year if he doesn't redshirt, but then look out for this guy. Come to think of it, there were several very talented athletes high on the recruiting charts that chose Stanford purely for academic reasons (...aside from the fact that Harbaugh the recruiter has alot to offer new recruits.) Considering that Stanford's OL rates and Toby Gerhardt is back, their big need on O is to find a good TE (they recruited several good ones) and another RB to share the rushing duties with Gerhardt. But, if Harbaugh can work up a talented new QB and turn out a good passer with the kind of leadership and smarts they need, I dread to see the damage that Stanford may wreak all over the place. The fact that it's likely to happen is a gimme, it's only a matter of time. Harbaugh gets his way..... Off hand, I'm not sure about their defense and what exactly they lost there, but I think they lost plenty. They have their work cut out for them, especially at the LB position because they're all gone. I'll make a note of checking on that. But one thing I do know is that their recruiting class should be a warning to the rest of the conference -- maybe also to anyone that wants to bet on Stanford games. With the 3rd rated class in the Pac, at the very least the competition in spring camp will be hightened and players will be pushed to perform.

9. UCLA's defense (DC DeWayne Walker has moved on) was pretty good last year but I doubt even USC's defense could have made up for that pitiful offense of theirs. That has to improve because it just can't get any worse... (as bad as WSU last year, or UW without Locker.) Norm Chow has had a year to work things over and maybe find some talent in the process. Their class placed 2nd in the Pac. That can only mean good things for UCLA's offense. (I think they now have the #1 rated OL player in the conference to build on but his name escapes me at the moment.) Maybe they will be able to keep some of their QB's healthy this time and won't have to rely on one very shakey inconsistent dude to run the team. That also can't get any worse.

I could come up with dozens more issues around the conference that need to be looked at but that's plenty for now.

 

[Conan]

Will Moevao join Rodgers brothers on sideline this spring?


February 24, 2009 12:22 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon State quarterback Lyle Moevao played through a shoulder injury over the final few games of the 2008 season, but the shoulder is still giving him trouble and he may opt for surgery that could knock him out of spring practices.

An athletic department spokesperson said a decision on surgery could be made as soon as Tuesday afternoon. What that means is Moevao could join the Rodgers brothers, running back Jacquizz and receiver James, on the inactive list this spring. The Rodgers brothers also are recovering from shoulder injuries. And, more meaningfully, it could give Sean Canfield an opportunity to make his claim to regain the starting job.

That's what Moevao did last spring while Canfield was out following shoulder surgery, an injury that lingered into preseason and prevented Canfield from challenging for the job.
Canfield then stepped in when Moevao initially injured his shoulder against Arizona State on Nov. 1. He threw two touchdown passes and led the Beavers to a victory, then went 2-0 while starting against UCLA and Arizona.

Not only would Moevao's absence be an opportunity for Canfield, it also would give redshirt freshman Ryan Katz and Virginia transfer Peter Lalich a chance to make statements about what they can do.

 

[Conan]

More interesting stuff on the way about QB issues in the Pac-10 this year. Some very interesting things happening, including the QB competition at ASU where a kid named Brock Osweiler bares keeping a close watch on among 4 competitors vying for the starting job. At 6'8" 250 lbs with a cannon for an arm, he's a pure athlete that passed up playing hoops at Gonzaga in favor of football for Dennis Erickson. I wonder, who was the biggest kid ever to play QB in college football?

Stanford has started spring practices. Hopefully Harbaugh won't close them off to the public like he did most of last year. Silly me. I thought Tavita Pritchard was a Sr. last season. Nope, he's back. So as I revise my take on their QB situation, there's more involved than I had first remembered. Alex Loukas, Pritchard's backup last year is going to face some tough competition. RS freshman Andrew Luck tempted Harbaugh to pull his red shirt several times last year. He is their next money guy. Nunes will be redshirting and leading the scout team this year. So it is Luck's turn to make a statement and perhaps land the starting job.

Stanford's depth chart has doubled in strength in the 2 years that Harbaugh has been coaching there and will improve even more this season. Their OL is pretty scary, as physical as they come. Toby Gerhardt is one of the more dangerous RB's in the conference.

There are plenty of questions about their defense. They need to bolster their secondary in the worst way. I wonder if Harbaugh has the ingredients to address that issue? With a couple of lockdown CB's they could be very dangerous, but I don't see them being strong at that position... yet.

 

[UoweDucks]

More interesting stuff on the way about QB issues in the Pac-10 this year. Some very interesting things happening, including the QB competition at ASU where a kid named Brock Osweiler bares keeping a close watch on among 4 competitors vying for the starting job. At 6'8" 250 lbs with a cannon for an arm, he's a pure athlete that passed up playing hoops at Gonzaga in favor of football for Dennis Erickson. I wonder, who was the biggest kid ever to play QB in college football?

My guess is Sullivan but it seems to be an open competition.

Stanford has started spring practices. Hopefully Harbaugh won't close them off to the public like he did most of last year. Silly me. I thought Tavita Pritchard was a Sr. last season. Nope, he's back. So as I revise my take on their QB situation, there's more involved than I had first remembered. Alex Loukas, Pritchard's backup last year is going to face some tough competition. RS freshman Andrew Luck tempted Harbaugh to pull his red shirt several times last year. He is their next money guy. Nunes will be redshirting and leading the scout team this year. So it is Luck's turn to make a statement and perhaps land the starting job.

I like him alright but Harbaugh seems completely unsold on Pritchard. I'd bet on Luck. Stanford can be a serious factor if Qb issues get solved.

 

[Conan]

There's been a story circulating about WSU's new QB Marshall Lobbestael who many think will be their next starter in a long line of successful young players at the QB position. To make a long story short, he was arrested for being intoxicated as a 19 year old minor and suspended from the team.

What I find a little strange is that there's been a drama developing over what exactly happened. It appears that the cop lied about the circumstances surrounding his arrest. If the cop originally said what was reported, than WTF is his trip?

Here's a little more about it....

Clearly, we two versions of an event: 1. The Pullman police; 2. One that could be termed coming from Lobbestael's camp.
The Daily Evergreen story included this:

Pullman Police Cmdr. Chris Tennant said the police found Lobbestael passed out in a Dodge pickup parked in front of the Pullman Police Department.
"He was slumped over with a grocery bag of vomit between his feet,” Tennant said.
​

The rebuttal story said Lobbestael was not passed out and added this:

A different news report later quoted a Pullman police officer saying Lobbestael was "slumped over with a grocery bag of vomit between his feet." CF.C has since learned it was instead a car trash bag, similar to what someone might put on a stick shift that contained some McDonald's wrappers and other garbage, but no "vomit."
​

The second story cites "reliable independent sources," who appear to be saying Cmdr. Tennant isn't telling the truth.
What really happened?
We don't know.
In general, it doesn't seem that hard to fill in some blanks here, but we're going to stay away from speculating.
Getting caught drinking when you are underage has consequences. Getting caught drinking when you are underage and you play for a BCS conference football team means those consequences include news stories.
Is underage drinking the worst crime known to man? No.
I talked to Lobbestael just a few weeks ago. Seemed like a great kid. I've only heard good things about him, too. You might even read into this arrest story that he ended up getting in trouble because he was trying to help the girl in question, who I've been told is his out-of-town girlfriend.
When I finish typing this, I really won't think any less of him. My guess is you won't either. And he'll probably still start at quarterback for the Cougars in 2009.
-----------------------------------------------------------


Kids and alcohol seem to be inseparable party partners these days. It wasn't much different when I was in school. It's hard to find fault in a good kid for something like this.

But what the hell was the cop thinking with the way he characterized Lobbestael at the time of his arrest? I'm down here in So. Oregon and they pull the same crap here all the time. That's what people around here do to make things sound more interesting (better gossip) in their boring uneventful lives. Stupid cops get caught up in the same mentality all the time around here. That's why most of them end up working in the boonies instead of making the big bucks in the big city. I guess you get what you pay for.

This incident will play out and will have nothing to do with anything that happens at WSU this year. But I want to add that they seem to be taking it from every direction lately... Wulff being sanctioned by the NCAA for ticky tack rules violations that happened years ago when he was coaching football at EWU.

Just a whole lot of crap for the Cougars to put up with lately. I hope no one takes any of this to heart. They really don't deserve all of this public ridicule.

 

[UoweDucks]

Just a whole lot of crap for the Cougars to put up with lately. I hope no one takes any of this to heart. They really don't deserve all of this public ridicule.

I don't know about that. There have been a TON of issues regarding coug players in last few years, this has probably heightened the scrutiny but as far as deserved? I think you reap what you sow.

Example, Wulff knew that he had a first class asshole drunk in Andy Roof but decided to allow him yet another chance to prove himself because the reality was the kid could play. How many arrests do you need to cut bait?

Another example, Xavier Hicks puts rubbing alcohol in his teamates eyecontact solution and it burns the shit out of his eyes. Yet Wulf keeps the guys on the team because he is a player. Big mistake and a big reason why the upperclassmen lost respect for Wulff. That guy should have gotten the boot for that bs.

I like WSU and hope the best for Wulff but so far the jury on him is out.

As for the Lobster, I like him at QB and think he will most likely emerge as the day one starter.

 

[Conan]

I don't know about that. There have been a TON of issues regarding coug players in last few years, this has probably heightened the scrutiny but as far as deserved? I think you reap what you sow.

Example, Wulff knew that he had a first class asshole drunk in Andy Roof but decided to allow him yet another chance to prove himself because the reality was the kid could play. How many arrests do you need to cut bait?

Another example, Xavier Hicks puts rubbing alcohol in his teamates eyecontact solution and it burns the shit out of his eyes. Yet Wulf keeps the guys on the team because he is a player. Big mistake and a big reason why the upperclassmen lost respect for Wulff. That guy should have gotten the boot for that bs.

I like WSU and hope the best for Wulff but so far the jury on him is out.

As for the Lobster, I like him at QB and think he will most likely emerge as the day one starter.

OK. Well I wasn't looking at it that way, but I can see your point. I came across something the other day about WSU's "arrest records" in one of the newspapers. Something like 18 players have been arrested in the last year or 2... mostly alcohol related. He really can't afford to let things get that out of hand. That could come back and bite him on the ass and the team too if he's not careful.

I have to admit that the number was a little shocking to me when I read about it. I had no idea that he was having discipline problems... sort of reminds me of Jopa last year when ESPN stirred up a hornets nest about his complacency or unwillingness to enforce discipline at at PSU.

 

[UoweDucks]

OK. Well I wasn't looking at it that way, but I can see your point. I came across something the other day about WSU's "arrest records" in one of the newspapers. Something like 18 players have been arrested in the last year or 2... mostly alcohol related. He really can't afford to let things get that out of hand. That could come back and bite him on the ass and the team too if he's not careful.

I have to admit that the number was a little shocking to me when I read about it. I had no idea that he was having discipline problems... sort of reminds me of Jopa last year when ESPN stirred up a hornets nest about his complacency or unwillingness to enforce discipline at at PSU.

Yeah,
If WSU had a higher profile it would be in the press even more.

I think Wulff is learning on the job. They'll get better, but serious improvement is going to be 2-3 years out.

 

[Conan]

Yeah,
If WSU had a higher profile it would be in the press even more.

I think Wulff is learning on the job. They'll get better, but serious improvement is going to be 2-3 years out.

That is the unfortunate truth. But if Mike Riley can do it in a little podunk town like Corvallis with a similar budget and stadium, Wulff can do it in Pullman. But one thing remains an obstacle, and this goes for Udub too -- they have serious depth issues because no Washington prep recruit in his right mind wants anything to do with either of them. That's hurdle #1 right there. It makes me wonder if either Wulff or Sark will be lowering their "other" eligibility requirements to man up their teams with better talent.