PAC 12 Football Predictions 2017
By Tyler Smith
Tyler has been predicting the PAC 12 conference since 2012. He is always near the top of the standings. He has won a couple of accolades according to Stassen.
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2012 Most Accurate
PAC 12 South |
2016 Most Accurate
PAC 12 North |
North
#1 Washington 12-0 (9-0)
Coach: Chris Peterson Offensive Coordinator: Jonathan Smith and Matt Lubick Defensive Coordinator: Pete Kwiatkowski and Jimmy Lake Stadium: Husky Stadium (70,500) 2016 Record: 12-1 The Breakdown Offense: Washington has a hell of a trio in Myles Gaskin (RB), Jake Browning (QB) and Dante Pettis (WR). Pettis was 7th in touchdowns last season with 15. Browning had the second most touchdown passes, 43. Gaskin was 23rd in rushing yards with 1,373. Hard to top those numbers by any team across the country. Will the line allow those players to reach their full potential though? They are the best offensive line in conference. They are led by first round talent LT Trey Adams. Coleman Shelton is about as good as it gets at center. RT Kaleb McGary has experience under his belt. This offense is going to be tough to stop again this season. Defense: The line is strong with the return of Greg Gaines and Vita Vea. Vea emerged last season in a partial role. He will be the primary guy this season. Greg Gaines is a beast at DE. He stands 6'2, over 300 pounds. Good luck running on this team. The Huskies have one of the top ILB combos in the country with Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria. Both have a shot at first team All-PAC12. Victor could end up defensive player of the year. The secondary is home to the lone concern for this defense, cornerback. They don't return a starter their but in the past two recruiting classes they have 6 four star DBs. They are strong at safety though. Taylor Rapp led the team in interceptions as a freshman with four and had over 50 tackles. Special Teams: Dante Pettis makes plays in the return game. If you give him a chance he has a good chance to take it back. Tristian Vizcaino will have double duties in his final season at Washington. Final Thoughts: The offense is going to put up mass numbers again this year. The defense is going to hold teams at or under 20 ppg. The non conference schedule is going to be pointed out a lot this season so Husky fans get to rooting for Rutgers and Fresno State. The good news is Washington has a tough final five games. PAC 12 championship game could be for a playoff birth this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Jake Browning, JR, QB Rushing Myles Gaskin, JR, RB Receiving Dante Pettis, SR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Taylor Rapp, SO, FS Sacks: Vita Vea, JR, NT Tackles: Keishawn Bierria, SR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 12-1 2015 7-6 2014 8-6 2013 9-4 2012 7-6 |
#2T Stanford 9-3 (7-2)
Coach: David Shaw
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Bloomgren Defensive Coordinator: Lance Anderson Stadium: Stanford Stadium (50,000) 2016 Record: 10-3 The Breakdown Offense:The Cardinal know that Keller Chryst will be their QB in 2017 the question is when will he be back. If Chryst is not ready to go, K.J. Costello likely gets the call over Ryan Burns. The good news is the Cardinal will have a strong line once again. Five starters are back as well as two four star recruits from the '16 and '15 class and two five starters from this class who aren't returning starters. Talk about depth! Speaking of five star recruits Trenton Irwin elevated his game to the teams top pass catcher. He will need to take another step forward this season though. Bryce Love will get the start at running back and he has big shoes to fill as McCaffrey was Mr. Do Everything last season. Defense: Stop me if you have heard this before the Cardinal have a top LB unit. All four starters are back. Joey Alfieri has top level skill. Peter Kalambayi is back as a fifth year senior which locks him in at OLB. Bobby Okereke and Kevin Palma return at ILB. Former five star recruit Curtis Robinson will be backing up the OLB. The secondary is just as strong with the amount of depth they have. They will miss Dallas Lloyd but they will be able to make up that ground. Ben Edwards, Frank Buncom IV and Quenton Meeks all arrived in the 2015 class as four star talents. They will enter this season all having a good chance to start. Justin Reid and Alameen Murphy started as sophomores last season. The defensive front will need someone to take place of Solomon Thomas. Thomas was the teams best threat to get into the backfield. Harrison Phillips enter his finals season at DT. Special Teams: One of the better punters in the conference is Jake Bailey. Jet Toner will be starting at place kicker. Who will take over in the return game will have big shoes to fill. Final Thoughts: The offense has talent but might not end up being as good as you hoped. The defense will keep this team in just about every game. Having to face USC from the South doesn't bode well for them. The stretch from November fourth to the tenth will determine the division as they face Washington and Washington State. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Keller Chryst, JR, QB Rushing Bryce Love, JR, RB Receiving Trenton Irwin, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Joey Alfieri, JR, LB and Quenton Meeks, JR, LB Sacks: Harrison Phillips, SR, DT Tackles: Justin Reid, JR, SS Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 10-3 2015 12-2 2014 8-5 2013 11-3 2012 12-2 |
#2T Washington State 10-2 (7-2)
Coach: Mike Leach
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Leach Defensive Coordinator: Alex Grinch Stadium: Martin Stadium (32,248) 2016 Record: 8-5 The Breakdown Offense: Luke Falk is back. With Falk back it gives Wahsington a chance to stay in the hunt for a PAC 12 North title. Falk led the passing attack to the third most yards per game in the country last season. He will be without his top target Gabe Marks but that leaves opportunity for others. Robert Lewis and Travares Martin Jr. are the top two reutning WR. Two true freshman Jamire Calvin and Anthony White Jr. could see time this season. The offensive line is right behind Washington in terms of talent. They bring back three starters including the best left guard in the game Cody O'Connell. This will be beneficial to the running game that is actually relevant as they had 362 carries which is the highest total since 2012. Three running backs earned carries last season James Williams, Jamal Morrow and Gerard Wicks. Williams led the team in carries, Wicks had 11 touchdowns. Defense: We predicted an improvement and we saw it last season. They held opponents down to 26.4 ppg. A number that could improve again this season with nine starters back. It all starts upfront with DE Hercules Mata'afa. He led the team in sacks and TFL last season. His counterpart made plays as a freshman but will elevate his game even higher this season, Nnamdi Oguayo. Daniel Ekuale will hold things down at DT. The secondary is strong with four starters back. Corner is in good shape with Marcellus Pippins, Marcus Strong and Darrien Molton all returning. Both safeties, Robert Taylor and Jalen Thompson are back as well. All in all this unit will continue to play well. In the middle the Cougars return their top tackler from 2016, Peyton Pelluer. Frankie Luvu is back in his senior season at WLB. Special Teams: Erik Powell will be in as punter and kicker this season. His kicking was shaky last season and cost them two games early. Robert Taylor will be back to return kicks. Final Thoughts: No one believed in the Cougars more than I did last season. This year I have brought them down from first to tied for second. The offense still has the fire power and the defense should take another step forward. For the love of god can they please escape week one without a loss to a FCS school. Montana State is that team this year. They got a nice break in the PAC 12 schedule with Arizona and Cal but that came with USC. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Luke Falk, SR, QB Rushing James Williams, SR, RB Receiving Tavares Martin, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Issac Dotson, SR, LB Sacks: Hercules Mata'afa, JR, DE Tackles: Peyton Pelluer, SR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 8-5 2015 9-4 2014 3-9 2013 6-7 2012 3-9 |
#4 Oregon 8-4 (5-4)
Coach: Willie Taggart
Offensive Coordinator: Marcus Arroyo and Mario Cristobal Defensive Coordinator: Jim Leavitt Stadium: Autzen Stadium (54,000) 2016 Record: 4-8 The Breakdown Offense: The offense played well last season. Justin Herbert solidified himself as the starter as the future passing for 19 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. His top playmaker WR Darren Carrington was dismissed from the team this summer. Charles Nelson returns and he led the team in receptions last year. Dillon Mitchell will be the new playmaker for the Ducks. TE played a key role in last years offense but both contributors are gone. Royce Freeman enters his final season in an Oregon uniform. He has 44 rushing touchdowns in his career. He will look to get to at least 60 this season. Running behind a strong line will help him reach that number. LT Tyrell Crosby was injured early last season in a loss to Nebraska. His return is key to the lines success. Jake Hansen is one of the best centers in the league. Defense: Willie Taggart brought in Jim Leavitt to fix one of the worst defenses in all the land last season. If you can think of anything positive about last years defense please let me know. The hit the double whammy with over 500 yards allowed and 40 points per game. They gave up over 50 points four times last season. Two positives heading into this season. One Troy Dye is back and headed to ILB. Dye led the team in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks in 2016. The next positive for 2016 is the addition of Scott Pagano from Clemson. Pagano will move right into the starting NG role. Special Teams: Oregon should never be poor in the return game. They always have top athletes coming into the system. Aidan Schneider when called upon makes things happen. Blake Maimone will enter as the starting punter. Final Thoughts: The defense won't be nearly as bad as it was last season but that won't be enough to elevate this team to the top of the PAC 12. Gives this team one more recruiting class full of defensive players and then the turnaround begins. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Justin Herbert, SO, QB Rushing Royce Freeman, SR, RB Receiving Charles Nelson, SR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Brenden Schooler, SO, S Sacks: Troy Dye, SO, LB Tackles: Troy Dye, SO, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 4-8 2015 9-4 2014 13-2 2013 11-2 2012 12-1 |
#5 Oregon State 4-8 (2-7)
Coach: Gary Andersen
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin McGiven Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Clune Stadium: Reser Stadium (45,674) 2016 Record: 4-8 The Breakdown Offense: The one thing we do know about Oregon State is that they have a good running back in Ryan Nall. Nall needs to get at least 200 touches this season. No excuse not too. The passing game is awful. Uncertainty at QB again in Corvallis. JUCO transfer Jake Lutton will battle Marcus McMaryion in fall camp to determine a starter. The options to pass to are uncertain with the loss of Bolden. Former QB Seth Collins is their top target and that is not a good thing. The best option for the next big thing at WR is freshman Isiah Hodgins. The offensive line needs to improve as well. The left side is locked down with sophomores Blake Brandel and Gus Lavaka. The other three spots are going to be crucial for this team. Defense: The linebacker unit is underrated going into the season. Bright Ugwoegbu made plays all over the field last season. With a full 12 games he will put up big numbers. Mansae Hungalu led the team in tackles with 83. Watch Andrzej Hughes-Murray emerge as another playmaker this season. The defense line added some depth with the addition of Craig Evans. They will need to utilize a consistent rotation as keeping players fresh is their best option this season. The secondary features the most talent and youth. Xavier Crawfrod started last year as a freshman. Sophomore Jalen Moore has a good chance to start at safety next to Brandon Arnold. Jay Irvine and Christian Wallace are underclassmen ready to make plays in the secondary. Special Teams: Nick Porebski is a good weapon to have at punter. Jordan Choukair is the leading contender for kicker this season. Final Thoughts: Another season goes by where we wonder why Gary Andersen wanted to go to Oregon State. This year will be like the past two, not a wining season. Get past Colorado State in week one and maybe I am wrong. I won't be though. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Marcus McMaryion, JR, QB Rushing Ryan Nall, JR, RB Receiving Seth Collins, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Three Players Tied with 1 Sacks: Bright Ugwoegbu, JR, LB Tackles: Manase Hungalu, SR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 4-8 2015 2-10 2014 5-7 2013 7-6 2012 9-4 |
#6 California 2-10 (1-8)
Coach: Justin Wilcox
Offensive Coordinator: Beau Baldwin Defensive Coordinator: Tim DeRuyter Stadium: Cal Memorial Stadium (62,717) 2016 Record: 5-7 The Breakdown Offense: Running back Tre Watson is the best playmaker on the team. Watson will get at least 200 carries this season. Getting him touches in the passing game should be a must. He had 21 catches last season. The top receiver is Demetris Robertson. Robertson and fellow freshman Melquise Stovall form one of the best young combos in the league. The biggest problems for this offense are on the line and who will play under center. Several QB's will get a shot Chase Forrest (JR), Ross Bowers (SO) and Chase Garbers (FR). The line is one of the worst in the PAC 12. With the combination of a new QB and a poor line it doesn't look good for Cal. Defense: Tim DeRuyter has his work cut out for him in year one. The defense ranked second to last in both points given up per game and rushing yards per game. Teams averaged 44 carries a game and they averaged over 6 yards per carry. The front seven returns five starters. Six of 18 sacks from last season came from players that will be on the line this season. If the push up front doesn't improve this defense has no chance. The best unit is linebacker where Devante Downs and Cameron Saffle are featured. The secondary is hoping for a few players to emerge this season. Evan Rambo at safety and Nygel Edmonds is a former four star from the 2016 class that could emerge as the season progresses. Special Teams: This is the best area on the team. Matt Anderson is the top kicker in the PAC 12. Dylan Klumph had a great 2016 season at punter. Final Thoughts: Last season the Golden Bears were able to win games via their high powered offense. That will not happen this year and they need production from the defense. That won't happen either this year. This season is a rebuild year for Cal. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Dylan Klumph, SO, QB Rushing Tre Watson, SR, RB Receiving Demetris Robertson, SO, WR Defense: Interceptions: Luke Rubenzer, JR, S Sacks: Cameron Saffle, JR, LB Tackles: Devante Downs, SR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 5-7 2015 8-5 2014 5-7 2013 1-11 2012 3-9 |
South
#1 USC 12-0 (9-0)
Coach: Clay Helton
Offensive Coordinator: Tee Martin Defensive Coordinator: Clancy Pendergast Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Stadium (93,607) 2016 Record: 11-2 The Breakdown Offense: As soon as they made the switch to Sam Darnold it was smooth sailing. The Trojans were headed towards another disappointing season with Max Browne. Darnold threw for 31 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards. Getting wins over Colorado, Penn State and Washington is no easy task as those teams combined for 33 wins last season. He will be without Juju Smith-Schuster this season but has a slew of talent ready to breakout. Deontay Burnett and tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe are the proven players to this point. If you had to bet on one player to make a big impact it would be Tyler Vaughns. The running game features Ronald Jones who averaged over 6 yards per carry last season. The line is the only weak spot on the offense with only two players back. The Trojans which always bring in great recruiting classes have the talent but will they find the right combination up front. Defense: The Torjans are ready to breakout on defense. They have been good but they need to get to great. The linebacker unit is going to be special. The 2015 recruiting class was full of 4 and 5 star linebackers, well they haven't disappointed so far. Cameron Smith has made an impact since he arrived as a freshman. Porter Gustin will be at OLB. He had 5.5 sacks and 13 TFL last year. John Houston Jr. has the inside track to start at ILB this season. He was in a backup role last year. He was a five star recruit out of HS. Ucehenna Nwosu is the lone senior starter. The secondary still looks good despite the loss of Adoree' Jackson. Iman Marshall and Marvell Tell are back. Chris Hawkins is in at safety, he had 44 tackles. Ajene Harris and Jack Jones will see a lot of time at corner. The line will be in good shape with Rasheem Green back at DE. They have options at DT to replace Stevie Tu'ikolovatu. The other DE spot will be where they will seek production. Special Teams: Matt Boermeester is off the team after a memorable 2016 season. Micheal Brown will move into the kicking position. Chris Tibley hasa year under his belt as the Trojan punter. It will be hard to make up the scores and yards Adoree' Jackson had in the return game. Final Thoughts: This defense has a chance to be special. The linebacker unit will be viewed as top five by the end of the year. The offense will be rolling as long as Sam Darnold is on the field. The schedule presents challenges at the beginning and end of the season. This could be another great season to put in the history books for USC. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Sam Darnold, SO, QB Rushing Ronald Jones, JR, RB Receiving Deontay Burnett, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Iman Marshall, JR, CB Sacks: Rasheem Green, JR, DE Tackles: Cameron Smith, JR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 10-3 2015 8-6 2014 9-4 2013 10-4 2012 7-6 |
#2 UCLA 8-4 (6-3)
Coach: Jim Mora
Offensive Coordinator: Jedd Fisch Defensive Coordinator: Tom Bradley Stadium: Rose Bowl (92,542) 2016 Record: 4-8 The Breakdown Offense: You saw how things went when Josh Rosen went down. Rosen's health is very key to this team's turn around. Soso Jamabo came in the same class as Rosen both five star recruits. Jamabo has not had the success that fans expected. This will be the the breakout year for the Bruins running back. His ability to breakout will hinge on the performance of the line. Two four star linemen were brought in this season to join four returning starters. With the amount of talent that the Bruins bring in they should be able to fix this problem. Who is Rosen throwing to this season? Darren Andrews was the top target. Jordan Lasley was second in receptions and first in touchdowns. Jimmy Jaggers is a top TE recruit coming to the Bruins this fall. Theo Howard and Demetric Felton are the next wave of talent at WR. Defense: The defense has a chance to be really good this season if they are in reload mode. The past three recruiting classes have seen four, five star recruits. DE should be really strong with Keisean Lucier-South and Jaelan Phillips. At DT they return both starters but they will factor into a deeper rotation this season. Kenny Young is back at MLB. He is the top tackler from last season. Look for Mique Juarez at OLB this season as a red shirt freshman. The secondary is deep and talented. Nate Meadows and Jaleel Wadood started last season. SS Adarius Pickett had three interceptions last season. Elijah Gates and several other underclassmen have a good chance to pay this season. Special Teams: JJ Molson has to do better this season, 12 for 20 doesn't cut it. Austin Kent was not great at punting either last season. With the amount of skill the Bruins have they should find a few good return men. Final Thoughts: Two things, Josh Rosen's health and better offensive line play is all this team needs to challenge USC. The schedule is tough, which could hamper their chances at the Trojans. If they make it through September at 5-0 all bets are off. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Josh Rosen, JR, QB Rushing Soso Jamabo, JR, RB Receiving Darren Andrews, SR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Adarius Pickett, JR, S Sacks: Kenny Young, SR, LB Tackles: Kenny Young, SR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 4-8 2015 8-5 2014 10-3 2013 10-3 2012 9-5 |
#3 Colorado 8-4 (5-4)
Coach: Mike Macintyre
Offensive Coordinator: Darrin Chiaverini and Brian Lindgren Defensive Coordinator: D.J. Eliot Stadium: Folson Field (50,183) 2016 Record: 10-4 The Breakdown Offense: Nine starters are back but not one of them are named Sefo Liufau. Breaking in a new QB after Liufau, who had been a starter for four years will not be easy. Steven Montez has some experience after play a few games last season. Red shirt freshman Sam Noyer will get a chance to play as well. Montez or Noyer will have great options to throw to. Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo, Devin Ross and Jay Macintyre all starters last season, return this year. Shay Fields has been a top target since he arrived on campus. He had his best year yet with 883 yards and 9 scores last season. Even with all that experience the Buffs got better with the addition of freshman K.D. Nixon. If you play fantasy college football running back Philip Lindsay should be on your radar. He had 53 catches, 1,252 rushing yards and totaled 17 touchdowns. With the majority of the line returning he should have an even better season. Defense: The reason that the Buffs might fall off of their 10-4 record from last season is because of the loss of 8 starters on D. They have experience players back but they lose Kenneth Olugbode and Jimmie Gilbert. They should be strong at linebacker with Rick Gamboa at ILB. Derek McCartney was a starter last season until an injury occurred. Don't be surprised if you see underclassmen Nate Landman and Akil Jones in the rotation. The secondary has some talented seniors Afolabi Laguda and Ryan Moller. Moller plays the Buff spot. Corner will be a position to watch in fall camp. One spot should go to Isaiah Oliver but the other is open. The line has some concerns. One of the more experienced guys on the line is Leo Jackson who only totaled 15 tackles last season. If they can't find the right pieces on the line there is no way they can get back to being a top 20 defense. Special Teams: Kicker James Stefanou comes in from Australia where he played soccer. He will be a 30 year old freshman. Alex Kinney is back at punter. Isaiah Oliver has a chance to make plays as a return man. Final Thoughts: The defense is going to take a step back. The QB situation is a bit unknown but they do have talent everywhere else on O. Drawing Washington and Washington State won't help their cause. The South title will be out of reach but expect a good year out of the Buffaloes. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Steven Montez, SO, QB Rushing Phillip Lindsay, SR, RB Receiving Devin Ross, SR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Four Players Tied With 1 Sacks: Timonty Coleman, SR, DE and N.J. Falo, JR, LB Tackles: Rick Gamboa, JR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 10-4 2015 4-9 2014 2-10 2013 4-8 2012 1-11 |
#4 Arizona State 5-7 (3-6)
Coach: Todd Graham
Offensive Coordinator: Rob Likens and Billy Naiper Defensive Coordinator: Phil Bennett Stadium: Sun Devil Stadium (71,706) 2016 Record: 5-7 The Breakdown Offense: The skill spots are in pretty good shape with N'Keal Harry at WR and Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage back at RB. Richard led the team in yards while Ballage found the end zone 14 times. Harry led the team in receptions and touchdowns as a freshman. Who emerges next to Harry will be crucial for this team. The top issue is who will start at QB. Blake Barnett has transferred in to become a starter. He was rated the second best dual threat QB in the 2015 class. Manny Wilkins started last season. He threw an interception in 8 of the 10 games he played in. He did light up Arizona in a loss but many QBs lit up the Wildcats. Hard not to see Barnett getting the job this season. The offensive line has to improve this season after 41 sacks were allowed last season. That won't make it easy for whomever starts at QB. Defense: Give a round of applause to Todd Graham for handing over his duties as DC after a horrendous season. Phil Bennett is in after coaching at Baylor. He has some talent to work with this season with 8 starters back. Jojo Wicker is strong on the line he had 39 tackles and 11 of those for a loss. Tashon Smallwood has been a factor on defense since day one. They are strong at linebacker with Koron Crump who had 9 sacks. D.J. Calhoun led the team in tackles with 77. 60 of those solo tackles. The secondary is a massive concern after being burned time after time last season. They ranked last in YPG with 357.4. Three starters are back but the past two seasons they have brought in some talented DB. Special Teams: Zane Gonzalez is now kicking on Sundays. He won the Lou Groza Award and is one of the best kickers to ever do it. He had three 50 plus kicks in a game! With all that being said welcome in Brandon Ruiz at kicker. Micheal Sleep-Dalton will be at punter. Final Thoughts: I really have hope for this defense to have a turn around and to take their average point per game around 30. The offense is very intriguing. If Barnett ends up being slightly above average this team can find success. The Sun Devils are a true sleeper in the PAC 12 South. What hurts them is they draw Oregon, Stanford and Washington from the north. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Manny Wilkins, JR, QB Rushing Demario Richard, SR, RB Receiving N'Keal Harry, SO, WR Defense: Interceptions: Four Players Tied With 1 Sacks: Koron Crump, SR, LB Tackles: DJ Calhoun, SR, LB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 5-7 2015 6-7 2014 10-3 2013 10-4 2012 8-5 |
#5 Utah 3-9 (1-8)
Coach: Kyle Whittingham
Offensive Coordinator: Troy Taylor Defensive Coordinator: Morgan Scalley Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,807) 2016 Record: 9-4 The Breakdown Offense: Troy Williams started the season on fire but after the Cal game the last eight were a struggle. If he can improve on his accuracy he has a chance to be special. The concerns for this team are at the skill positions. After Joe Williams retired and cameback, he was unstoppable. That level of production will be hard to repeat this season. Armand Shyne and Zack Moss will get the majority of the carries. Utah seems to put out a good offensive line year after year. They only bring back one starter this year though. JUCO transfer Jordan Agasiva should make an immediate impact at guard. Wide receiver is up in the air. Only one player returns with more than 20 receptions, Raelon Singleton. They need someone to step up and be the guy in Salt Lake City. Defense: Utah always puts out a good defense and they hang their hat on that. They do lose a good portion of last seasons production especially on the defensive line. 23.5 sacks are gone. They return both DT but need to find two capable DE. Maxis Tupai is good option for one of the two. They should be comfortable with the two starters coming back at linebacker. Sunia Tauteoli and Kavika Lufatasaga totaled over 100 tackles combined last season. The secondary returns the teams top tackler SS Chase Hansen who also had 3 interceptions last season. Once you get passed Hansen it is open season for the starting roles. Special Teams: Punter Mitch Wishnowsky is as good as it gets in college football. He won the Ray Guy Award last season. The Utes will have a new kicker, Hayes Hicken. Final Thoughts: Hard to see this team having a lot of success with all the question on both sides of the ball. The defense has a chance to be good if the front six continue to dominate. The schedule is brutal though. Having road games at USC, Washington and Oregon is never easy. They also draw my top four teams from the North. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Troy Williams, SR, QB Rushing Zack Moss, SO, RB Receiving Raelon Singleton, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Chase Hansen, JR, S Sacks: Filipo Mokofisi, SR, DT Tackles: Chase Hansen, JR, S Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 9-4 2015 10-3 2014 9-4 2013 5-7 2012 5-7 |
#6 Arizona 2-10 (0-9)
Coach: Rich Rodriguez
Offensive Coordinator: Calvin Magee and Rod Smith Defensive Coordinator: Marcel Yates Stadium: Arizona Stadium 2016 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: A healthy Nick Wilson would be an added plus to this years team. After a breakout 2014 season he has only played in 14 games. They have good options behind him too in J.J Taylor and top recruit Nathan Tilford. The line in front of them is the strongest unit on the offense. Five starters are back but redshirt freshman Micheal Eletise will get a shot at RT. Biggest issues for Rich Rod will be the passing attack. They went from 564 attempts in 2014 to 306 last season. Brandon Wilson is back at QB, last season was not pretty as a passer, good as a rusher. Last season they had the talent at WR, this year not so much. This might be the worst collection of WR in the PAC 12. Hopefully Drew Dixion can make an impact as a true freshman. Defense: Things just haven't been the same since Scooby Wright's departure. The defensive line is where this team needs to start their turnaround. The line only produced six sacks last season and held opponents to 194.2 rushing YPG. Two starters are back up front but the addition of Sione Taufahema will help bulk things up on the line. The linebacker unit might end up being the youngest in the nation. Three freshman could be starting. Tony Fields was one of the best recruits the Wildcats brought in. Deandre' Miller is the lone returning starter. The secondary has the most depth and experince but with the line and linebackers being weak this group won't get a chance to shine. Five of the top eight tacklers from last season came from the secondary. That looks good for the secondary players but that should not happen and is a sign of why this defense has been strugling so bad. Special teams: Josh Pollack might not return as both kicker and punter this season. The Wildcats have brought in some options at punter. Final Thoughts: They won't have a passing game this season so it is hard to see any improvement. The front and LB are too weak to bet on them winning any more than 4 games this season. Their home game against Houston will tell you a lot about this team early on. Goodbye Rich Rod. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Brandon Dawkins, JR, QB Rushing Brandon Dawkins, JR, QB Receiving Shun Brown, JR, WR Defense: Interceptions: Dane Cruikshank, SR, DB and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, JR, DB Sacks: DeAndre' Miller, SR, LB and Parker Zellers, SR, DT Tackles: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, JR, DB Last Five Year Win Totals 2016 3-9 2015 7-6 2014 10-4 2013 8-5 2012 8- |