With a load of playmakers gone from USC, can anyone challenge its stranglehold on the conference title, or will the Trojans again be among the nation’s elite? Will Arizona State, Cal, Oregon or Oregon State take the next step to competing for the conference crown? Can Arizona, UCLA or Washington State finally put it all together? How competitive will Stanford and Washington be? Part 10 of our college football preseason preview series has the answers.

Arizona Wildcats (last season – 5-7)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 30 – Idaho (W)
Sept. 6 – Toledo (L)
Sept. 13 – at New Mexico (L)
Sept. 20 – at UCLA (W)
Oct. 4 – Washington (W)
Oct. 11 – at Stanford (W)
Oct. 18 – California (L)
Oct. 25 – USC (L)
Nov. 8 – at Washington State (W)
Nov. 15 – at Oregon (L)
Nov. 22 – Oregon State (W)
Dec. 6 – Arizona State (L)

Coach Mike Stoops begins his fifth season at the helm of the Wildcats program with a 17-29 record, a far cry from what was expected upon his arrival after a stellar career as a defensive assistant, most recently at Oklahoma, where he won a national championship with his brother, Bob. Stoops has been a solid recruiter but so far has been unable to translate the talent into a winning season. Ten offensive starters return, though only three are back off a defense that had a solid, though not outstanding, season. ‘Zona lost four games by a touchdown or less last year, including defeats at the hands of USC and hated rival Arizona State. The spread offense installed by former Texas Tech assistant Sonny Dykes before the 2007 campaign began to jell late in the year and should be a force this year, with all the returning talent and experience. Senior quarterback Willie Tuitama led the conference last year with 28 touchdown passes against 12 picks. It looks like Stoops needs to take the Wildcats bowling this season in order to keep his job; it also looks like it will again come down to the wire as to whether or not Arizona will get that chance.

Arizona State Sun Devils (last season – 10-3, lost Holiday Bowl)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 30 – Northern Arizona (W)
Sept. 6 – Stanford (W)
Sept. 13 – UNLV (W)
Sept. 20 – Georgia (L)
Oct. 4 – at California (W)
Oct. 11 – at USC (L)
Oct. 25 – Oregon (W)
Nov. 1 – at Oregon State (W)
Nov. 8 – at Washington (W)
Nov. 15 – Washington State (W)
Nov. 28 – UCLA (W)
Dec. 6 – at Arizona (W)

Seven men return on each side of the ball for coach Dennis Erickson’s Sun Devils, who had a surprisingly good finish last season in the veteran mentor’s first year in Tempe, Ariz. Rudy Carpenter will be back under center after throwing for over 3,200 yards last year, with Erickson’s spread offense now in full effect. Kicker Thomas Weber won the Lou Groza Award in his freshman season last year and nailed 24 of 25 field goals in 2007. The offensive line was brutal last year, allowing 55 sacks, a school record; it gets no easier, as three men off that veteran unit must be replaced. The schedule is tough, with preseason national No. 1 Georgia coming to town and four of five on the road in October and early November, but the Sun Devils have what it takes to compete for the conference title.

California Golden Bears (last season – 7-6, won Armed Forces Bowl)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 30 – Michigan State (L)
Sept. 6 – at Washington State (W)
Sept. 13 – at Maryland (W)
Sept. 27 – Colorado State (W)
Oct. 4 – Arizona State (L)
Oct. 18 – at Arizona (W)
Oct. 25 – UCLA (W)
Nov. 1 – Oregon (W)
Nov. 8 – at USC (L)
Nov. 15 – at Oregon State (L)
Nov. 22 – Stanford (W)
Dec. 6 – Washington (W)

Cal returns five offensive and six defensive starters from a 2007 squad that started off looking like one of the elite teams in the nation but lost six of its final seven regular season games to nearly fall out of bowl play completely. Moreover, nearly all of the star power from that club is gone, including receiver and return man DeSean Jackson and back Justin Forsett. However, that may not be completely negative, as there were obvious chemistry issues with the Golden Bears as they spiraled out of control down the stretch last year. Senior quarterback Nate Longshore missed most of spring ball with a pectoral injury and will have to fight off sophomore Kevin Riley to keep his job. Zack Follett leads a deep crew at linebacker as the Cal defense transitions to a 3-4 look. The skill positions are largely unproven, and the offense needs a quarterback to step up and be a leader, but a squad with fewer ego issues and an experienced defense can post a solid year to build on in years to come.

Oregon Ducks (last season – 9-4, won Sun Bowl)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 30 – Washington (W)
Sept. 6 – Utah State (W)
Sept. 13 – at Purdue (W)
Sept. 20 – Boise State (W)
Sept. 27 – at Washington State (W)
Oct. 4 – at USC (L)
Oct. 11 – UCLA (W)
Oct. 25 – at Arizona State (L)
Nov. 1 – at California (L)
Nov. 8 – Stanford (W)
Nov. 15 – Arizona (W)
Nov. 29 – at Oregon State (L)

Six offensive and seven defensive starters are back for coach Mike Bellotti, who is the winningest coach in Ducks history and has only one losing season since he took the head job in 1995. Oregon must replace Heisman candidate quarterback Dennis Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart, with Nate Costa and Justin Roper leading the field to replace Dixon. Roper posted an excellent start in the Ducks’ Sun Bowl thrashing of South Florida with Dixon and backup Brady Leaf injured, throwing for four touchdowns. The defense, led by the secondary, should be stronger than it has often been in recent years, led by lineman Nick Reed, who led the conference in sacks and tackles for loss, and rover Patrick Chung, who made 117 stops last year as a second-team all-American. Oregon will take a step back after making a run at the national title last year, but will again be a force to be reckoned with in the Pac-10.

Oregon State Beavers (last season – 9-4, won Emerald Bowl)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 28 – at Stanford (W)
Sept. 6 – at Penn State (L)
Sept. 13 – Hawai’i (W)
Sept. 25 – USC (L)
Oct. 2 – at Utah (W)
Oct. 11 – Washington State (W)
Oct. 18 – at Washington (W)
Nov. 1 – Arizona State (L)
Nov. 8 – at UCLA (L)
Nov. 15 – California (W)
Nov. 22 – at Arizona (L)
Nov. 29 – Oregon (W)

The Beavers return nine starters to a squad that won seven of their final eight games to close the season strong. Though the number of departures looks ghastly on paper, coach Mike Riley’s brand of football places emphasis on controlling the running game on both sides of the ball and minimizing mistakes, which should make things easier on Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao, who combined for 21 picks against 11 touchdowns last season. The entire front seven is gone for Oregon State, but three senior starters in the secondary have 90 games’ worth of starting experience combined. Sammie Stroughter is back at receiver after a tough 2007 season ended in a medical redshirt, leading a strong receiving corps that should improve the offense. Oregon State is among the youngest teams in the conference, but, much like Cal, is talented and should have the tools to post another bowl appearance.

Southern California Trojans (last season – 11-2, won Rose Bowl)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 30 – at Virginia (W)
Sept. 13 – Ohio State (L)
Sept. 25 – at Oregon State (W)
Oct. 4 – Oregon (W)
Oct. 11 – Arizona State (W)
Oct. 18 – at Washington State (W)
Oct. 25 – at Arizona (W)
Nov. 1 – Washington (W)
Nov. 8 – California (W)
Nov. 15 – at Stanford (W)
Nov. 29 – Notre Dame (W)
Dec. 6 – at UCLA (W)

Eleven starters return to coach Pete Carroll’s club, only four of which are from the offensive unit. Quarterback John David Booty is gone, though Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain should be more than sufficient to lead the offense. Sanchez led the offense last season while Booty was out with an injury, and Mustain won all eight of his starts as a freshman for Arkansas in 2006. The secondary and linebacking crew are both among the best in the nation, with all-America candidates all over the place, including linebackers Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing, who might have to fight each other off for the Butkus Award, and safeties Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays. The offensive line needs four new starters, but since the unit was injury-ridden at times last year, plenty of returning men have some starting experience. USC has a lot of starters to replace, but, given the Trojans’ recent dominance of the Pac-10 under Carroll, it simply seems foolhardy to pick any other team to win the conference.

Stanford Cardinal (last season – 4-8)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 28 – Oregon State (L)
Sept. 6 – at Arizona State (L)
Sept. 13 – at TCU (L)
Sept. 20 – San Jose State (W)
Sept. 27 – at Washington (L)
Oct. 4 – at Notre Dame (L)
Oct. 11 – Arizona (L)
Oct. 18 – at UCLA (L)
Nov. 1 – Washington State (W)
Nov. 8 – at Oregon (L)
Nov. 15 – USC (L)
Nov. 22 – at California (L)

Seven offensive and nine defensive starters return to a club that has won only 20 games since 2002, but posted four wins last year in a definite step forward in coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season at the helm. Tavita Pritchard, who engineered the now-famous upset of USC as a 41-point road underdog, returns under center but must improve his consistency. Senior safety Bo McNally, who sealed the upset over the Trojans with a late interception, leads the defense and has been named to the preliminary watch list for the Lott Trophy. The schedule is flat-out tough, with TCU and Notre Dame on the non-conference docket. The record will not reflect this, but Stanford is taking steps in the right direction, with strong recruiting classes coming in.

UCLA Bruins (last season – 6-7, lost Las Vegas Bowl)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Sept. 1 – Tennessee (L)
Sept. 13 – at BYU (L)
Sept. 20 – Arizona (L)
Sept. 27 – Fresno State (L)
Oct. 4 – Washington State (W)
Oct. 11 – at Oregon (L)
Oct. 18 – Stanford (W)
Oct. 25 – at California (L)
Nov. 8 – Oregon State (W)
Nov. 15 – at Washington (L)
Nov. 28 – at Arizona State (L)
Dec. 6 – USC (L)

Rick Neuheisel takes over after Karl Dorrell’s firing as the head man, an interesting move given that Neuheisel has won consistently as the coach at Colorado and Washington but indisputably left each school in worse shape than he found it, with NCAA probation for both programs after his departure. Seven teams on the 2008 slate finished with at least nine wins last year. Coordinators Norm Chow, who is back in the college game after getting fired as the Titans’ offensive coordinator, and DeWayne Walker, who returns from the Dorrell staff, are both among the best in the business. Five starters are back on both sides of the ball. The quarterback situation is nothing short of chaotic, with Ben Olson having broken his foot on two separate occasions this offseason, Patrick Cowan already slated to miss the entire year with an ACL tear and Osaar Rasshan also fighting injury trouble, leaving JUCO transfer Kevin Craft as the likely opening day starter. It will take Neuheisel some time to get things turned around, with few starters returning, a very-unsettled quarterback state of affairs and the program inconsistent to begin with in recent seasons under Dorrell. It should be a rebuilding year for the Bruins.

Washington Huskies (last season – 4-9)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 30 – at Oregon (L)
Sept. 6 – BYU (L)
Sept. 13 – Oklahoma (L)
Sept. 27 – Stanford (W)
Oct. 4 – at Arizona (L)
Oct. 18 – Oregon State (L)
Oct. 25 – Notre Dame (L)
Nov. 1 – at USC (L)
Nov. 8 – Arizona State (L)
Nov. 15 – UCLA (W)
Nov. 22 – at Washington State (W)
Dec. 6 – at California (L)

Coach Tyrone Willingham enters the fourth year of his tenure in Seattle with an 11-25 mark, with his last two teams considered vast underachievers. Willingham has won at Stanford and Notre Dame but has thus far been unable to put it all together at Washington and probably needs at least a bowl appearance in order to keep his job. Seven offensive and six defensive starters return, including quarterback Jake Locker, who had a strong year as a freshman while setting the conference record for rushing yards from a quarterback, with just under 1,000. Most of the receiving corps and leading rusher Louis Rankin, who ran for nearly 1,300 yards, are gone, along with three-fourths of the defensive line. The start to the schedule is very tough, making a winning season even less likely for the Huskies. Willingham’s job looks to be very much in jeopardy, as the Huskies should have another sub-par season.

Washington State Cougars (last season – 5-7)
Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
Aug. 30 – Oklahoma State (Seattle) (L)
Sept. 6 – California (L)
Sept. 13 – at Baylor (L)
Sept. 20 – Portland State (W)
Sept. 27 – Oregon (L)
Oct. 4 – at UCLA (L)
Oct. 11 – at Oregon State (L)
Oct. 18 – USC (L)
Nov. 1 – at Stanford (L)
Nov. 8 – Arizona (L)
Nov. 15 – at Arizona State (L)
Nov. 22 – Washington (L)
Nov. 29 – at Hawai’i (L) 

Paul Wulff takes the reins at Washington State after an eight-year stint as the head coach at Eastern Washington. The Cougars return 15 starters to a team that had a bad start to the 2007 season but won three of five to end it. Alex Brink, who started 40 games for Wazzu, is gone after setting team career records in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completions. Gary Rogers, a senior, looks to be Brink’s replacement, though Kansas State transfer Kevin Lopina is also in the hunt. The offense will go to a no-huddle look, while the defense will shift to a 4-3 scheme from the 3-4 system of last year. The Wulff era will begin in a harsh way, with a lot of losing between now and regaining relevance in the conference.

Next week – 2008 Big Ten football preview

Some information from The New York Times and ESPN.com was used in this report.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Game played Aug. 11, 2008

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers knocked off the Phillies, 8-6, to win the first matchup of a four-game series. Derek Lowe got the win for L.A., while Philadelphia got the potential winning run to the plate in the ninth inning, but Jonathan Broxton pitched out of trouble to earn the save.

Los Angeles drew first blood by batting around in a six-run third and never trailed. Manny Ramirez’s one-out, two-run double scored Matt Kemp, who had singled and stolen second base, and Andre Ethier, who walked. James Loney’s single to right scored Jeff Kent, who was hit by a pitch from Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick, and Ramirez. Then, with two down, Casey Blake homered to dead center, scoring Russell Martin, who had singled to right, for a 6-0 lead.

The teams traded runs in the fourth. Philadelphia got on the scoreboard when Shane Victorino led off with a single to center and scored on a Ryan Howard groundout. The Dodgers got that run back when Kemp singled, took third base on a throwing error on Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz and scored on a Kent single through the left side, making the lead 7-1.

Philadelphia drew closer with a run in the sixth and two in the seventh. In the sixth frame, Jimmy Rollins led off with a single to center and scored on another Howard groundout.

In the seventh, Jayson Werth hit a leadoff double to center and stole third before scoring on pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins’ single through the right side. Jenkins then scored when Rollins hit a triple to right field that fell to Ethier’s right, cutting the deficit to 7-4.

The Dodgers got an insurance run in the eighth. Pablo Ozuna led off with a single through the left side and scored on a Loney double down the left-field line.

With Broxton, the Dodgers’ fill-in closer, on in the ninth, the Phillies made things interesting. Greg Dobbs singled up the middle to lead off, and Ruiz drew a free pass. Then, with two down, Chase Utley concluded a seven-pitch at-bat by lifting a bloop single to left, scoring Dobbs and Ruiz to cut the deficit to two. With Utley and Victorino, who had beat out an infield single, aboard, Howard grounded into the shift to end the game.

Kemp, Kent and Loney led the way for Los Angeles with three-hit nights. Ramirez and Blake also recorded two hits each. Lowe (9-10) pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, with a walk and three strikeouts, running his lifetime record against Philadelphia to 4-1. Chan Ho Park and Joe Beimel each went two-thirds of an inning before Broxton came on and registered his eighth save.

Utley was 3-for-5 for the Phillies, while Rollins and Victorino each chipped in two hits. Kendrick (10-6) lasted 3 1/3 frames, yielding seven runs on nine hits with three walks. Les Walrond and Clay Condrey pitched the rest of the night for Philadelphia.

The Dodgers, who are 59-59, continue a 10-game homestand Tuesday night by sending Clayton Kershaw to the mound to face 64-54 Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels.

Los Angeles, which has won nine of 12 at home, drew to within a game of idle Arizona in second place in NL West. The Phillies, unable to take advantage of the Mets’ and Marlins’ losses Monday, remain two games ahead of New York and 2.5 up on Florida in the East lead.

Video credit – ESPN2