Wild (times 10) West
The Rac-10 has traditionally
had the most parity of any
conference in the country,
and 2002 won’t change that
Adam Jude
Senior Sports Reporter
Apparently, recruits don’t mind a
little rain — or some nice facili
ties that protect them from the
dreary weather.
With a host of lavish new facilities
in the works (or already here), the
Northwest schools have taken over
the Pacific-10 Conference. Three
Northwest teams — Washington,
Washington State and Oregon — are
ranked in the top 15 in the presea
son polls and have their sights set on
a party in Tempe at the Fiesta Bowl,
the site of this season’s national
championship. The fourth North
west school, Oregon State, doesn’t
seem far from returning to its 2001
glory and could be the biggest sleep
er in the Pacific-10 Conference
this season.
Don’t think the California schools
haven’t taken notice. USC enters the
season ranked in the top 25 while
Stanford and UCLA look to surprise
the preseason prognosticators.
Without taking up any more pre
cious space, here are a humble re
porter’s 2002 Pac-10 projections:
1. Washington State
(2001 record: 10-2)
(6-2 conference)
The 25-foot poster of quarterback
Jason Gesser in Dusty, Wash., (pop.
10) was a bit of a joke. But the Cougs
showed they
jj were serious
about his Heis
man campaign
JURM . when they put
TCTJm another banner
along Interstate
5 in downtown
Seattle earlier this week. Those signs
may not add up to the 100-foot bill
board of Joey Harrington last year,
but the preseason pressure may be
even greater on Gesser, the 2001
Pac-10 passing leader. In his 14th
year in Pullman, head coach Mike
Price is seeking his first back-to-back
winning seasons and may tout the
best defense he’s ever had. Even so,
the Cougs’ offense, which averaged
35 points per game last year, re
turns seven starters and may not
need much defense to win the
conference title.
2. Oregon (11-1)
(7-1 conference)
Eight home games in the newly
expanded Autzen Stadium almost
automatically put the Ducks in con
tention for a
O third straight
conference title.
After splitting
time last year
with Maurice
Morris (now
with the Seattle
Seahawks), Onterrio Smith is poised
for a superb season. Much of Smith’s
success will depend on the team’s
ability to find the offensive balance
that made the Ducks so successful in
2001. With a strong receiving corps
led by senior Keenan Howry, Jason
Fife may not have to be perfect to be
effective. On defense, the Ducks are
deep. Head coach Mike Bellotti says
the defensive line may be the best in
school history; the Ducks have to
make up for the loss of both starting
comers from last year.
3. Washington (8-4)
(6-2 conference)
Husky head coach Rick Neuheisel
wants to make UW the “Florida State
of the West” and a consistent nation
Adam Amato Emerald
Oregon State linebackers Jonathan Pollard (40), Nick Barnett (42) and Noah
Happe (91) anchor a Beaver defense that could lead OSU back to the top of the Pac-10.
al-title contender. If the Huskies are
going to do that this year, they’ll
have to show
they can play de
fense. Washing
ton allowed more
points last year
than it scored
and allowed
more than 160 yards per game on
the ground. Lighting up the score
board will not be a problem for the
Dawgs. Quarterback Cody Pickett
has some experience now and an
NFL-caliber player in receiver Reg
gie Williams, who set rookie records
at UW last year. In all, a Pac-10 title
is not out of reach.
4. Oregon State (5-6)
(3-5 conference)
With no national championship
predictions in sight, the Beavers en
ter the season somewhat under the
radar. Although
it did have some
Quarterback
Derek Anderson and tailback Steven
Jackson gained valuable experience
last year, and the OSU defense is al
ways ready to punish. Defensive
back Dennis Weathersby has All
American talent, and linebacker
Richard Seigler is just tough. After a
long offseason, the Beavers may be
busy again come January.
5. USC (6-6)
(5-3 conference)
Former NFL coach Pete Carroll
enters his second year with the Tro
jans, who desperately need to regain
their running tradition. Against Utah
in the Las Vegas Bowl last year, USC
rushed for one
yard. Ouch. A trio
of runners, led by
the speedy yet-of
ten-injured Sultan
McCullough, could
turn things around.
Senior Carson
Palmer has been inconsistent in his
career (39 touchdowns, 39 intercep
tions), but his experience combined
with a strong defense, led by All
American safety Troy Polamalu,
could lead to a double-digit win total
for USC this year.
6. Stanford (9-3)
(6-2 conference)
With former head coach Tyrone
Willingham now at Notre Dame,
Buddy Teevens —
Steve Spurrier’s
top offensive assis
tant at Florida —
should be down
right offensive in
Palo Alto. With
Chris Lewis
Vckj
throwing to the durable Luke Powell
and the mammoth Teyo Johnson,
and solid tailback-by-committee
corp, the Cardinal should score a
bowl bid this year.
7. UCLA (7-4)
(4-4 conference)
Talk about collapses. The Bruins
won their first six games last season,
jumped into the national title pic
ture and quickly
fell into contro
versy and out of
any bowl game.
Running back
DeShaun Foster,
at one point
poised to be
come the first Pac-10 Heisman Tro
phy winner in 20 years, was sus
pended late in the season for
allegedly receiving benefits and talk
ing to an agent. Head coach Bob
Toledo signed a contract extension
in the offseason but is still rumored
to be in the hot seat. Add all that on
to one of toughest schedules in the
country this year, and UCLA has a
recipe for a rough 2002 campaign.
8. Arizona State (4-7)
(1-7 conference)
If Nebraska’s 48-10 crushing of the
Sun Devils last Saturday is any indi
cation, ASU is going to have a long
year. With a freshman and sopho
more battling for
the starting quar
terback spot be
hind an inexperi
enced offensive
line, Dirk Koetter
should not expect
much better than
the five-game los
ing streak that ended Arizona
State’s season last year. But Koetter,
in his second year at ASU, believes
his team will get better as it matures
with redshirt freshman quarterback
Chad Christensen. Just don’t ex
pect the Devils to go bowling any
time soon.
9. Arizona (5-6)
(2-6 conference)
The Wildcats have been marred
by three consecutive losing seasons
after finishing 5-6 last year. Watch
ing his team give up a school-record
34.3 points per
game last year,
second-year
coach John
Mackovic has fo
cused his efforts
on the defense.
Just look at Ore
gon’s 63-38
blowout in Tucson last October, the
most points the Wildcats gave up
since 1958. On the other side of the
ball, Clarence Farmer led the Pac-10
Turn to Predictions, page 9
014542
Kuraya’s has caught on.
Twice in a row, it has
earned mention in
NORTHWEST BEST
PLACES.”
Bob Welch
The Register-Guard
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