Projections: Pac-10

The self-proclaimed Conference of Champions appears to be in the mix for a championship again this year.

The USC Trojans lose a lot of talent after their run of the last three years. However, they have plenty of talent coming in. They will not be as good as they have been recently, but I only see one team on their schedule that can beat them. Props to them for scheduling Arkansas and Nebraska in non-conference, but the Pigs can't hang with them, and Nebraska will be improved, but unable to beat the Trojans in LA. That leaves Cal as the only team in the conference that can beat them. That game will be in November at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Cal will be very good. They will beat the Big Orange in Knoxville, and run the table until they hit Los Angeles in November. I see them losing only one game: at USC.

Projection:
USC 12-0 9-0
California 11-1 8-1
Oregon 8-4 6-3
Arizona State 8-4 5-4
Arizona 8-4 5-4
UCLA 8-4 5-4
Oregon State 7-6 3-6
Washington 4-8 3-6
Stanford 4-8 2-7
Washington St 3-9 1-8

The Pac-10 is introducing a novel concept: a total round-robin. With the NCAA's approval of the 12th game, the conference schools have decided to make that 12th game a 9th conference game. Everyone will play each other. There will be no freak accidents, such as a tie between undefeated teams. It makes competitive sense, but it also makes financial sense, as it is more cost-effective to play other conference teams every year than to schedule cross-country trips to play worthy non-conference foes. Ultimately, it is also more cost-effective to play a conference game than to schedule another body-bag game against the likes of Idaho, with the rise in guaranteed payouts for non-conference games.