The PAC-10 TOP 5 is…..

USC were #1 in the country, and Cal were almost as good too. Arizona State rode good quarterbacking all the way to a surpise Sun Bowl victory over Kyle Orton and Purude, whilst Oregon and Oregon State were their usual inconsistent selves. UCLA weren’t as bad as their 6-6 record indicated, whilst Washington, Washington State, and Arizona had ‘rebuilding years’.  

So who’s 2005’s top 5??PAC-10 PREVIEW

1) University of Southern California

With Leinart and Reggie Bush playing so well, the early departure of Mike Williams for NFL riches didn’t really figure on the radar screen. Basketball-height WR Dwayne Jarrett was good too. Many say their biggest loss is going to be the losses of Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow and assistant coach Ed Orgeron, although let’s be honest, losing five players to the NFL would probably do that too.
Tough games: Arizona State, Notre Dame. If Arizona State and Notre Dame’s coach Charlie Weis live up to the hype, then USC have battles on their hands. If they don’t, then look to another PAC-1O victory.

2) Arizona State

Arizona fans will hark on about their side’s 34-27 win, but ASU will talk about Andrew Walter’s injury and the subsequent Sam Keller-led Sun Bowl miracle win over Purdue. They are going to have problems at running back after Loren Wade and Hakim Hill exited stage left for different behavioral reasons, but this pass-orientated offensive haven’t been great at RB since JR Redmond. However, if Sam Keller, RB Rudy Burgess, WRs Derek Hagan and Zach Miller live up to the hype, then running backs won’t be needed because the Rose Bowl’s only a bus ride away.
Tough games: USC and LSU. If they play as badly against these two as they did against USC and Cal in 2004, then ASU’s going to a bowl that would make the Sun Bowl seem quite the invite..

3) California

Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers, where art thou, Aaron Rodgers? Now AR’s left for Packerland and the NFL, we turn our eyes to new JUCO QB Joseph Ayoob. JJ Arrington’s also departed, as have most of their wide receiving cordon.
This year should be something of a rebuilding year for Cal but don’t bet against Cal earning the PAC-1O’s third national ranking. Coach Jeff Tedford’s got a knack of turning good JUCO QBs into Gods (see: Aaron Rodgers), and this team will be looking to wipe the I-told-you-sos off detractors.

Tough games: USC and Oregon State. USC because their national champions, OSU because they are frighteningly inconsistent- and this could be a good day.

4) Oregon State

Michael Siegert was recently caught stealing a sheep from the university sheep center, where it was apparently “helping” with a study on homosexuality and sheep. Would have been a better kicker than Alex Serna though….
Speaking of Serna, we’re still wondering how he managed to miss THREE extra points at LSU last year.

Tough games: Going to Louisville is always going to be tough game for a team that struggled with consistency last year. They will definitely miss Derek Anderson for this one. Oh, and the Civil War game at Oregon’s not going to be fun either.

5) UCLA

Last year UCLA were close-but-no-cigar against USC and Arizona State, mostly thanks to QB Drew Olson. RB Maurice Drew is good enough down the middle and TE Mercedes Lewis is said to be a possible first-rounder. A defense that gave it up more than Divine Brown on a good night on Sunset Boulevard won’t be able to cope with USC, ASU and Oklahoma. Will they?  The biggest game at the Rose Bowl’s going to be the Rose Bowl itself. And UCLA don’t have a prayer of being in it.

Tough games: Oklahoma, USC. Oklahoma haven’t lost too many in recent years, and despite the departure of Clayton and White, they’ll still remain nasty. USC are nastier.