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We've been talking a lot about the battleground that will be the Pac-12 South in 2013. With four teams boasting legitimate claims to win the division -- Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA and USC -- the South is going to be a lot of fun to watch play out.

Part of that is because of the increased difficulty in schedule for a few of the teams. ESPN Insider/contributor Phil Steele recently looked at five teams in college football that have significantly tougher schedules next season -- and three of the teams he mentions hail from the Pac-12 South: ASU, UCLA and Utah.

With one of the stoutest defensive lines in the league -- maybe the country -- the Sun Devils figure to be right in the mix. But a challenging nonconference schedule will test them early. Here's Steele's take on the Sun Devils:

Last season, despite being one of the most inexperienced teams in the country (just eight returning starters), the Sun Devils took advantage of facing four backup quarterbacks in their first four weeks, leading to an eight-win season. But now things are much more difficult.

It starts with one of the tougher nonconference slates in the entire country. In 2012, the Sun Devils played Illinois and Missouri, which combined to go 7-17. This season, they pick up Wisconsin and Notre Dame, two teams that went a combined 20-7 in 2012.

The Bruins, the defending division champs, won't give up the crown without a fight. But adding Washington and Oregon to the equation -- plus some tough road trips -- will make repeating challenging. Here's Steele's take:

In nonconference play, the Bruins will travel to Lincoln to play Nebraska. As far as Pac-12 opponents, Washington State and Oregon State are off the schedule, but they're replaced by their much tougher in-state counterparts, Washington and Oregon. In the Pac-12's uneven nine-game conference schedule last season, UCLA played five home games (four away), but in 2013 it plays four home games (five away). UCLA also has arguably the toughest back-to-back road games of any team in the country this season, playing at Oregon and Stanford in consecutive weeks. Finally, the Bruins will have to play at crosstown rival USC, who is still smarting from last season's loss.

The Utes are still a bit of a question mark with holes to fill on the defensive line and plenty of question marks on offense. It's not going to get any easier as they welcome Stanford and Oregon for the first time since joining the conference. Writes Steele:

In 2013, the Utes have to play the Ducks, Cardinal and also have key games in Pac-12 South play against USC and Arizona on the road. In terms of nonconference play, the final game in the Holy War rivalry (for now) against BYU will also be played on the road. Overall, the Utes go from playing just two top-25 teams in 2012 to playing two possible top-five teams this upcoming season, along with an additional seven teams that won seven or more games in 2012.

Star Lotulelei works out at Utah's pro day less than a month after an abnomal test result forced him to miss the NFL combine.

You might have noticed a theme this week. We kicked off the "Biggest Shoes" series and had two polls (North and South) on replacing departed players. So that means it's now time for your Pac-12 bloggers to weigh in on which two players we believe leave the biggest holes. Given our penchant for quarterbacks, you might find our two choices surprising. Read on.

Ted Miller: I do not know what size 6-foot-3, 320-pound Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei's shoes are, but I'd bet they are among the biggest in the Pac-12 -- in more ways than one.

The thing about replacing a dominant interior defensive lineman is that it's difficult to measure what you're losing. An All-America receiver or running back or even cornerback leaves, and you feel fairly comfortable quantifying what is lost and must be replaced. Lotulelei, however, was more than the sum of his stats -- 42 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, five sacks, four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and a very important blocked kick.

Lotulelei changed what an offense could do. He changed blocking schemes. He demanded specific attention from an offensive coordinator and a line coach. He made sure the interior of the opposing offensive line -- even if the offense was winning the overall battle -- wanted to ask for its check.

He was a unique presence. An anomaly. A college center could start 48 games in his career and face a guy like him just once. That's why Lotulelei will be a first-round NFL draft pick, even with a heart condition. He could get picked in the top five if a team deems him healthy.

But his shoes are even bigger because Utah, after a disappointing defensive campaign in 2012, is replacing three of four defensive linemen. Moreover, the Utes were unhappy with their linebacker play last fall, even with all the protection Lotulelei provided. Opposing offensive lines, unencumbered by the need to double-team Lotulelei every play, will get a lot more hats on those linebackers in 2013. Not what coach Kyle Whittingham wants.

The cupboard isn't empty. The Utes are high on Tenny Palepoi, a 305-pound senior who played well as the backup to defensive tackle Dave Kruger last season. And there are other big bodies: LT Tuipulotu, Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, a 320-pound redshirt freshman, and Viliseni Fauonuku will be in the mix.

Yet the Utes defensive coaches won't even pretend one of those guys will fill Lotulelei's shoes. They are just too big.

Kevin Gemmell: This is a tough one. I've been going through a bunch of players all week long trying to come to a conclusion on which one I wanted to write about (and Lotulelei was already taken). All of them are important -- Matt Barkley, Khaled Holmes, Robert Woods, Jordan Poyer, Travis Long, Markus Wheaton, Brandon Magee, Desmond Trufant, Stepfan Taylor, Johnathan Franklin, Zach Ertz, Dion Jordan and … (insert name I unintentionally omitted and now you feel wildly offended).

There really is no wrong answer here. Each player is a major contributor to his team in his own way. But the one name that kept coming back to me is Stanford center Sam Schwartzstein. I know, not as exciting as Kenjon Barner or glamorous as Matt Scott. But in terms of sheer contributions to the team that will be tough to replace, Schwartzstein has to be in the conversation.

In 2011, he was regarded as having the second-best football mind on the team -- behind only Andrew Luck. And he didn't lose any of that in 2012.

After the quarterback, there is no more important position on Stanford's offense than the center. He makes all of the scheme and protection calls at the line of scrimmage. He even calls plays in the huddle when the Cardinal go into the Wildcat.

Schwartzstein started every game since taking over for All-American Chase Beeler, and twice he blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in Taylor. The Cardinal played 14 games in 2012 and allowed just 20 sacks. In the 12-game regular season, they had allowed a conference-best 17. The year before that? Just 11 in 13 games. I know for a fact that there were zero quarterback-center exchange fumbles in 2011. And none comes to mind in 2012.

Khalil Wilkes, who started almost every game last year at left guard (one start at left tackle) moves over to compete with Conor McFadden for the gig. Maybe the transition from Schwartzstein to one of those guys will go as smoothly as the handoff from Beeler to Schwartzstein. After all, the new center will have one bona-fide All-American at his side and potentially a couple more on the line.

But they won't be the ones making the calls. That falls on the center -- and Schwartzstein was outstanding at it. He was second-team all-conference and honored with the school's leadership award. Not Taylor, not Ertz. Not Shayne Skov nor Ryan Hewitt nor the aforementioned All-American David Yankey. The center … the most crucial position in Stanford's offense that you never hear about.

Tough shoes to fill, indeed.

Starters in, starters out. That’s college football. Players’ eligibility expires, and they leave for the rest of their lives, whether that includes the NFL or not.

And they leave behind shoes of various sizes that need to be filled.

Our concern with this series? The biggest shoes -- in some cases Shaq-like size 23s.

Biggest shoes: Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei

Lotulelei, a 2012 All-American and two-time first-team All-Pac-12 performer, is likely to be an early first-round pick in this spring's NFL draft, even though he has some medical questions. He ranked sixth on the Utes with 42 tackles and led the defense with 10 tackles for a loss. His five sacks ranked second on the team. He also had three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. But his value wasn't strictly -- or even predominantly -- about numbers. The 320-pounder simple was the nation's most imposing interior lineman, a guy who demanded constant double-teams. That opened things up for the rest of the front seven. The simple fact is you can't replace a guy like Lotulelei because no team in the country has two of him. Further aggravating matters: The Utes are replacing three of their four starting defensive linemen. So not only is the Utes' defense losing its Star, its losing its supporting cast.

Stepping in: Senior Tenny Palepoi

This figures to be a fluid competition. Again, one guy won't "replace" Lotulelei. Palepoi, a 305-pound senior, was a JC transfer last fall and he had 21 tackles, including three for a loss with two sacks while backing up the Utes' other DT, Dave Kruger. Coaches are high on him. LT Tuipulotu, Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, a 320-pound redshirt freshman, and Viliseni Fauonuku will be part of the spring depth chart. Junior college recruit Sese Ianu will be in the mix immediately, while freshmen Gaius Vaenuku and Sam Tevi will have an opportunity to prove they're ready to play in the fall. Coaches didn't like taking Lotulelei out of the game last year, and there is a school of thought that he got tired in some games. The bit of good news here is there likely will be more of a rotation in 2013.

Kevin Gemmell answers a reader question about the impact of co-offensive coordinators at Utah.

We're looking at some of the top individual performances in the Pac-12 in 2012.

Up next: Star gives a hand

Who and against whom: Utah DT Star Lotulelei contributed in many ways to a thrilling 24-21 victory over the Utes arch-rival, BYU.

The numbers: Lotulelei had seven tackles, one coming for a loss, a forced fumble, two pass breakups and a blocked kick

A closer look: Lotulelei generally did what he wanted to against the interior of the BYU offensive line, despite facing constant double-teams (the Utes leading tacklers only had eight stops). The Cougars only managed 106 yards rushing. It also probably was no coincidence that Lotulelei lined up as a noseguard over the BYU center on the bad snap that ended up giving the Utes a 47-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Mo Lee late in the third quarter. And, of course, Lotulelei blocked Justin Sorensen's 51-yard field goal attempt with one second remaining after the officials put time back on the clock following a third-down incompletion. Fans of both teams likely recall the Pac-12 officials then, ridiculously, gave BYU a do-over when fans rushed the field, but the football gods intervened and the ensuing 36-yard kick was missed.

With spring ball just a couple of weeks away, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham enters camp coming off a losing season for the first time in his head-coaching career. He took a few minutes to chat with the Pac-12 blog about the expectations, plugging holes and his unshaken faith in co-offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. And he gave a clear, unbiased endorsement of Reggie Dunn in the Pac-12 Postseason Top 25.

2012 was your first losing season as a head coach. How trying was that for you?

Kyle Whittingham: Very trying. It's not what we're used to around here, for sure. But it's a transitional period for us. We're in a very good league, a very competitive league. We feel like we're making progress, but everyone is as well. Everyone is a moving target. Nobody is standing still. I think the league took a big step forward last year. Last year there was a lot of improvement by a lot of the teams.

What were some of the lessons learned from going through last season?

KW: I don't know if it's anything we didn't know. We had some quarterback issues. Jordan [Wynn] got hurt and we went through a few quarterbacks which didn't give us any stability at that position until the second half of the season. We're excited about Travis Wilson. We think he's got a lot of upside and we're really excited about the three quarterbacks we recruited this year. That position is in better shape now than it's been in for a long time.

So you're committed to Travis. Or is there any competition there?

KW: There's always competition. Right now Travis is the guy with experience and he's been in the program for a year. But the freshmen we brought in are very talented. The best guys play here. It doesn't matter if you've been here five days or five years. If you're the best guy you're going to play.

What were your thoughts on offensive coordinator Brian Johnson's first year? Given some of the difficulties he had to face -- the revolving quarterbacks, injuries, offensive line holes -- do you feel like he did a sufficient job in his first year?

KW: I think so. He's got a lot of upside. I remember as a first-year coordinator there was a big learning curve. I don't care how intelligent you may be or how ready you feel for the job, there is still a learning curve that is going to take place. And until you've been in that chair you don't really appreciate all that it entails and everything the job encompasses. I think coach [Dennis] Erickson is going to be working side-by-side with Brian -- they will be co-coordinators -- I think that will be a great situation for us. Bottom line, Coach Erickson was brought in to make our offense better and get our offense rolling. My faith in Brian Johnson is still very strong.

Everyone in the league has players, but depth seems to be a big issue for most teams. Entering Year 3 in the Pac-12, do you feel like you've built up that depth to where you can be competitive?

KW: I think we're working toward that end. It's a process. It doesn't happen overnight. Every year you try to make your football team better through recruiting. There are three ways to make yourself better. You either bring in new players through recruiting. You make the guys already in the program better and sometimes it's addition by subtraction. Those are the three ways you can improve your football team. And I think we have done a very nice job -- the assistant coaches in particular -- they are the ones on the front lines of recruiting and finding the talent and determining who we should bring into the program. I'm pleased with the classes we've put together the last three years. I believe we're heading in that direction of building depth. We're certainly a more talented team than we were a few years ago.

Speaking of depth, you have some holes to fill on the defensive line. Will Trevor Reilly switch from his hybrid spot to full-time defensive end?

KW: That question has not been completely answered. We have to see how some of the young defensive ends that are in the program develop this spring and through fall camp. With the departure of Joe Kruger -- unexpectedly -- that took us by surprise when he left early for the NFL, that created a void at that position that we weren't expecting. In our minds that became a situation where we thought Trevor might spend more time there than he had if Joe had returned. But it's still not completely defined as to what his role will be. He won't be with us for spring ball. He had offseason surgery so he won't be with us through spring so that probably won't be answered until fall.

Junior Salt was recruited as a defensive lineman, but then you moved him to the offensive line. Any thoughts on moving him back to fill some of those holes on the defensive line?

KW: No. We feel really good about him at the guard position. That's where he played his junior college ball and we think he's going to be a really good offensive lineman for us and we believe that's where he belongs and where his greatest contribution to our football team will be. When he got here, he was playing on the D-line and then he broke his foot. That kept him out a long time -- eight or nine weeks. Toward the end of that, I talked to him and told him he can play on either side he prefers. But after looking at who was departing, we thought he had a chance to step in and take over that right guard spot and he was very agreeable to that.

Obviously a frustrating situation with Star Lotulelei. Have you talked with him at all?

KW: He's doing OK. I'm not a doctor so I can't speak to the medical end of it. But I know he has a good attitude and things can get cleared up. His health is the most important thing. If we can get some more evaluations and tests and get this thing completely answered, that's what we're trying to do right now. As a program and as Star's former coach, the main thing is making sure his health is OK. Once that's addressed, hopefully he'll be able to play in the NFL.

I know you hang on every word written in the Pac-12 blog so you no doubt saw Reggie Dunn on our list of Top 25 players in 2012. Any thoughts?

KW: He deserved it. He set some records that aren't going to be broken for a long time. I think the world of Reggie. Boy, the spark he provided for us this year -- particularly with our offense struggling -- what he brought was huge for us.

Former USC quarterback Matt Barkley isn't working out at the NFL scouting combine, but he's making the rounds with a lot of teams. ESPN.com's AFC East blogger James Walker has the latest on Barkley meeting with nine teams -- including the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.

Writes Walker:

Barkley is one of the great mysteries in this year's draft. He would have been a sure-fire, top-10 pick if he had left school early after the 2011 season. But Barkley chose to come back to USC in 2012, had some flaws in his game exposed and suffered through an injury-plagued season.

The Jets and Bills are desperately looking for quarterbacks. Mark Sanchez and Ryan Fitzpatrick both flopped in New York and Buffalo, respectively, and are not the long-term solutions. Both AFC East teams have top-10 picks and should have a shot at Barkley if they're interested in the first round.

Living in Southern California and having heard "Empire State of Mind" many times, I like to think I have my finger on the pulse of New Yorkers. And if I know them, I'd imagine they'd welcome another USC quarterback with open arms and give him plenty of time to get settled without the burden of expectation. Fugetaboutit.

You can check out Barkley doing the chalk-talk thing here with Steve Mariucci.

Strong day for Jordan

Oregon's Dion Jordan -- once a tight end -- had a very strong performance on Monday, leaving a lot of folks thinking he might crack the top 10. Here are some observations from NFL.com's Bucky Brooks.

Jordan, who is set to undergo surgery after the combine, left a lasting impression on coaches and scouts with his remarkable workout, during which he ran a 4.60-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 32.5-inch vertical and 10-2 broad jump. Additionally, Jordan showed excellent balance, body control and burst while changing directions as a pass rusher in drills. Jordan's natural bend and burst will have some evaluators thinking of him as an elite pass-rushing prospect at the next level. Most importantly, Jordan's exceptional movement skills in space will encourage teams that run a 3-4 to consider him a viable option as an outside linebacker. Versatility and explosiveness are important in hybrid players; Jordan's workout certainly earned him high marks in the eyes of evaluators across the league.

Measurables

Here are the testing results for the defensive linemen and linebackers. Some defensive backs started measurable work on Monday, but the majority will work out on Tuesday. You can see the full workout results here.

40-Yard Dash

Dion Jordan, DL, Oregon: 4.60
Brandon Magee, LB, Arizona State: 4.74
Datone Jones, DL, UCLA: 4.80
Joe Kruger, DL, Utah: 4.83
Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford: 4.91

Bench Press

Datone Jones, DL, UCLA: 29 reps
Joe Kruger, DL, Utah: 24 reps
Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford: 18 reps

Vertical Jump

Joe Kruger, DL, Utah: 34 (inches)
Dion Jordan, DL, Oregon: 32.5
Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford: 32
Datone Jones, DL, UCLA: 31.5

Broad Jump

Dion Jordan, DL, Oregon: 122 (inches)
Joe Kruger, DL, Utah: 117
Brandon Magee, LB, Arizona State: 114
Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford: 113
Datone Jones, DL, UCLA: 112

3-Cone Drill

Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford: 7.17

20-Yard Shuttle

Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford: 4.31

Ted Miller takes at look at the major Pac-12 storylines as we head into spring practices.

Identity is why Dennis Erickson decided to become Utah's offensive coordinator. He has one and Utah's offense didn't last fall.

Erickson, one of the seminal minds behind the spread passing attack, is a football coach at heart. At 65, he's not ready to go softly into the night after four decades of X's and O's. Or go play golf and fish every day.

Meanwhile, Utah's offense ranked 11th in yards and eighth in scoring in the Pac-12 last year, as the Utes missed the postseason for the first time since 2002.

"The biggest thing is what was their identity -- what were they trying to do?" Erickson said. "They obviously had some injury issues at quarterback."

It's fairly understandable why the Utes offense sputtered last fall. Even before starting quarterback Jordan Wynn was lost for the season to injury, it was clear his arm strength was no longer there. The job ultimately went to true freshman Travis Wilson, and starting a first-year player at quarterback is rarely ideal. Toss in a struggling offensive line, and that's a recipe for yards and points to be lacking.

But it's more than that. Utah has had five different offensive coordinators since 2005, Kyle Whittingham's first season as head coach after Urban Meyer bolted for Florida. The Utes have employed a variety of schemes during that span, and Whittingham previously went the elder statesman route with Norm Chow, but that lasted only a year before Chow became head coach at Hawaii.

Whittingham and Erickson didn't know each other well before Whittingham first reached out about five weeks ago. But the idea grew on Erickson, who got an OK from his wife, Marilyn.

Erickson met with the Utes coaches before the hiring became official. While he's listed as "co-coordinator" with Brian Johnson, the coordinator last fall, Whittingham has acknowledged that Erickson has "last say."

Hiring Erickson strongly suggests that Whittingham now believes he promoted Johnson to coordinator too quickly. Johnson had been quarterbacks coach at Utah for only two years and was promoted to coordinator before he turned 25, making him the youngest FBS coordinator in the country. Heck, Johnson had been a Ute QB himself in 2008. He was barely older than many of the Utes players.

"I visited with Brian and I think he's an outstanding coach," Erickson said. "Everything I do is going to go through those guys. We need to sit down and decide what we want to do, decide what we want to hang our hat on."

While this functions as a sort of demotion for Johnson, it could pay off for him long-term. He now can learn from one of the better offensive minds out there, a guy who has seen just about everything you could see on a football field. Further, because Erickson is 65, there's no need to be competitive with him. This might actually push Johnson's career along faster than its already rapid pace. It's certainly something else to note on his résumé.

It's clear that Erickson wants to embrace a mentorship role.

"I hope so," he said. "I hope that's something I can help him do. We're going to talk about everything we do. Five or six years down the road, I think my experience is going to help him in his future. It's hard to be 25 years old and all the sudden you're a coordinator. It's a lot easier said than done."

The same can be said for passing game coordinator Aaron Roderick, who will continue to oversee receivers.

Of course, coordination isn't everything. Erickson will be a genius if he can get his offensive line to play better, particularly at tackle. In their second year of Pac-12 play, it became clear that the Utes lack the top-to-bottom talent and depth to compete in the top-half of the conference.

"Where we need to shore it up is get some speed on both sides of the football," Erickson said, echoing previous comments from Whittingham.

Erickson, who spent the past season helping his son coach high school football in Oregon, said he expected to get back into coaching after he was fired at Arizona State following the 2011 season. For one, he didn't want to go out on that experience.

"Obviously, how that ended, that was not a fun time, not how I wanted to go out on my career," he said. "It was pretty grinding on all of us that year."

Of the Sun Devils' surge this year, he said, "I thought they played extremely well. I was happy to see them have that success."

While there's just a bit of coyness when Erickson is asked if he'd want to run his own program again as a head coach, he seems excited with the idea of getting to be an assistant who obsesses only about schemes and game plans and not all the cumbersome administrative burdens a head coach deals with.

"This is the perfect fit for me right now," he said. "We've got a really good chance to be successful here."

Our countdown of the top 25 players in 2012 continues.

You can see our preseason top 25 here.

No. 9: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

2012 numbers: He totaled 42 tackles (25 solo) and also notched 10 tackles for a loss, five sacks, forced three fumbles and recovered four of them. He also broke up four passes.

Preseason ranking: No. 2

Making the case for Lotulelei: Utah's All-America defensive tackle (Associated Press, Walter Camp) is projected by many to be a top-10 pick in this year's NFL draft. A dominant force in the middle, Lotulelei actually improved on his numbers in sacks and tackles for a loss from the previous season despite facing more double- and triple-teams. He helped the Utes boast the No. 2 rushing defense in the Pac-12, yielding 128.2 yards on the ground per game. He dips a bit from his preseason ranking, however, because he's the headliner on a Utah defense that, as a whole slipped, from last season (No. 1 in the league last year, yielding 20.2 points per game to No. 7 in 2012, allowing 25.1). But as an individual talent, he's clearly deserving of a spot in the top 10 and will make an NFL defensive coordinator very, very happy.

No. 10: Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State
No. 11: Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
No. 12: Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
No. 13: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
No. 14: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
No. 15: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
No. 16: Trent Murphy, OLB, Stanford
No. 17: Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford
No. 18: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
No. 19: David Yankey, OL, Stanford
No. 20: Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
No. 21: Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State
No. 22: Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford
No. 23: Michael Clay, LB, Oregon
No. 24: Taylor Kelly, QB, Arizona State
No. 25: Reggie Dunn, KR, Utah

Utah signed 23 players on Wednesday, including five defensive linemen and four running backs.

Nine were defensive players and three were listed as quarterbacks.

You can view the official list here.

And here's the list from ESPN recruiting.

The Utes signed five defensive linemen, including three DTs. They also signed four running backs.

ESPN RecruitingNation has signing day covered. Follow ESPNU’s coverage, chat with analysts and get breaking news on our Signing Day Live page beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET through 7 p.m. ET. For more on what to expect on signing day, check out the Pac-12 conference breakdown .

Bold prediction for the Pac-12: UCLA is in a position to shock the conference and perhaps the country on signing day. Already in possession of a top-12 class, the Bruins have a chance to close with a bang, as UCLA is in a good position with ESPN 150 prospects Eddie Vanderdoes, Isaac Savaiinaea and Asiantii Woulard. If all goes well in Westwood on signing day, Jim Mora could finish the day with a top-five recruiting class.

Arizona
Biggest need: Linebacker. Arizona’s defense is in need of some immediate help in all three levels, but the Wildcats will add some serious depth at linebacker with five commitments at the position.
Biggest recruit: QB Jesse Scroggins. A case could be made for either quarterback commitment -- Anu Solomon is the other -- but with Scroggins’ experience at USC and his status as an early enrollee, he could have an advantage when it comes to battling for the vacated starting quarterback spot.

Arizona State
Biggest need: Secondary. Arizona State is set to add plenty of help at the offensive skill positions, but the Sun Devils needed to add depth on the defensive side of the ball, and they did so. Safeties James Johnson and Jayme Otomewo are strong additions, as are cornerbacks Damarious Randall and Will Earley.
Biggest recruit: DT Marcus Hardison. Getting defensive tackle Will Sutton back for another year was a big win for Arizona State’s defense. Getting the No. 5 junior college player in Hardison, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive tackle who can help Sutton inside this year, is another big win.

California
Biggest need: Offensive line. With head coach Sonny Dykes and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, Cal is looking to take off offensively, but that can’t happen without a dominant front. Six offensive line commitments, including four-star tackles Aaron Cochran and Erik Bunte, are a good way to continue building up front.
Biggest recruit: OT Aaron Cochran. This is true figuratively and literally. Cochran, at 6-foot-8 and 364 pounds, is an important recruit for Cal, as the offensive tackle plays a position of need. He is the younger brother of Cal lineman Matt Cochran. Honorable mention here to Cameron Hunt, who committed to Cal last summer but opened his recruitment after the coaching change and now appears to be headed to Oregon.

Colorado
Biggest need: Offensive line. The Buffaloes need help everywhere, but solidifying the offensive line is step one for the new regime. Colorado holds commitments from five offensive linemen as it looks to take a step forward in the Pac-12.
Biggest recruit: QB Sefo Liufau. While building along the lines is important, Colorado needs to add playmakers at every position, and Liufau is definitely that at quarterback. He understands and appreciates the challenge at Colorado and is the kind of player the Buffs need to bring in and build around.

Oregon
Biggest need: Running back. While the Ducks have been blessed with an embarrassment of riches at tailback, it’s important that they continue to stock the cupboard in order to keep finding those gems and running the blur offense. Three tailbacks were a possibility in this class, as there will be an opportunity for playing time.
Biggest recruit: RB Thomas Tyner. This was big on two fronts as Tyner has an opportunity to contribute as a freshman, and the Ducks were able to keep Oregon’s top recruit from leaving the state. Tyner’s commitment became even more important when Dontre Wilson flipped from Oregon to Ohio State on Monday.

Oregon State
Biggest need: Defensive line. The Beavers looked to get bigger and better up front and did so in a big way. Six defensive linemen are headed to Corvallis, including four junior college defensive tackles capable of playing as soon as they arrive on campus.
Biggest recruit: CB Dashon Hunt. Oregon State needed to add talent in the secondary as well and Hunt -- the Beavers’ lone ESPN 300 commitment -- will help there. Hunt’s commitment also helped Oregon State continue its presence in Southern California, which it recruited extremely well with this class.

Stanford
Biggest need: Wide receiver. The Cardinal needed to add receiving threats in this class, and adding wide receivers Francis Owusu and Taijuan Thomas did that. Of course, at Stanford, no position poses more of an offensive threat than tight end, and the Cardinal have commitments from three high school standouts who will suit up there.
Biggest recruit: WR Jordan Cunningham. As the Cardinal continue to hunt for pass-catchers in this class, snagging Cunningham -- an ESPN 150 wide receiver -- on signing day would nicely cap an undermanned but still impressive recruiting class. It would also carry over Stanford’s terrific signing-day success from last year.

UCLA
Biggest need: Offensive line. While it might not be the most immediate need for the roster, the UCLA coaches saw a need to infuse the offensive line with young talent and they went out and did just that. There are offensive line recruits, including two ESPN 300 prospects and a third four-star lineman.
Biggest recruit: DT Eddie Vanderdoes. The country’s top defensive tackle will announce at 5 p.m. PT and the Bruins are thought to be in good position. Landing Vanderdoes -- a former USC commitment -- would be another positive sign for the Bruins in their quest to tip the rivalry in their favor.

USC
Biggest need: Secondary. The Trojans have been shaky in the secondary for several years now and are in need of players capable of adding depth and perhaps playing as freshmen. Signing day could offer a disappointment if cornerback Jalen Ramsey goes elsewhere, but the early enrollee group of safeties Su’a Cravens and Leon McQuay and cornerback Chris Hawkins, gives the Trojans three players capable of stepping in and offering a solution to the pass defense troubles.
Biggest recruit: S Su’a Cravens. USC is set to add plenty of impact players in this recruiting class, but landing Cravens as an early enrollee was huge. A local player who plays a position of need and has the talent to make an impact as a freshman, Cravens was as close to a must-get recruit as the Trojans had in this class.

Utah
Biggest need: Running back. With John White finished at Utah, the Utes have just one player returning in 2013 who logged more than 25 carries last season. While there are several tailbacks on the roster, Utah looked to add talent at the tailback position in this class and did so with four commitments from running backs, including junior college back Devontae Booker.
Biggest recruit: DT Lowell Lotulelei. There is no guarantee that the defensive tackle will turn into his older brother, Star Lotulelei, a likely top-five pick in the upcoming NFL draft. But getting a commitment from Lowell Lotulelei was arguably the most important piece of Utah’s recruiting puzzle. The four-star defensive tackle is Utah’s top-ranked commitment and will look to take over where his brother left off.

Washington
Biggest need: Offensive line. The Huskies hoped to find several big bodies to position as the future of the offensive line in this class and have commitments from three high school linemen, including four-star center Dane Crane. While the Huskies lost a commitment from Sean Harlow, who flipped to Oregon State, they could make up for it in a big way by grabbing ESPN 300 tackle Nico Falah away from USC on signing day.
Biggest recruit: WR Damore’ea Stringfellow. The highest-ranked player in the class, the ESPN 150 wide receiver is a playmaker capable of providing an immediate spark for Washington’s offense. He also gives the Huskies a big recruiting win in Southern California, as he was sought after by UCLA and USC.

Washington State
Biggest need: Offensive line. While much of the attention with Mike Leach’s offense goes to the offensive skill players, it can’t take off without an effective offensive line. Six offensive linemen, including junior college tackle Jacob Seydel, are headed to Pullman in this class.
Biggest recruit: QB Tyler Bruggman. The Cougars won a big recruiting battle for Bruggman, as they were able to pull him away from hometown Arizona State. He was someone Washington State targeted early on as a player who could fit into and succeed in the offense.

We've been handing out individual grades to each team with our 2012 team-by-team season review. But on the whole, what grade does the Pac-12 get? That's the question your bloggers are tackling this week.

Ted Miller: The Pac-12's 2012 season gets a B-minus.

There were some positives and some negatives. The poor showing in the bowl games, however, did significant damage. The conference was favored in seven of eight bowls and went just 4-4.

That led to just three Pac-12 teams ending up in the final top-25 rankings. Instead of showcasing the depth that had typified most of the season, the Pac-12 ended up looking top-heavy.

The good news is two top-seven teams, with Oregon finishing No. 2 in both polls and Stanford finishing seventh and sixth (Associated Press and coaches' polls, respectively). Both won BCS bowl games. Despite USC's epic and widely mocked collapse as the first preseason No. 1 to lose six games, the Pac-12 remained relevant nationally.

The Pac-12 was 21-14 versus FBS competition this year, including an 8-8 mark vs. other AQ conferences. Best victories? Oregon over then-No. 5 Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl, Arizona over Oklahoma State, Oregon State and Stanford over Wisconsin and UCLA over Nebraska. Stanford's win over San Jose State certainly looked much better by season's end, too.

The conference had a strong position in the debate versus the Big 12 for second best league. It moved solidly in front of the Big Ten and ACC along those lines.

But there's a lot of what-could-have-been had the end of the regular season and bowls gone differently. Arizona, UCLA and Washington were in position to join Oregon, Stanford and Oregon State in the final polls if they'd taken care of business. The Wildcats and Huskies both lost rivalry games as favorites -- the Huskies as a substantial favorite over Washington State. UCLA imploded in the Holiday Bowl against Baylor, while Washington yielded a last-second field goal to Boise State, which killed an impressive MAACO Bowl comeback.

Five or six ranked teams along with two in the top seven would have made a strong statement nationally, one that would have carried over to the 2013 preseason ranking. While folks often say it's not where you start, it's where you finish, college football followers know that the former tends to help the latter.

So it was a pretty good season for the Pac-12. It just could have been much better.

Kevin Gemmell: There's really only one way to describe the Pac-12 on the whole this year: inconsistent. It was so top-heavy with Stanford and Oregon, so bottom-light with Colorado and Washington State, and just a glob of good, bad and what-the-heck-was-that? jammed in between.

So grading the overall season creates some challenges. You'd like to give an A to the conference for winning two BCS bowl games. Not unlike the NCAA tournament, this is where conference reputations are earned. And the fact that only the SEC and Pac-12 had multiple teams ranked in the final top 10 is impressive. But it could have been so much better.

As Ted notes, losing four bowl games -- when the conference was favored in seven of eight -- is a blight on the season. And I'm going to ding the conference a little harder for that and hand out a C-plus overall.

The expectations for the Pac-12 as a whole were much higher than where it actually finished. Stanford picked up the slack by exceeding expectations, so big snaps to the Cardinal for its second BCS bowl victory in three seasons. But no team in the history of college football disappointed liked USC. Three losses would have been a bummer of a season for the Trojans. Six is inexcusable.

Much like a driver's test, I started with a perfect score of 100 and deducted points along the way as I went through the season in my head.

• Failing to win a national championship despite having two teams ranked No. 1 early and later in the season: minus-5 (95 total)
• The preseason No. 1 lost six games for the first time since the history of history: minus-5 (90).
• The league lost three bowl games in which its teams were favored, including two against the Big 12 (the window has passed for the Cody Vaz just got sacked again jokes): minus-5 (85).
• A conference member lost to an FCS team: minus-5 (80).
• No Heisman Trophy finalists (though there should have been): minus-2 (78, final grade).

Ted has talked about as many as eight Pac-12 teams being ranked to start the 2013 season. Of course, I'd like to see that -- but I don't believe it will happen. Because the national perception of the league right now is that it's Stanford and Oregon -- and then a stew of teams with an abundance of question marks. And people are right to think that way given what happened in the postseason. Besides the BCS wins (again, very, very good), the other two victories were a blowout over an independent service academy and a miracle against a Mountain West team. Don't get me wrong, I loved Arizona's win. But the Cats certainly didn't leave people thinking the middle of the Pac-12 is a force to be reckoned with.

Utah saw its nine-year bowl stretch come to an end. Washington State was one bad storyline after another and poor Colorado, bless 'em for the effort, just looked lost. There were too many gags and gaffes along the way to merit anything better than slightly above average when looking at the league on the whole.

Before we focus forward, we're going to look back with team-by-team season reviews.

We continue in reverse alphabetical order.

UTAH

Grade: C-minus

MVP: DT Star Lotulelei was the only Utah position player to earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He ranked sixth on the team with 42 tackles and led the Utes with 10 tackles for a loss. He also had five sacks, four batted down passes, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.

What went right: A season is never a total wash when you beat your top rival, as the Utes did BYU -- an odd and thrilling 24-21 victory that served as a salve for the loss to Utah State the previous week. The Utes three conference wins came over California, Washington State and Colorado, so they didn't blow a game against an inferior team. There were hints that true freshman Travis Wilson has the makings of a top-flight QB. Reggie Dunn was sensational as a kick returner, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He set the NCAA single-season record with four 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns, which also gave him the career mark with five.

What went wrong: In the preseason, the Utes looked like the No. 2 team in the South Divisions behind USC, meaning looks were deceiving for more than just the Trojans. Utah, which finished 5-7 overall and 3-6 in the conference, didn't go to a bowl game for the first time since 2002, so year two in the Pac-12 was a bummer. The loss at Utah State in Week 2 felt like a major upset, but the Aggies finished 11-2 and ranked 16th. Most important detail of that game: QB Jordan Wynn was lost for the season to a shoulder injury that would end his career. After the BYU win, things mostly went downhill from there, starting with the 37-7 unmasking at Arizona State in the Pac-12 opener that seemed to set a negative trajectory for the season. After an 0-4 start in conference play for a second consecutive year, the Utes bounced back with consecutive wins. But double-digit losses to Washington and Arizona ended bowl hopes. There were problems on both sides of the ball, and -- other than Dunn -- the special teams weren't exactly great either. The Utes ranked eighth in the conference in scoring offense and 11th in total offense. They were ninth in rushing offense, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry, and last in passing offense. The defense was surprisingly mediocre, ranking seventh in the conference in scoring (25.1).

2013 Outlook: The Utes welcome back 12 position player starters, but have significant issues on both lines. They lose three starters from their offensive line, including left tackle Sam Brenner, who earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors. They lose three starters from the defensive line, including Lotulelei, an almost certain top-10 NFL draft pick. They also lose RB John White and WR DeVonte Christopher, who both had disappointing senior seasons. Is backup RB Kelvin York ready to be The Man? And will Wilson take a step forward in his second year as a starter? Will the underwhelming linebackers improve, even with the loss of their protection up front? Further, the schedule, though it includes seven home games, ramps up in difficulty. After missing Oregon and Stanford their first two Pac-12 seasons, they get both North Division powers this fall. Getting back to a bowl game will be a challenge.