ESPN College Football

Alright, Mr. Smart Reporter, showing off. You figured how to work the Google on the internet machine.

• According to reports, the Wildcats picked up a running back commit.
• Very cool story from Doug Haller, who sat down and watched some highlights with Marion Grice.
• Cal's coordinators are signed through 2015.
• Colorado looking for the right fit at tight end to replace Nick Kasa.
• De'Anthony Thomas, among other Ducks, is headed to the NCAA track prelims.
• A look at what Markus Wheaton brings to the Steelers.
• Are Stanford fans fearing a letdown in 2013?
• UCLA is No. 31 in Phil Steele's countdown.
• An interesting piece about the Kiffin brothers.
• A schedule analysis for Utah in 2013.
• Is Desmond Trufant part of Atlanta's next dynamic duo at corner?
• Marquess Wilson might prove to be a good fit for da' Bears.

There should be no joy when a college football player shows "poor academic judgment," as Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson described his turn of misfortune, thereby earning a suspension that ended his 2013 season before it began.

So stop smiling, particularly you guys in Tempe, Los Angeles and Palo Alto.

Seriously, that's not terribly charitable.

In any event, Golson's academic pratfall dramatically changes the complexion of the three Pac-12 games with Notre Dame this season: Arizona State in Cowboys Stadium on Oct. 5, USC on Oct. 19 and at Stanford on November 30.

While Golson was inconsistent as a redshirt freshman starter last fall, he still was good enough to lead his team to an undefeated season and a berth in the national title game. Word this spring was he looked more in command and greatly improved, which makes sense for a second-year starter. It's not unreasonable to believe the big-armed, speedy dual-threat QB would have been more of a dual threat this fall, perhaps significantly more, a guy who well fit what coach Brian Kelly wants to do on offense.

There is no way to sugarcoat it: Notre Dame just got worse. And that benefits the Irish's opponents.

With Golson back, one could overlook obvious issues for an offense that only finished 78th in the nation in scoring last year. Now, not so much. As ESPN.com's Matt Fortuna pointed out, this offense "features two new starting linemen, is down its top two running backs from last year, and has no sure answer to replace record-setter Tyler Eifert at tight end."

So the Irish are going to -- again -- lean heavily on their defense. Arizona State, USC and Stanford each have offenses that, at least in terms of potential, can more than match up with what should again be a good Notre Dame defense. And all three should have an advantage when their defense squares up with the new-look Irish offense, particularly Stanford.

With Golson gone, the most obvious answer is experienced senior Tommy Rees. He has 18 career starts and has played well at times, but he's far from big armed and he doesn't have the running ability Golson has. Life gets much easier for a defense when the opposing QB isn't a substantial run threat.

While it's unseemly to leap into the air and click your heels together over a foe's misfortune, it is fair to say that Todd Graham, Lane Kiffin and David Shaw didn't have their Memorial Day weekend ruined by this news.

When Khairi Fortt departed Penn State and came to Cal before the start of the 2012 season, he knew he was entering two different worlds. One off the field. One on it.

Berkeley, Calif., is unlike anywhere else in the country. Pac-12 football is unlike any other brand of football in the country.

"Culture shock," Fortt said. "Definitely some culture shock. I'm used to it now."

He has acclimated himself to Berkeley. That took a while.

"Everyone is such a free spirit," he said.

And he has adjusted his game to better fit the Pac-12.

"Fast," he said. "There is so much speed. The Big Ten is not slow or anything. But this is a different type of fast. The pace of the game is faster -- almost more of a finesse game. It's a lot more running than hitting. In the Big Ten, if you're a linebacker, you are smashing into fullbacks. In this league you have to be able to play man-to-man coverage on some of these quick receivers. I like it a lot. I've got some speed too and I get to show it off.

"Even on defense. It's a faster pace. There's not as much time for hitting because everyone is flying around."

Good thing for Fortt -- and the Bears -- he knows what they are looking to do on defense under new coach Sonny Dykes and defensive coordinator Andy Buh. The Bears are transitioning to a 4-3 front, something Fortt is very familiar with having played linebacker at Penn State. After missing all of last season following knee surgery, he's ready to finally make an impact on this football team.

"My teammates were great and they welcomed me with open arms," he said. "Now it's time to get on the field and start helping them win some games. This summer is going to be a grind. But it's going to be essential for us to work hard. We can't wait to get the season started."

Fortt appeared in nine games for Penn State in 2010 -- one of only seven true freshmen to see action. The next year he appeared in every game, but still wasn't contributing as much as he would have liked. So even before the NCAA handed down its harsh punishments on the program, Fortt was looking to make a move.

Now with a surgically repaired knee and a thirst to get back on the field, he's in line for a starting job as one of Cal's outside linebackers.

"He showed some flashes this spring," said Dykes. "He made some impactful plays. He needs to be more consistent. There were times he was either real good or just OK. He needs to be more solid. That's what I took from him coming out of spring. He's got a good football sense and he's very physical at the point of attack. He gets off blocks well."

Fortt, who hails from Stamford, Conn., has been rooming with fellow linebacker Nick Forbes (Frederick, Md.). The two knew each other from high school all-star games, which made it easier for Fortt to settle on Cal -- one of many schools that contacted him.

"That really made it easier already knowing Nick," Fortt said. "He and I have a dry-erase board and we're always drawing up plays and formations.

"... I think [Buh] understands the athleticism he has with this defense. It's almost like a hybrid defense. There's a little bit of zone, but a lot of times I'm playing man-to-man because of the trust he has in us being an athletic group. We can keep teams guessing because we're good enough to play man or zone."

Because of his injury, Fortt never had the chance to play in the odd-front scheme of former Cal defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, who is now directing the defense at USC. And while Dykes acknowledges there is some transition that goes with changing defensive philosophies, it's still football.

"I don't think it's that big of a transition as people make it out to be," Dykes said. "Sometimes the style is a little different. Sometimes an odd front is more attacking and always adjusting. A 4-3 is a little simpler to make adjustments off of. It's a different school of thought, but from a technical standpoint there's really not that big of a difference. You still have to cover the A-gap."

One good thing for Oregon heading into the offseason is it still looks a lot like the Ducks under former coach Chip Kelly.

The Pac-12 blog is off today.

Here's hoping you guys also are off and are spending Memorial Day with your families. Please take a moment to remember what it's all about.

See you Tuesday, bright and early.

Welcome to the mailbag. Can we get you something to drink?

Follow the Pac-12 blog on Twitter.

To the notes!

John from Portland writes: Ted, you said in an article you recently wrote that Oregon's athletic department is "notoriously tardy with releasing information to the media." Are you an expert on legal proceedings? Are you qualified to comment on a school being "tardy" when it comes to releasing information to the media? Is Oregon obligated to release information on an NCAA-sanctioned investigation to the media within a certain time frame before the supposed delay can be dubbed "notorious?" It seems like you are just bitter that Oregon hasn't provided you with the information you want to write a juicy story on the investigation. You should probably let the legal system, which you obviously don't care to understand the working of, do its thing without talking trash about the University involved.

Ted Miller: Let's take this one on in an organized fashion.

• Are you an expert on legal proceedings? No. But this isn't a legal proceeding. It's an NCAA matter. But I do understand the applicable laws.
• Are you qualified to comment on a school being "tardy" when it comes to releasing information to the media? Yes.

The University of Oregon is obligated to release information to the media due to something that is really neat. It's called open records laws!

Oregon's public records law: “Every person has a right to inspect any public record of a public body in this state, except as otherwise expressly provided."

Ah, but Oregon has become notorious for trying to obstruct the media through the years, in large part because former school general counsel, Melinda Grier, apparently made it policy. The seeming philosophy was that the media can make records request, and Oregon eventually would have to fulfill them, but Oregon's disingenuously adopted gray area was their understanding of "eventually."

Thus the seeming random dumps of documents to reporters in regards to the NCAA's investigation of the Ducks football program and Willie Lyles.

What was the loophole in the case of Oregon not releasing in a timely fashion its notice of allegations, which it received on Dec. 5? Well, according to Rob Moseley of the Eugene Register-Guard, who first obtained the documents, it was a matter of nitpicking dates on Freedom of Information requests.

When it was reported on Dec. 19 by Yahoo! that Oregon's attempts to obtain summary disposition had failed, reporters thought to date their request for the notice of allegations from that day. Moseley also was told by Oregon officials that the documents would be provided as soon as they were available because there were so many requests.

It was only when Oregon promptly released its failed summary disposition document from Oct. 30 on April 15 that Moseley and his boss had a Eureka! moment and decided to backdate their request to Oct. 30. Still took a month for Oregon to respond.

By the way, this is not about an athletic department or football program making its own rules. Athletic director Rob Mullens is an open guy and a straight shooter. This is entirely an upper-campus decision.

Bitter? No. But I do think it's legitimate to question whether a taxpayer-supported institution of higher learning should try to tiptoe around transparency laws and look for loopholes. It seems to me that a taxpayer-supported institution of higher learning should have higher aspirations than a "because we can" justification. You might feel differently.

As for the "juicy" part of this story, that was supplied when Chip Kelly didn't tell Lyles to get lost the first time they crossed paths.

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Paul from San Antonio writes: In your opinion: Lane Kiffin goes 8-4; beating UCLA but losing to ND.- Does Lane start looking to sell his house? Mike Leach goes 3-9; losing most conference games but again beating Washington- Does he go on the hot seat? Colorado goes 1-11, only beating an FCS team.- Is Mike MacIntyre on the hot seat? Utah again goes 3-6 in Pac 12 play and loses to BYU- Is Kyle Whittingham, despite his tenure, on the hotseat? Oregon State beats Oregon and wins the Pac 12- Will OSU's national image start to beat out Oregon?

Ted Miller: Paul is cheating, asking a bunch of questions in one note.

You might be thinking of two different things -- hot seat versus fired. Just about every major conference coach is on the hot seat after a bad season. That's just how things are. Recall that Oregon State coach Mike Riley was supposedly on the hot seat entering the 2012 season, despite all he's accomplished in Corvallis. Now folks love him again.

First, Kiffin. USC plays 13 games, so 8-4 isn't possible. I think 9-4 with a win against UCLA and a bowl win keeps Kiffin safe, especially if the season progresses with none of the odd-ball controversies -- coaches votes! secret jersey changes! deflating balls! -- of last year.

Leach: If Leach again goes 3-9, he will be on the hot seat in 2014. He's getting paid a lot of money to not go 3-9. But I doubt the Cougars go 3-9.

A 1-11 record would do MacIntyre no favors as he tries to win over Buffaloes fans, but it's difficult to put a first-year coach on the hot seat. Of course, if he goes 1-11 in Year 2, as his predecessor Jon Embree did, his footing wouldn't be firm.

Whittingham has earned some leeway. While another bowl-less season and 3-6 Pac-12 finish would have more than a few Utes fans grumbling, I think only a complete disaster would prevent him from coming back in 2014.

And if Oregon State beats Oregon and wins the Pac-12, of course it would take a step forward in the national picture. But the Ducks' surge is not a one-year wonder. The Beavers can't just win one Civil War every six years.

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Eric from Lafayette, La., writes: If the SEC is not going to win the title for the eighth strait time, who will? I was raised in an Olemiss house and attended UL Lafayette but my guess would be Alabama, A&M, LSU, UGA in that order.

Ted Miller: My best guesses for a team to end the SEC's run are Ohio State, Oregon or Stanford.

Another possibility is the SEC champion losing two games, which might be enough to knock it out of the BCS championship game race.

As for the SEC, I like either Alabama or Georgia to play for the conference's eighth title in a row.

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James from Salt Lake City writes: The Utes have brutal stretch in the middle of the season as you outlined earlier this week? Any hope for my team to go bowling this year?

Ted Miller: Always hope!

The first key is going 3-0 in the nonconference slate, which would include another win against BYU. If we then can count on the Utes beating Colorado at home to end the season, that gives them four wins.

Where might the other two come from?

First, can the Utes notch a home upset against Oregon State, UCLA, Stanford, Arizona State or Oregon? That seems plausible, but Utes fans will get a nice taste of the Pac-12 at home this year, a far more formidable slate than what they've seen in Salt Lake the previous two seasons.

Second, can the Utes win at either Arizona or Washington State? Or both, if they can't get the home upset.

That would get Utah to six wins. I'd rate their chances as decent to get that done.

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Nor-Cal Scott from St Helena, Calif., writes: Uncle Ted, I realize that Cal has a difficult schedule, but what do you think of Cal's chances of going 6-6 this season? Coach Dykes high flying offense should put points on the board with "Kindergoff" at QB and solid WR's Treggs, Harper, Powe, Bouza, Rodgers & newcomer Lawler. And don't forget Bigelow at RB.

Ted Miller: California has talent, but it also has a schedule that provides only one sure win: Portland State.

As far as other games in which the Bears should be favored, there are three: home against Washington State and Arizona, and at Colorado.

That's four wins (hypothetically).

So can the Bears upset two other foes from a list of: Northwestern, Ohio State, at Oregon, at UCLA, at Washington, USC and at Stanford?

Maybe. The key to me is finding an extra win in the nonconference slate. That would bolster confidence early in the season and win the locker room over to Dykes. And the Bears did go nose-to-nose with the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe last year, so there should be no fear about taking on the best of the Big Ten.

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Brian from Portland writes: The last time we spoke you enlightened me with the I.D.I.O.T. model. As in "Incoming Dude Is Obviously Transcendent". And you were also very much opposed to the notion of a hypothetical question, mainly because Chip Kelly had soured those for you. BUT Chip is gone! So can we try again?! Kiper has Mariota as one player that can rise quickly up the draft board with a season comparable to his first campaign behind the wheel of the green and yellow race car. I've always thought Mariota was better than the likes of Johnny Football and Touchdown Teddy Bridgewater mainly because of his blend of size, speed, mechanics, and overall unflappability. My question to you is simple.. Hypothetically.. If Saint Marc has another spectacular season this year, how high up the board do you think he'll go?

Ted Miller: Jadeveon Clowney is going to be the No. 1 pick. Period.

If Mariota has a big season -- as in Heisman-worthy -- he could go No. 2.

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Peter from Tempe, Ariz., writes: What's your way-too-early prediction for the matchup between ASU and Stanford, particularly between ASU's defense and Stanford's O-line? It's been a couple years since they've played so I for one am very excited. Could be a potential rematch later in the year.

Ted Miller: It could set up for a potential rematch in the Pac-12 title game, but I presently favor Stanford, particularly at home.

Arizona State has an interesting defense. It's quick but undersized, but it has some incoming players who should boost its bulk. The 2012 Sun Devils struggled defending the run, ranking 10th in the Pac-12 while surrendering 182.8 yards rushing per game. They also are replacing weakside linebacker and leading tackler Brandon Magee.

I think Stanford potentially has the best offensive line in the nation.

So I'd rate that an advantage for the Cardinal.

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Richard from Birmingham writes: OK, I have made up my mind about you. You are a bald faced liar and use lies and deception to boost your articles. USC didn't win the 2003 Coaches' Poll and two thirds of a NC. That is just a blatant lie and done for the sole purpose of distorting the actual truth.

Ted Miller: Richard is worked up about this article.

Specifically this:

2. USC wins "real" national title: In 2003, USC was No. 1 in the AP and Coaches polls at season's end. If you had eyes and knew anything about football, it was clear the Trojans were the nation's most-talented team on both sides of the football, a notion that was reinforced the following season. Two teams picked by computers played in New Orleans -- most folks outside of Louisiana don't even remember who -- and that forced the Trojans to settle for three-fourths of a national title after dominating Michigan 28-14.

The incontrovertible truth is USC did win, to use Richard's fraction, "two-thirds" of the national title: It was named national champion after the 2003 season by the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America.

I used "three-fourths" because I included public opinion.

In fact, voters in the coaches poll, which solidly ranked USC No. 1 at the end of the regular season, were required to vote the winner of the BCS game No. 1. It was like a North Korean election. Three coaches were brave enough rebel and vote their conscience. They might have been sent to a BCS gulag afterwards.

No need to apologize, Richard, for calling me a hurtful name, you big meanie.

---

Homer from Homerville writes: Why must you always bad mouth my team and side with our arch rival?

Ted Miller: Because your team is affiliated with the Devil and your arch-rival stands for all that is right and good.

On Wednesday, we provided you with our worst five Pac-12 BCS moments.

Here's what we wrote (our polls can only included five choices, so if you think Oregon losing the Rose Bowl to Ohio State after the 2009 season, go with "other").

1. Just one BCS national title, lots of frustration: No conference has more legitimate gripes with the BCS system than the Pac-12. Multiple seasons saw the conference have teams skipped over, most notably Oregon in 2001 and USC in 2003 and 2008. And ask California fans about how Texas coach Mack Brown gamed the system in 2004, preventing the Bears from playing in the Rose Bowl.

2. USC's three-peat gets Vince Younged: It's difficult to look at Texas' epic 41-38 win over USC as anything but great college football art -- perhaps the all-time greatest game -- but Trojans fans don't feel that way. The loss prevented USC from claiming three consecutive national titles and, of course, a second BCS crown for the Pac-10/12.

3. Oregon falls short versus Auburn: Oregon looked like a great team and Auburn a team with two great players before the BCS title game after the 2010 season. The Ducks chose a bad time to play one of their worst games of the season, but they still nearly prevailed before being undone by a dramatic game-winning drive from the Tigers.

4. Make a field goal, Stanford: Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson missed three field goals, including a certain game winner from 35 yards on the last play of regulation, in the Cardinal's 41-38 loss to No. 3 Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2011 season. Williamson also missed from 43 yards in overtime, which set the Cowboys up for the win. Stanford dominated the game, outgaining the Cowboys 590 yards to 412, with a 243-13 edge in rushing.

So what's your take?

Happy Friday.

• An ex-Arizona star is in a bit of trouble.
• Arizona State coach Todd Graham feels prepared for the Sun Devils' tough schedule.
• A California recruiting update.
• Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre's son is a top recruit who may end up a Buff.
• Oregon announces some future games with FCS schools. Yay.
• A post-spring Q&A on Oregon State.
• Andrew Luck is comfortable.
• UCLA OLB Anthony Barr leads a strong crew of Pac-12 linebackers.
• USC athletic director Pat Haden on the school's lease of the L.A. Coliseum.
• Former Utah DT Star Lotulelei has signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers.
• Former Washington QB Jake Locker is coming back from an injury for the Tennessee Titans. Bud Withers on Austin Seferian-Jenkins and his DUI arrest.
• Offensive lineman Jake Rodgers explains why he left Washington State.
• Jon Wilner projects the Pac-12 North and South Division races.

All schedules are not created equal. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw and sometimes it's soft -- or hard -- nonconference scheduling.

And sometimes there are less tangible factors, such as bye weeks and fan expectations.

So who's got the toughest go this fall in the Pac-12? Here are two takes.

Kevin Gemmell: If you want to go by just the raw data, then California and Colorado share the "toughest" schedule based on the combined records of last year's opponents. The 2013 schedule for both teams includes teams that had a .588 winning percentage last year (Utah is close behind with its opponents' combined winning percentage at .584). Of course, that's only a starting point and nowhere near empirical.

ASU's early slate is rough and Stanford's late slate is brutal. Team for team, I think Stanford has the toughest go.

However...

I think things might be tougher for Oregon State by virtue of the way the schedule plays out. This is something that is beyond the control of the players -- but the way the schedule sets up, it's going to take a great deal of maturity and level-headedness to navigate the 2013 docket.

When you look at their first seven games, they only face one FBS team that had a winning record last year -- and that's San Diego State at Qualcomm. The Aztecs have gone on a nice little run the past few years -- qualifying for three straight bowl games for the first time in school history -- so they might push back. Still, the Beavers should win against Eastern Washington, Hawaii, Utah, Colorado, Washington State and Cal. None of those are guaranteed wins, but you have to figure the Beavers will be the favorite in all seven.

Then things switch into a whole other gear down the stretch. They host Stanford and USC in consecutive weeks, then a bye, and two of their final three are on the road at Arizona State, home to Washington and then at Oregon to close out the season. The Beavers went 1-3 against those teams last year, with the only win coming against Arizona State (they didn't play USC). They go from facing five or six teams that will be hovering sub .500 to five straight against the top teams in the league.

If ever there was a time to harness the clichéd one-game-at-a-time-mentality, this is it. Oregon State will likely start in the preseason Top 25. Let's say anywhere from 15-20. As they keep winning, they will climb as others around them lose games. By the time they reach Stanford on Oct. 26, it's likely they'll be a top-10 team if they take care of business. Will they truly be one of the best 10 teams in the country though? We really won't know.

The saving grace of this stretch is they get Stanford, USC and Washington all at home. Though Oregon State is only 5-12 all-time against USC in Corvallis, they've won the past three at home against USC and the Huskies. Stanford topped OSU at Reser in 2011. They last won in Tempe in 2009 and Eugene in 2007.

The biggest issue for the Beavers is understanding that -- if they do jump out to a 7-0 start -- that record won't have the same gusto as it did last year when they beat Wisconsin at home and won on the road at UCLA, Arizona and BYU. I believe the Beavers to be a very good team. But if they buy too much into the early hype, 7-0 could quickly end up 7-5.

Ted Miller: I really like Kevin's nuanced response on this. Oregon State doesn't have the Pac-12's toughest schedule, but the combination of how it's put together as well as the Beavers expectations for the season -- a Top 25 finish -- make it dangerous. There will be no way for fans to feel good if the Beavers start 7-0 and then go, say, 1-4 down the stretch, even if 8-4 is a respectable finish.

As for which Pac-12 team has the toughest schedule, there's an easy answer: California. The Bears play three teams that will be ranked in the preseason top 10 -- probably the top five -- in Ohio State, Oregon and Stanford. They also play five other teams that will be widely viewed as having Top 25 potential: Northwestern, UCLA, Oregon State, Washington and USC.

Yet, I'm going with Stanford because I want to embrace nuance!

Stanford's schedule is rugged, particularly at the end, when the Cardinal play Oregon, USC, rival California and Notre Dame over the final four weeks. But it's more than that.

Stanford coach David Shaw -- wisely -- says that the Cardinal have the same goal every year: Win the conference, go to the Rose Bowl. "Because that's the only thing we can control," he says. What he's intimating is the process of picking the teams to play for the national title -- at present and in the future four-team playoff -- includes a subjective element.

But, really, Stanford's goal this season is simple: Perfection. And, falling short of that, the Cardinal would settle for a national title.

This team has the talent to not only play for the final BCS title, but to beat the SEC -- let's be certain that's half of the championship tilt -- at its own game: Defense.

Yet the challenges are abundant. For one, there's seven teams with Top 25 potential. Second, there's that useless Week 1 bye. Third, Stanford plays Arizona State, UCLA, USC and Utah in South Division cross-over games, missing Arizona and Colorado. That's hardly ideal. North Division rival Oregon misses Arizona State and USC. That is ideal.

(I won't even mention the seeming obsession of some vocal Stanford fans for their "weekenders" against the Southern California teams, which thereby gives the Northwest schools an automatic advantage in the division race. Folks, you should ask your coach what he thinks about Stanford playing USC and UCLA every year).

Stanford's foes, according to Kevin's data, had a .575 winning percentage in 2012. That's slightly below the numbers for Cal, Colorado and Utah, but those three teams have a far bigger margin for error. They each just want to get back to a bowl game.

Stanford is only playing for THE BOWL GAME.

Erik McKinney and Phil Murphy recap Keller Chryst's performance at the San Francisco Elite 11 and break down the impact of Adoree' Jackson's track career on his football decision. And how would Cal recruiting success affect the Pac-12?

The cornerback competition between Sean Martin and Steven Nelson adds depth to an experienced secondary.

On Wednesday, we provided you with our top five Pac-12 BCS moments.

Here's what we wrote (our polls can only included five choices, so if you think Oregon and Stanford both winning BCS bowl games this past year qualifies, go with other):

1. USC drubs Oklahoma for the 2004 national title: The 55-19 victory over unbeaten Oklahoma was the most dominant display of the BCS era. It was also the pinnacle of the Trojans' dynasty under Pete Carroll. It's worth noting that future Pac-12 member Utah also whipped Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl to finish unbeaten that same year.

2. USC wins "real" national title: In 2003, USC was No. 1 in the AP and coaches polls at season's end. If you had eyes and knew anything about football, it was clear the Trojans were the nation's most talented team on both sides of the football, a notion that was reinforced the following season. Two teams picked by computers played in New Orleans -- most folks outside of Louisiana don't even remember who -- and that forced the Trojans to settle for three-fourths of a national title after dominating Michigan 28-14.

3. The year of the Northwest: After the 2000 season, three teams from the Northwest finished ranked in the AP top 7. Washington beat Purdue in the Rose Bowl and finished third. Oregon State drubbed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and finished fourth. Oregon beat Texas in the Holiday Bowl to finish seventh.

4. Oregon gets left out but finishes No. 2: One of the grand faux paus of the BCS era was Nebraska playing Miami for the 2001 national title. Nebraska was coming off a 62-36 loss to Colorado, but the computers failed to notice, and the Cornhuskers were euthanized by the Hurricanes before halftime. The Ducks would whip that same Colorado team 38-16 in the Fiesta Bowl and finish ranked No. 2.

Ah, but as you all know we are not infallible. Not entirely, at least.

So what's your take?

Jesse Scroggins is a guy who should be able to provide some insight into USC's high-profile quarterback competition. After all, he practiced with Cody Kessler and Max Wittek for a year. He's witnessed their strengths and weaknesses and their makeup and leadership skills.

So, what's his take? Does he like the scrappy Kessler or the big-armed Wittek?

"I don't know and I don't care," Scroggins said. "I'll know when I see them on the field. I got NAU first. I'm not really worried about that game."

Scroggins has his own QB battle to think about, only he's now in Tucson, not L.A. He wants to fill Matt Scott's shoes, not Matt Barkley's.

The USC parting wasn't completely amicable. Scroggins, one of the nation's top-rated prep quarterbacks in 2010, had some struggles with off-field distractions that hurt his academics, but he rallied in the classroom only to find out that, nonetheless, he was seen by coaches as the odd-man out due to USC trying to fit its roster under NCAA-mandated scholarship limitations. Essentially, he was pushed out the door.

"Certain things happened that shouldn't have happened but everything happens for the best," Scroggins said.

Scroggins went to El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., and put up middling numbers -- 1,148 yards passing, eight touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games -- and arrived at Arizona with a toe injury. That injury sidelined him for most of spring practices. When he made a surprise appearance in the spring game, his first pass was intercepted.

But then he completed 6 of 16 passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns, understandably showing plenty of rust but also flashing at times the ability that made him such a hot recruit. While senior B.J. Denker, who arrived at Arizona with no recruiting pedigree, emerged from spring leading the QB competition, it's far from over.

"I feel like it's all even from today until fall camp starts," Scroggins said. "It's going to be competition until the first game."

One thing is clear: No quarterback on the Wildcats' roster, including touted incoming freshman Anu Solomon, is Scroggins' equal when it comes to arm strength. The Wildcats thrived throwing the ball downfield last fall with the strong-armed Scott. Things wouldn't change with Scroggins behind center.

While coach Rich Rodriguez's offense is widely seen as a read-option that requires a speedy quarterback, which Scroggins isn't, the reality is Rodriguez adapts his play calling for his available talent. Sure, Scott was a good runner, but he led the Pac-12 in passing last fall with 301.7 yards per game. The Wildcats run-pass ratio was even (544 rush, 538 pass).

"Coach Rodriguez's offense goes around the quarterback, whatever your strengths are, that's the type of thing he's going to go with," Scroggins said. "I can run. I just would rather pass first."

Scroggins, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior, said his toe is about "90 percent" and that he's actively running. He expects to be full-go this summer for "voluntary" summer workouts with his teammates, a time when he can build relationships and inspire confidence in him within the locker room.

He's been around long enough to realize that Arizona's locker room is different than USC's.

"Everybody doesn't think they are the guy," Scroggins said. "Guys just want to play football here. It's not about five stars and four stars here. These aren't those type of guys. They have the ability and the skill but we just want to play football rather than talk about it."

Of course, there are folks on the USC end of things who would say the Scroggins of 2010 viewed himself as "the guy." Adversity may have humbled and matured Scroggins, who eagerly noted he's posted 3.0 GPAs his past two semesters.

He called leaving USC "discouraging," but "probably the best thing for me." After a year in junior college, he picked the Wildcats over Arkansas, Wisconsin, Auburn and U-Mass. He was won over by the Wildcats' wide-open scheme, the honest pitch from co-offensive coordinator Rod Smith and the more laid back environment in Tucson.

"I wanted a family environment, something that reminded me of my family," he said.

As for his old "family," yes, Scroggins is excited about the prospect of sticking it to the Trojans in the Coliseum on Oct. 10.

"Definitely," he said.

Cary Chow and the college football bloggers look ahead and ask the question of what would happen if the season started tomorrow.

I am never known to quail at the fury of a gale. And I'm never, never sick at sea.

• A video tour of Arizona's new facilities, which should be ready for move-in by July.
• Todd Graham is, not once, but twice as prepared to handle the schedule in 2013.
• The Bears picked up a running back commit.
• Rimington candidate Gus Handler is deserving, but still has work to do.
• How Oregon's running game sets up the pass.
• The spring tour of Oregon State opponents continues with Eastern Washington.
• Where does Anthony Wilkerson rank among the Pac-12 running backs? Lostlettermen ranks them.
• SI's Stewart Mandel fields a UCLA question in his mailbag.
• Lots of Trojans on Athlon's list of the top 50 receivers in the BCS era.
• Karl Williams has put in the work at Utah.
• Some Pac-12 questions heading into summer, including whether the Huskies can break out in 2013.
• Charges could result from the Washington State-Idaho donnybrook.