Washington Huskies host #11 USC Trojans

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(3-2,1-1) led by former USC assistant Steve Sarkisian host his old team #11 USC Trojans(4-1,2-1) led by senior quarterback Matt Barkley. The Trojans began the year as the #1 ranked team but after losing to Stanford 21-14(who the Huskies beat immediately after) the Trojans are now turning their hopes on still winning their first conference championship since 2008. For the Huskies they are hoping to rebound from their embarrassing defeat last week to #2 Oregon 52-21. Sarkisian will take on his friend and former colleague at USC Lane Kiffin. Sarkisian is 2-1 all-time against his former team having pulled off the upset against #3 USC 16-13 in 2009 and again in 2010 defeating #18 USC down in the coliseum 32-31. Last year was a different story as #18 USC destroyed the Huskies 40-17 down in the coliseum. The Huskies who are currently 3-0 at home are hoping to extend the winning ways at home. In the last two years the Huskies are 9-1 at home.

Matt Barkley is looking to avoid being the first Trojan quarterback to lose to the Huskies twice in his career since Reggie Perry did in 1991 and 1992. Barkley has faced the Huskies twice in his career splitting the games. As a sophomore in 2010 Barkley was 14-20(70.0%) passing for 186 yards(9.3 YPA) as the Trojans lost 32-31. In 2011 as a junior Barkley fared much better completing 18-28(64.3%) of his passes for 174 yards(6.2 YPA) with a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown as well as the Trojans won 40-17. This year Barkley is having a terrific season completing 111-173(64.2%) of his passes for 1,308 yards(7.6 YPA) with 15 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Barkley will be a top draft pick and will test the Huskies secondary which features future NFL corner Desmond Trufant.

Slumping junior quarterback Keith Price is taking on the team where he threw his first career touchdown pass against. In 2010 as a freshman, Jake Locker was injured for a moment. Trailing in the fourth quarter 28-23 the Huskies called on Price who threw the go ahead touchdown pass. In 2011 in the blowout loss to USC Price was 12-16(75.0%) passing for 125 yards(7.8 YPA) as he was sacked four times. That would be the only start for Price last year where he didn't throw a touchdown pass.

This year Price is struggling. His numbers on the year are 94-158(59.5%) passing for 882 yards(5.6 YPA) with only five touchdowns to four interceptions. Price like the rest of the Huskies offense just doesn't look the same at all which is a big reason why the offense is struggling so badly. Currently ranks 107th in the nation, the running game is 87th in the nation. The Huskies offense is 97th in the nation in scoring which includes 52 points against an FCS school. Against D-1 schools the Huskies are averaging only 15.5 points per game which is pathetic. That falls on Price as this match up heading into the year was supposed to be a battle of the two best quarterbacks in the conference.

The Trojans feature two wide receivers who are going to be first round picks in the NFL draft. Led by Marqise Lee who destroyed the Huskies last year. Lee had nine receptions for 74 yards with a touchdown. He also returned a kickoff for 88 yards for a touchdown as well. This year Lee is lighting up college football as he has 52 receptions for 649 yards(12.5 YPC) with seven touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for 100 yards for a touchdown this year. He has done all that damage in five games by the way. So the Huskies easy solution is stick their NFL corner Desmond Trufant on him. Sounds simple enough right?

Except that heading into the year Lee was supposed to be the #2 receiver as Robert Woods was supposed to be the guy. Last year against the Huskies Woods wasn't a factor as he had just two receptions for five yards and was shutout the previous year. Still didn't stop Woods from catching 111 passes for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. This year Woods has 31 receptions for 272 yards(8.8 YPC) with five touchdowns. He also has one carry for 76 yards. With Trufant only able to cover one guy look for them to pick on Tre Watson quite a bit. Shaq Thompson who plays a lot of linebacker lately might have to play more safety this game.

The Huskies feature a talented wide receiver in Kasen Williams. Last year against the Trojans Williams caught five passes for 44 yards with a touchdown. For the year Williams has 31 receptions for 340 yards(11.0 YPC) with three touchdowns. Williams is having a solid season for the Huskies.

The other talented player is tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins who is having a quiet conference season so far. Even with that he has 24 receptions for 254 yards(10.6 YPC) with a touchdown. Last year against USC he caught four passes for 48 yards. After those two there is a big drop off in production for the Huskies. DiAndre Campbell has six receptions for 51 yards with a touchdown. True freshman Jaydon Mickens who is from L.A. has seven receptions for 46 yards. The Huskies passing game hasn't gone over 200 yards in four straight games. They must get their passing game going to have any chance at the upset.

The Trojans have a nice 1-2 rushing attack going with Silas Redd the transfer from Penn State and Curtis McNeal. Redd on the season has rushed for 415 yards on 75 carries(5.5 YPC) with five touchdowns. Redd ran for 1,241 yards(5.1 YPC) with seven touchdowns last year for the 9-4 Nittany Lions.

The other back McNeal killed the Huskies last year as he ran for 148 yards on 18 carries(8.2 YPC) with a 79 yard touchdown run. This year McNeal has ran for 225 yards on 33 carries(6.8 YPC). The fact the Trojans have two excellent wide receivers to go with a top tier quarterback means teams load up to stop the pass. Which makes it even more difficult to defend as the Trojans have talented running backs who can beat you on the ground. Justin Wilcox is going to have his hands full in this game.

The Huskies running game is in good hands with Bishop Sankey. Last year Sankey against USC ran the ball four times for 22 yards(5.5 YPC) including a 17 yard run. He also had four receptions in that game as well. For the season Sankey has ran for 433 yards(4.9 YPC) with six touchdowns through five games. In the last three games Sankey has ran for 351 yards(117 yards per game) on 59 carries(5.9 YPC) with five touchdowns. The Huskies are hoping Sankey can continue that type of production as the Huskies milk the clock and shorten the game.

Backing up Sankey is Kendyl Taylor who has ran for 38 yards on nine carries(4.2 YPC) and has five receptions for 34 yards. Taylor began the year as the Huskies starting wide receiver. Erich Wilson has ran for 140 yards on 25 carries(5.6 YPC) with a touchdown. Dezden Petty has ran for 99 yards on 29 carries(3.4 YPC) as he is the short yardage back for the Huskies. The Huskies only shot at the upset is running the ball effectively which could lead to play action passing.

This will be the Trojans first trip to Seattle since being upset back in 2009 16-13 in a game which Barkley missed due to injury. The Huskies haven't beaten USC in back to back home trips since 1997 and 2001. Sarkisian upset his old team his first two years on the job and like the previous three times against his old team the Trojans are ranked again. Unlike the Stanford upset this win would be more impressive. Against the Cardinal the Huskies were allowed to have an eight man box and force Josh Nunes to beat them. In this game the Huskies will put Trufant on either Lee or Woods hoping he can contain them. Then obviously double team the other with safety Sean Parker playing over the top. Wilcox will have Thompson the #1 safety in the nation coming out of high school last year help out on the run which he has been great at all year long.

If the Huskies can somehow win this game that would put them at 4-2 and probably back in the rankings as they would defeat another ranked opponent. A loss here puts the Huskies at 3-3 as they face the second half of their schedule which they went 5-1 against those same teams last year. The Huskies must get their offense back together and in particular Keith Price who has been struggling badly. The Trojans defense let Josh Nunes look like a decent quarterback so perhaps there is hope for Price this week against the Trojans. If the Huskies were to pull off this upset they must pressure the Trojans offensive line which appears to be the only weakness for the Trojans offense. They had problems against Stanford and Utah's defensive line and the Huskies can only hope they have those same problems. This should be a big game for the Huskies as whenever Sarkisian takes on the Trojans it is always a huge game. This game has a bigger feel to it because this is the last "great" team on the Huskies schedule and with a win here the Huskies can start dreaming of big things for this season.

Elephant in the room for Pac-12 teams

By Kshell

The Pac-12 football season is set to begin in two weeks so I'm sure you are reading a ton of previews on the teams in the conference. What isn't brought up in these previews is the Elephant in the room on these programs. The Elephant in the room saying is when there is something everyone knows about but it is never brought up. Each team in this conference has an elephant in the room. Some teams elephant in the room isn't much while others looms to be pretty large. Some teams have an obvious Elephant in the room to that particular fan base while for some teams this will hopefully wake you up on these teams. I read these previews and I'm frustrated that many tip toe around the Elephant in the room while some may just be oblivious to the Elephant in the room. As usual I'm sure you'll enjoy my Elephant in the room on other teams but disagree with my assessment on your team. Like I did with my last column I'll once again start off the Elephant in the room in the South starting in Alphabetical order just like I did last time.

South Division:

Arizona Wildcats:

Rich Rodriguez isn't a good football coach:

The Arizona Wildcats replaced one lame coach in Mike Stoops in another with Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez was once a high profile coach when he was at West Virginia where he went 60-26. He left for Michigan where he failed miserably going 15-22 and worse yet was 6-18(.333) in conference games. Arizona didn't struggle last year because of offense they struggled cause they couldn't stop anyone. They went 4-8 last year and lost quarterback Nick Foles to the NFL. Sure Rodriguez will put up points on the board and that will be exciting. Just don't expect him to win many games down in Arizona. If Rodriguez can't win in Michigan which has a ton of great tradition and can recruit well what chance does he have a lower tier Pac-12 school like Arizona? I expect this experiment to crash and burn starting immediately this year.


Arizona State Sun Devils:

Todd Graham had the same record as fired coach Dennis Erickson had last season:

The Arizona State Sun Devils just like their rivals had a rather interesting coaching hire. They hired Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Todd Graham. Graham won at Rice going 7-6 then bounced after one year, then went to Tulsa for four years going 36-17 then bounced to Pittsburgh going 6-6 before leaving to Arizona State. The Sun Devils just fired Dennis Erickson for going 6-6(he would end up 6-7 after losing his lame duck bowl game) yet they hired a guy who went 6-6? Graham even if he does do well has shown he will bail on a team as he has already left two programs after just one season. No matter how much you want to pump this guy up he's a .500 coach in big boy ball and I'm being generous since the Big East is dog shit and easily the worst BCS conference. Face it Sun Devils you whiffed on this hire and once again despite all the potential in the world you'll still be average.


Colorado Buffaloes:

Colorado lost their only explosive piece on offense in Rodney Stewart:

The Colorado Buffaloes were terrible last season in going 3-10 which actually surprised most people in fact. Well now they lost talented running back Rodney Stewart who ran for 854 yards(4.5 YPC) with four touchdowns while also being their second leading receiver with 45 receptions for 571 yards(12.7 YPC). He did lead the team in receptions as well. This is already a terrible team who on paper lost their one stud play maker on offense. There is a very good chance Colorado could actually be worse than they were last season which is a scary thought for Buffaloes fans in Colorado.


Utah Utes:

Jordan Wynn isn't very good while Utah benefited from a weak schedule:

I keep seeing a ton of praise for the Utah Utes and I'm not buying it. You know why I'm not buying it? Cause Utah despite going 8-5 last year was 4-5 in conference. Utah also didn't win a single game in conference against a team with a winning record. They also skipped BOTH Stanford and Oregon which would have been for sure losses. Utah due to recruiting at a Mountain West level doesn't have the athletes to defeat decent to good Pac-12 teams. Another reason they can't because Jordan Wynn isn't that good. In his career he has completed 59.9% of his passes for 4,390 yards(7.4 YPA) which is good for 219.5 YPG with 31 touchdowns to 16 interceptions in 20 games. Those are solid numbers but not good enough in this league. Utah will once again benefit from not facing Oregon or Stanford. They do have to travel to Washington and they do host USC at home. Utah will once again go to a bowl game because they are skipping two of the four best teams in the conference. Just don't be fooled at the end of the year by their inflated record.


USC Trojans:

Lane Kiffin has no pressure wins:

In three seasons as a head coach Lane Kiffin has coached in one bowl game which his team got killed. Now we are to believe this team is going to win the national championship? Kiffin who is 3-5 vs ranked opponents in his career including that shocking win over Oregon in Eugene. USC the one year under Matt Barkley when there was actual preseason expectations they stumbled going 9-4. Also speaking of the Oregon game which USC fan is screaming at me now saying that is a pressure win well yes it is but not really. USC was 17 point underdogs so nobody expected them to win so the pressure was off and then they came out to a 38-14 lead over Oregon. They when the game got tight so did USC as they almost choked the game away finally hanging on 38-35 over Oregon as Oregon missed a game tying field goal to force overtime. Oregon had just had back to back big road games in closing out Husky Stadium then defeating Stanford for the Pac-12 title. This time around when the teams square off Oregon will be ready. Kiffin hasn't had to deal with being the clear cut favorite and it will be interesting to see how he handles a national championship or bust type pressure.


UCLA Bruins:

Jim L. Mora is an unproven head coach:

Jim L. Mora so far has been fired by two NFL jobs and has a career record of 31-33 in the NFL. Now while Mora could turn out to be the next Pete Carroll he could just as easily turn out to be the next Mike Sherman(25-25 at Texas A &M), Dave Wannstedt(42-31 at Pittsburgh), and  Chan Gailey(44-32 at Georgia Tech). All of those coaches had no head coach experience at college before taking over after failing in the NFL. Mora could be a success but he can just as easily be like every other UCLA head coach since Terry Donahue which is be very average. Mora isn't getting off to the best start with his comments about USC, barking at his assistants and kicking his team out of practice. It will be interesting to see what Mora does. One thing is for sure is UCLA fans should enter the Mora era with caution as he isn't proven as a head coach.

North Division:

California Golden Bears:

Jeff Tedford can't succeed without a future NFL pro bowler at Quarterback or Running Back:

Jeff Tedford is entering his 11th season at California and has a 79-48 record. He is only 48-38 in conference play. When he coached Aaron Rodgers in 2003 he went 8-6(5-3) and in 2004 he went 10-2(7-1) finishing the year ranked 9th in the country. In 2005 Marshawn Lynch came to the program where Tedford went 8-4(4-4) then in 2006 went 10-3(7-2) tying for the conference title. Since Rodgers and Lynch have left Tedford is 36-28(21-24). As you can see since he has lost Rodgers and Lynch he is a below .500 coach in conference play. There is nobody on this California roster at Quarterback or Running Back who appears to be a future pro bowler which means the California Golden Bears will once again be destined for another average season in Tedford's 11th season.


Stanford Cardinal:

Stanford is living off the name of two guys Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck who are no longer there:

The Stanford Cardinal have been terrific the last two years mainly due to #1 pick overall Andrew Luck at quarterback and the Jim Harbaugh handing the program over to David Shaw. In the two big games last year Stanford lost both games where Shaw appeared over matched in the Oregon game and in the Oklahoma State game he took the ball out of Andrew Luck's hands. Stanford also has a tough stretch after they start off 2-0 they host #1 USC, travel to Washington on a thursday night game, host Arizona then have a road game at Notre Dame, followed up by a weird road game against their rival California in the middle of the year. Stanford could very easily go 1-4 during that stretch with a rookie quarterback, not to mention they also lost David DeCastro who anchored their offensive line. They also lost first-teamers Jonathan Martin to the draft and tight end Cody Fleenor. Stanford lost five of their six first-team all conference guys to the NFL draft. I know most are high on Stanford but they lost their star quarterback, head coach two years ago, star tight end plus their two best offensive lineman. I don't know if any program can reload after that much departure especially a non football powerhouse like Stanford.


Oregon Ducks:

The Willie Lyles storm cloud hanging over Oregon's 2012 season:

Oregon fans don't like talking about it while rival fans do which is the Willie Lyles controversy appears to be coming to a conclusion soon. You can't talk about Oregon football without Lyles name being brought up which may be hurting their recruiting right now. Oregon despite being a top tier program has only eight committments is ranked 38th in the nation and only 5th in the Pac-12. If the penalties are severe should be interesting to see how Oregon handles the controversy. I witnessed it at Washington as the Huskies went to three straight Rose Bowls and were picked to go to a fourth straight. Then probation hit and Don James suddenly left while the Huskies suffered through three straight unthinkable 7-4 seasons. For Oregon to think they can A) survive sanctions, B) Chip Kelly won't flee to the NFL and C) replace Kelly  and maintain this level of excellence is ridiculous.

Oregon has been building this journey for a while. In 1994 they went to the Rose Bowl then following it up with a Cotton Bowl. Then suffered through three average seasons until the Joey Harrington era started where they saw their program rise to the #2 ranking in the nation in 2001. Then from 2002-08 they were a solid program who couldn't get over the hump. Chip Kelly arrives and with USC going on two year bowl ban with Pete Carroll leaving they have dominated the conference. There is no guarantee Chris Peterson would bolt to Oregon like so many fans think it is a for sure thing. Do I think Oregon would fall to Washington status of 0-12? No I don't but I could see them returning to what they were in the Mike Bellotti years where they were a good program. They just weren't a great program under Bellotti so in my opinion the Lyles Elephant in the room is the biggest in the entire conference mainly cause it could take down the team of the conference which right now is Oregon.


Oregon State Beavers:

Mike Riley is an underachiever and the program is in decline:

Mike Riley known as the coach who can do more with less has struggled in recent years. In his 11 years all at Oregon State he is 72-63 and 46-47 which is partly due to his first two years when the program was the worst in the nation. In his second go around he is 64-49 and 44-33 in coference play. Riley in 11 seasons has never had a season where he has lost fewer than four games in a season. Riley has seen the programs win totals drop four consecutive years as the Beavers have lost to the Oregon Ducks four consecutive years. Last year Riley went 3-9 and had an embarrassing loss to Sacramento State at home. In fact under Riley the Beavers have lost 12 games to teams not in a BCS conference which is pathetic for a major conference coach.

There doesn't appear to be hope on the horizon as Oregon State is ranked 75th in the nation in recruiting which puts them last in the conference, last year Oregon State ranked 44th good for 10th in the conference. Riley is driving the Beavers straight into the ditch and most fail to bring this up. I see how Oregon State is expected to make a bowl game even predicted to do better than Washington according to Phil Steele. I'm just not buying it, sure Riley pulls off one or two upsets a year but he has his fair share of bad losses. Two years ago lost at home to a 2-10 Washington State Cougars team giving Paul Wulff his first ever road win. Then last year the loss to Sacramento State at home was inexcusable as a real program would have fired him for that especially for going 3-9. As long as Riley is in Corvallis the Beavers will forever be limited.


Washington Huskies:

  Steve Sarkisian's offense is overrated:

The Huskies offense receives a ton of praise as Steve Sarkisian is labeled the offensive "guru". The offense though is actually overrated and racks up big numbers against crappy teams. Against the three top teams in the conference the Huskies have struggled offensively. Against Stanford all losses they have scored 14 points, 0 points and 21 points. Against Oregon all losses they have yet to score 20 points scoring 19 points, 16 points and 17 points. Against USC where they won twice they scored 16 points, 32 points and 17 points. In the two biggest wins of the Steve Sarkisian era the Huskies defeated #3 USC 16-13 in 2009 and defeated #18 Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl 19-7. Even the signature California win where Polk scored the game winner in 2010 the Huskies won 16-13 no exactly an offensive shootout.

 As you can see the offense struggled, in three years the offense has only came to play one time against a good defense which was an 8-5 USC team on the road in 2010 scoring 32 points. In most of the Huskies big wins it was the defense who came through so this notion that the Huskies just need an average defense then they'll be a BCS team is completely false. They scored 56 points in a bowl loss against Baylor but Baylor's defense was ranked in the 100's not exactly a good defense. This team has no NFL offensive lineman either which means they can't grind out those tough drives. Remember last year against Eastern Washington, Hawaii and California how the game was put in the hands of the defense? It was because the offense couldn't put the game away with a sustained drive. A great offense like the 2000 one chewed up the clock, moved the chains and got the clutch first downs. This is a good offense but it has a long ways to go before it becomes a great offense.


Washington State Cougars:

Cougars went 4-8 last year with a top 10 passing offense in the nation and top 30 offense overall in the nation. Defense was the problem and Leach isn't a defensive coach.

The Cougars are excited to have Mike Leach over the dreadful Paul Wulff. I keep hearing how Air Raid is going get the Cougars back into a bowl game this year as Leach is going to vastly improve that passing offense plus Jeff Tuel is coming back as well. The thing is the Cougars offense was pretty good last year and wasn't the problem. They were top 10 in the nation in passing offense and top 30 in the nation in overall offense. Leach will improve that field but he won't improve what has plagued the Cougars for a while which is their defense. The Cougars defense in nine conference games allowed 311 points(34.6 PPG) with 27 being the fewest which was against Colorado and Arizona State which were both wins. Against teams with a winning record the Cougars went 0-6 last year allowing 227 points(37.8 PPG) showing they aren't ready to hang with the good teams.

The last time the Cougars defeated a team with a winning division-1 record was SMU back in 2009. The last time the Cougars defeated a conference opponent who ended the year with a winning record was all the way back in 2006. The Air Raid offense will put up points but it will also put more pressure on the field as passing teams tend to not use up much time of possession. The Cougars defense which has been dreadful the last couple of years doesn't appear to be any better. Leach is an offensive coach, the defensive players aren't very good. Look for the Cougars to be a better version of what Paul Wulff had them be last year which is eat up the weak teams but struggle to stop anyone in conference.

So when you making your predictions for this upcoming season keep in mind these Elephants in the room for each program. I noticed every fan base chooses to ignore their Elephant in the room and especially the media  who covers their teams. I just like to look at them before I do my predictions as the season is only two weeks away. We'll see how each team handles their Elephant in the room and perhaps make me look dumb by the end of the year. Once again I'm sure most fan bases will like this piece while the homer fans who see no wrong in their team won't like it. For those rational fans out there I hope you enjoy this and hopefully you can at least respect my Elephant in the room on your program while nodding your head reading about the rival schools I had a dig on.

If the Pac-12 was a neighborhood party

By Kshell

With college football just around the corner I figured I would take a fun take at the history of the Pac-12 conference. In this piece I'm pretending what each football program would be like if they represented a real person . I set all 12 teams in a neighborhood as they are all neighbors who have a neighborhood party once a year to see who is doing the best. I'll include the programs history based on how successful this person may or may not be. How good their coach is will represent their wife or if they have a new coach that will represent a girlfriend. How the football program is doing will represent how they are doing in life far as their job, how much money they make, their accessories, etc. Like I said I'll try in a creative way use the past and the present day programs to give you a better idea how each football program looks in our conference. I'll go alphabetical order like I do in my Pac-12 predictions piece starting with the South.

Arizona State:

Arizona State is no longer the new guy on the neighborhood and just like that has been part of this neighborhood for a while when the neighborhood expanded to 10 houses. Arizona State also has the rest of the conference confused as to why he isn't more successful in life and is always single. Arizona State is pretty intelligent so he should be successful in his work life and is in great shape as he is always working out. He is also pretty good looking and the rest of his neighbors view him as a sleeping giant to have the best house and hottest wife. Then at the party the rest of his neighbors noticed that Arizona State is the life of the party. He is the guy who is always tanked and brings the bulk of the alcohol. He is a fun loving guy who simply doesn't give a shit. He is just there to have fun. That is when everyone else realized he is what he is which is a guy who has potential for so much more but won't ever reach that potential.


Arizona:

Arizona moved into the neighborhood same time as Arizona State did. Minus a brief time period in the 1990's Arizona has just been the forgotten man on the neighborhood. He has never been married or even had a pretty girl friend. He has never been successful in his job either. He isn't a loser and his house isn't the worst on the block. That is the thing about Arizona he isn't so bad where his neighbors make fun of him but they are wondering why they invited him to the block in the first place? Then they remembered he brings value outside of the neighborhood. He is good at other stuff that nobody really cares about(basketball, baseball, etc) but still has value. He is the guy who goes around the neighborhood to help clean up, he is always willing to baby sit for you as well. So his value is other areas so the rest of neighborhood tolerates him.


Colorado:

Colorado is new to the neighborhood and currently owns the smallest home on the block. Colorado used to be in another neighborhood where he was very successful. He had the hottest wife and was making six figures at his job. In 1990 he was named most successful man in the city. Then in 1998 his young hot wife left him in the middle of the night and ended up marrying Washington. Colorado still hasn't recovered from that and last year they struggled in their new neighborhood after their last neighborhood was threatening to fold. The fellow neighbors still don't respect Colorado as they know they are a has been. Sure they may have been successful 20 years ago but right now they are left eating the scraps at the party with Oregon State and Washington State. Poor Colorado had they joined this neighborhood 20 years ago they would have fit in nicely instead they are the runt of the neighborhood.


Utah:

Utah like Colorado is new to this Pac-12 neighborhood. Utah had a rough transition their first year but settled in nicely. Utah was in a different neighborhood that was beaten down sure they had the nicest house. They also had the nicest house on one of the worst neighborhoods in town. Utah made good money at his job or so he thought compared to the rest of his neighborhood. He was big fish small pond syndrome. In this past he's had competitions with teams in the Pac-12 and whooped their ass so he figured the transition would be easy. Finally another house was built in the Pac-12 neighborhood and Utah decided to jump all over it. Now with the same wife who was the hottest in her previous neighborhood she is simply good looking in this one. Utah will eventually get adjusted and raise their game up. They need to do some landscaping around the house to improve on it some, with the promotion in their job they will start making more money so they can upgrade their car. Utah will eventually upgrade their house so in a few years they can finally compete. As is they are still one of the better overall guests at the party. Almost everyone respects Utah but they also got a kick out of Utah's struggles that first year proving that you can't just go from a shitty neighborhood to a big time neighborhood without your struggles.


UCLA: 

UCLA has been part of the conference since day one. UCLA is good looking and for a long period of time had a great house with a great job. His problem is he is next door neighbors to USC so no matter how good he does it doesn't seem enough. UCLA has had some woman issues lately too. Remember the wife who left Colorado? Well after Washington chose to divorce her UCLA decided to marry her and she sank him down. So now UCLA is dating a girl who has been lusting after Washington for years. UCLA has what it takes to control this neighborhood but his biggest problem is he is a wimp. He lets his neighbors(particularly USC) walk all over him. When USC wants something of his UCLA just bows down and USC takes whatever he wants. UCLA despite having the best location in the neighborhood and easy access to move up in his job he just can't seem to seal the deal. What it boils down to is UCLA is soft as a person and when you are soft others will walk all over you.


USC:

USC has been part of this neighborhood forever. His grandpa made this neighborhood what it is today, then his dad ruled this neighborhood and someday so will his son. USC is the biggest toughest guy in the room and always has a hot girl friend. USC makes six figures and nobody messes around with USC except for lately. Due to a scandal he had at work back in 2005 he was sentenced to two years in jail plus probation. So other teams in the neighborhood have caught up to USC and gotten some revenge on USC the last two years. USC has a new young girlfriend and is determined to be the most successful person on the block. At the parties USC is seen as arrogant but he knows he can be because he has earned it. He will once in a while give Washington a nod of respect but don't think for one second he will even acknowledge what Oregon has going on at their place. He will act like McKayla Maroney and be very unimpressed. USC knows even while being in jail he was still the most successful person at the southern end of his block. USC is constantly laughing at his next door neighbor UCLA whom he doesn't even consider  a rival. He considers Notre Dame the guy who lives across the city who has been living off his dad and grandpa's generation for a while now. USC is finally out of jail so he is hoping to make up for lost time the past two years.


California:

California is the hippie pot smoking guy on the neighborhood who is care free. California despite such a big house had one of the dumpiest houses on the block, one of the worst cars, wasn't married and had a terrible job. Then after hitting rock bottom he met a girl and fell in love. Early on he enjoyed great success as he got a new job which paid well. In fact only USC was more successful on the block than he was. Now his wife her looks have dropped off a bit, at work people have passed him up, his car isn't so nice anymore. He has returned to be average on the block and worse yet his oldest son who he raised so well has left his company to go work for Washington. Then his son stole some other young up and comers he was recruiting to go work for his company. He has never felt so betrayed by a family member in his life. California tasted success but now is just rolling in mediocrity.


Stanford:

Stanford was the skinny little nerd at the neighborhood party for years. He was the smartest guy at the part something he'd always remind everyone but nobody else cared as he was a slob. His house was messy, he was single, he had no car and his job was terrible. Then very quietly Stanford met this girl and caught a "LUCKy" break. He started to work out and suddenly showed up to the part not only as the smartest guy but also the toughest guy. He was bullying USC at the party which nobody did and USC was backing down. He was also pushing around Washington which he never used to do. The only person who could stand up to Stanford lately is Oregon who has been beating everyone at everything lately. Stanford's young hot girlfriend left him for better opportunities that he couldn't provide. His lucky horseshoe he lost while on a trip to Indianapolis so some are curious how Stanford is going to far without his hot girl friend or his good luck charm. One thing is for sure Stanford isn't that skinny little wimpy nerd that the conference used to take advantage of for years. Stanford will fight back and lately Stanford has been the one taking advantage of others in the conference.


Oregon:

Oregon's family has been part of this neighborhood forever. Oregon was the loser of the block, had a small house, couldn't afford a car, worked at a shitty job, had a long time wife who was average. Then suddenly in the 1990's Oregon realized his distant uncle was the creator of Nike. His uncle who had no kids of his own immediately treated Oregon like a son and named his CEO of Nike. Oregon who used to get picked on by everyone especially Washington is now picking on Washington. After Oregon's long-time loyal wife left him for what she thought was a better guy Oregon would realize he had an uncle. Then after being one of the top guys on the block Oregon met some under the radar girl from the east coast. Nobody knew anything about her and after short time he booted his second wife to the curb for this young hot wife. Oregon has the nicest house on the block, the hottest wife and due to being treated like crap for generations they are obnoxious about their success. USC still doesn't acknoweldge their success and just recently after winning the best roses on the Pac-12/Big 10 block contest Washington is reluctantly giving Oregon credit. Oregon is new rich but there is a storm brewing possibly. There is speculation Oregon could get in trouble and go to jail soon as they may have done some illegal things to get this high. We'll see but for now Oregon has been king of the neighborhood for three straight years and only USC can knock him off that porch this year.


Oregon State:

Oregon State is the nice polite guy at the party who everyone else secretly wonders why they were even invited to the neighborhood to begin with. For over three plus decades Oregon State had the worst house, was living off welfare and was single. He was a loser who everyone else felt sorry for. Then  Oregon State met a sweet girlfriend who brought his life together but she quickly left him. Oregon State then found great success with his new girl. He finally got a kick ass job, improved his ass and his girl friend although a drinker was pretty hot. Just like that Oregon State was one of the more successful guys at the party. Then that girl friend left him so Oregon State decided to get back with his previous girl friend who had left him and they sustained success for a while. Well that girl friend hasn't been working out, letting herself go a little and is bad with money. Just like that Oregon State career isn't going as well so he is having to cut back on his house a little. Oregon State looks around and he is in danger of becoming the least successful person on the block if he isn't careful. He is too loyal to his girlfriend as well even though many are suggesting he can do better.


Washington:

Washington has been part of this block for generations as well. He has always had one of the nicer houses, and a nice job plus beautiful women. He inherited the place from his dad who was the most successful guy on the block from 1977-1992 then suddenly one of his dad's employees below him took out an illegal loan to help finance his house. The other neighbors found out and they flipped punishing his dad for two years which his dad said screw it I'm moving out! Then suddenly his dad passed away unexpected and there was major turmoil for Washington. His uncle came in to right the ship for a while but eventually had to hand it over to Washington who wasn't ready for this responsibility. Washington snatched away Colorado's wife and that was a hit right off the bat Washington was kicking ass at his job, did some improvements to his house and was living the dream. Come to find out his wife was a bit of a gambler and after being tired of being lied to he finally dumped his young attractive wife. He settled on Stanford's ex where he hit rock bottom. He lost his job in 2008, had to file for bankruptcy and even live on welfare for a while. He is now dating someone from the USC family tree one of USC nieces and things have turned around. Washington is working a decent job, his house seems in order but Washington is frustrated because he has to achieve what his dad had achieved for such a long stretch. At one time his dad was the smartest, toughest and most successful guy on the block. Washington is hoping someday he can join that level of USC and Oregon but right now he isn't quite there.


Washington State:

Washington State is always the guy who embarrasses himself at the party by getting too drunk off Busch Light. He is the guy everyone wonders who invited this guy? He insists that he matters but in reality he doesn't. He really enjoys it when his next door neighbor Washington is down in the dumps even though his life isn't going as well. Washington State has been the least successful guy on the block throughout most of their history. He had a stretch from 2001-03 where he turned his life around, his loyalty to his wife paid off as she got smoking hot, he was named ceo of his company and life was looking good for him. Then his loyalty turned to betrayal as his wife left him in the middle of the night. Washington State just ended a bad four year divorce where they hit rock bottom. She gave him bad advice and he has been unemployed for the last four years, living off welfare and everyone on the neighborhood wanted him to move out. Washington State is now dating this weird chick who is obsessed with Pirates, she is controversial and speaks her mind. She also appears to be a good fit for Washington State. Washington State just recently found a job and things could be looking up for Washington State. In a few years Washington State might not be the least successful guy on the block as that title will probably belong to Oregon State at this rate.

Well I hope I didn't offend your fan base in this piece as this was all done in fun. I always imagined what they would look like if they were in a neighborhood together. This was one of the more fun pieces I've done as I usually don't do satire pieces. The Pac-12 neighborhood has gone over some changes in recent memory and we'll see how this post stands up in a few years from now. Some teams have had to work hard to get where they are at, while others seem to always be successful, while some have never tasted success and lastly some have had success but fallen on hard times. I tried to give a historical review of each program in a less than serious context. Should be a fun 2012 season coming up and I can't believe college football is only 15 days away for most programs and for Washington State it is only 13 days away!

Seahawks release Mike Williams

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks have announced that they have released wide receiver Mike Williams. Once again Pete Carroll is proving the myth that he is loyal to his former USC Trojans is false. Williams who had a decent sized contract and coming off of an unproductive season in 2011 meant he was on the chopping block. For Carroll he has the right attitude that all NFL teams must have which is "what have you done for me lately?" Now Williams who was a big part of the Seahawks winning the 2010 NFC West championship and had a productive playoffs was beaten out by younger guys in 2011. Williams production dropped off big time and he showed up to mini-camps in April fat which is what got him bounced from the NFL the first time around.

When Mike Williams came to Seattle in 2010 he was a former first round bust that his old college coach in his first year gave a chance to. Williams was an instant hit that season playing in 14 games making 13 starts he caught 65 passes for 751 yards(11.6 YPC) with two touchdowns. He became Matt Hasselbeck's favorite target that season as he played so well in the preseason the Seahawks cut T.J. Houshmanzdeh  and later traded Deion Branch away. Williams was productive especially against the divisional rivals Arizona Cardinals who had beaten the Seahawks four games in a row. Williams against the Cardinals caught 22 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown as the Seahawks finally swept the Cardinanls. In his first playoffs with the team in two games Williams caught nine passes for 83 yards with three touchdowns. The Seahawks rewarded Williams with a three-year contract after that terrific season.

Then the lockout happened, Hasselbeck was let go and the Seahawks signed Sidney Rice. They also brought in a new quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and Williams numbers declined. In 12 games, Williams made 10 starts he had only 18 receptions for 236 yards(13.1 YPC) with just one touchdown. Williams was held without a reception four times that year and had just one reception in two games. After the first game when he caught four passes he would never catch more than three passes in a game again. Rice was injured some but undrafted rookie Doug Baldwin came in with 51 receptions for 788 yards(15.5 YPC) with four touchdowns. Ben Obomanu and Golden Tate also outproduced Williams during the season as well. The Seahawks are also high on Ricardo Lockette who caught a 61 yard touchdown pass in the final game of the season, Deon Butler and Kris Durham who are mid round draft picks. There just wasn't room for Williams who had an awful season last year. I felt Jackson didn't look his way enough like Hasselbeck did but Williams was slow as well which hurt him.

I'm sad to see Williams go because he gave the Seahawks a wonderful 2010 season and had appeared he had turned it around. I do like this move because Carroll once again proves that what you did yesterday doesn't matter for today. Williams was an all-american receiver for him at USC and gave him a great comeback season in 2010 then after a bad year Carroll showed him the door. That is how Carroll operates with the Seahawks if a guy isn't being productive or there are younger guys willing to take his spot he'll show them the door regardless of what they have done for this team. The Seahawks although short on big names will be fine at the wide receiver spot. Carroll once again is continuing to clean house and rid this roster of lazy guys who are resting on their past achievements. If you are Marshawn Lynch you know that if you have a bad season there is a chance Carroll shows you the door so you have to come to camp ready to reproduce that season. That is what I love about the Seahawks, Carroll isn't afraid to cut a player who the fan base is attached to. He is simply here to do one job and one job only which is to win. For Mike Williams he helped this franchise win in 2010 but he isn't going to help this team in 2012 which I'm fine with.

Patton's 2012 NFL Mock Draft v 2.0

By Patton Richard

This is my 2nd Mock Draft of the year, but my first since the College season has ended and a lot has changed. I tried to pack a lot of my thoughts into each pick. Like always, questions/comments are always welcome. There are only 10 days until the draft and a lot can change between now and then!

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.
The inevitable.

2. Washington RedSkins (from STL): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor.
The inevitable.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC.
A lot of people believe this is the inevitable part III, however I disagree. I hear rumblings that since absolutely no one knows what Cleveland is doing, this is a hot-spot for trades. People have been calling about Kalil, Claiborne, Richardson and Tannehill. I would not be shocked at all if someone jumps Cleveland to get their guy, as they have no idea who's going to fall.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama.
I feel like Cleveland spent all off-season trying to upgrade the QB position, and once they failed at that they should decide to upgrade their talent around the QB. With Peyton Hillis signing in KC they only have Montario Hardesty on the roster as any RB worth anything. I can't believe they'd be willing to pass up Trent Richardson here, however if they do I believe it's between Floyd and Tannehill.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU.
Tampa really loves being in the 5th position. They would love any of the big 5 prospects so they will sit here and take whatever one is left.

6. St. Louis Rams (from WAS): Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State.
I'm hearing St. Louis LOVES Richardson (no surprise here, who doesn't?), and is trying to figure out if they have to move up. They've had preliminary talks with Minnesota about moving up to #3 to grab him. If they are unsuccessful then I think they will take Fletcher Cox over Michael Floyd or Justin Blackmon. Cox has the versatility that Fisher likes in his linemen.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.
Blaine Gabbert was terrible last year, in fact I'm shocked that the Jaguars won any games at all last year. They have holes everywhere. This pick could go any number of ways: Floyd, Blackmon, Gilmore, Barron, DeCastro, Ingram, Upshaw, Kuechly. No one really knows what Jacksonville is going to do, but I think Floyd would give them someone next to Lee Evans who can make life on Gabbert a little easier. I have heard that they want to trade down and take Floyd, but I think Carolina would take him at #9.

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M.
Miami gets their QB at #8. Now I don't believe this will actually happen, I think someone is going to trade up to #6 (if Richardson is gone) or #7 (Jacksonville would love to trade back) to take Tannehill. I think Kansas City, Buffalo, and Cleveland (from #22) are all possibilities.

9. Carolina Panthers: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina.
Stephon Gilmore has always been a personal favorite, but I'm hearing teams are coming around on him. Carolina would love a DL, a WR or CB. I believe Gilmore is the best value here.

10. Buffalo Bills: David Decastro, OG, Stanford.
After spending lots of money on bolstering the D-Line, Buffalo turns to the OLine to grab the 2nd best Olinemen in the draft. I think they would consider Blackmon here too.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Mark Barron, S, Alabama.
Teams are starting to realize how hard it is to get good safeties, the idea of putting Barron next to Eric Berry is too good to pass up. Barron and Berry can both cover and help in the run game. Everyone thinks that they are going Poe here, but I'm not sure if I believe it.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College.
Probably the toughest pick to make, I know some people love Ingram, others love Coples and everyone else loves Upshaw. All 3 are available and yet I have the Seahawks passing on all of them, the reason? Kuechly is that good. He was recently #6 on Mayock's big board, he's #4 on mine (Luck, Richardson, RG3, Kuechly, Claiborne, Kalil for those of you interested). Besides Luck and Richardson, Kuechly is the most likely to be an All-Pro 8+ year pro bowler. I don't see how you can turn that down when there is a need at that position. Currently Seattle plans on starting Barrett Ruud at LB, Kuechly would be an enormous upgrade.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.
Justin Blackmon is an Anquan Boldin clone, but less physical. I think he will thrive next to Fitzgerald and with an accurate passer like Kolb.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis.
A little birdy told me Poe is #7 on Dallas's board. I think Rob Ryan is seeing the potential in what he could be and salivating.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama.
Philadelphia would love Kuechly to fall to them, but in this mock he doesn't. They take the rising Hightower who many think is the best LB prospect in this draft. He brings a pass-rushing element that Kuechly doesn't, but Kuechly does everything else better.

16. New York Jets: Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina.
Melvin Ingram is a victim of unfortunate Circumstances. He could go as early as #6 and I believe that this is his absolute floor. I can't imagine him falling any further than right here.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from OAK): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama.
This seems to be the obvious pick, yet Cinci seems to do the obvious almost every year.

18. San Diego Chargers: Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama.
Upshaw is a perfect fit as an OLB in SD's 3-4 defense. I liken him to Brian Orakpo, but I don't

19. Chicago Bears: Riley Reiff, T, Iowa.
I struggle to see why all these Iowa OT's get taken early. As you may or may not remember I was completely against Baluga in the first round, and I'm completely against Reiff in the first round as well. That being said, I believe the Bears will take another OL in the first that won't pan out like they hope (just like Crimini last year).

20. Tennessee Titans: Quinton Coples, DT/DE, North Carolina.
I also believe that this represents the floor for Coples, he's versatile and can play many positions on the DL. He has the highest ceiling out of any dlinemen in this draft, however inconsistency has made him fall.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech.
Cincinnati first addresses their CB need, and now they go find another threat across AJ Green. Stephen Hill needs to be refined, but with Dalton and Green, they are starting to build something dangerous.

22. Cleveland Browns (from ATL): Colby Fleener, TE, Stanford.
Everyone always hears that a TE is a QBs best friend. Well, Colt McCoy, meet your new best friend. Fleener can cause havoc in a West Coast based offense (as he came from one in Stanford).

23. Detroit Lions: Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia.
Detroit has 2 really big needs going into this offseason, Secondary and Oline. I wouldn't be surprised if they took 5 players between those 2 areas. Boykin is the best non-Janoris Jenkins corner left. I believe Jenkins is a top 10 talent, but the way I heard he interviewed is that he "smoked himself stupid" and that he continued to play at Northern Alabama instead of going into the supplemental draft so he could continue to smoke weed. Sorry, this is supposed to be about Boykin. He's good. He plays the run very well and he's very physical for someone his size. He'll fit in nicely with Schwartz in Detroit.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cordy Glenn, OG/OT, Georgia.
Cordy Glenn projects to be a James Carpenter type who can play either guard or RT. I know Pittsburgh values that kind of versatility.

25. Denver Broncos: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor.
Robert Griffin's go to receiver becomes Peyton Manning's new toy. He can line up in the slot and learn from the newly signed Brandon Stokley, or he can line up outside and use his speed to get open. The WR corps of Demaryius Thomas and not much else won't be sufficient for Peyton.

26. Houston Texans: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford.
Teams are DOWN on Jonathan Martin, I'm hearing he's projected between picks 30-50. However, at this point when stuff like that leaks, it usually means a certain team really likes him and hopes he falls to them. I believe Houston could benefit greatly from having Jonathan Martin and he's a perfect fit for a ZBS.

27. New England Patriots (from NO): Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma.
Jamell Fleming has it all on tape, however he struggled in school being suspended twice. However, as a regional scout once told me "we're not paying them to go to school". I think New England believes in the leadership that they have in place to take a chance on Fleming.

28. Green Bay Packers: Shea McClellin, LB/DE, Boise State.
McClellin is a late riser who fits a 3-4 OLB perfectly. Green Bay needs someone to rush the passer on the edge opposite of Clay Matthews. I think Nick Perry could be the pick here, but he prefers to rush from the DE position.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois.
Baltimore lost 3 front 7 players this offseason, so I believe Mercilus will be a great pass rusher for them to plug and play right away I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ravens have Nick Perry rated high enough to take him here.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Rueben Randle, WR, LSU.
San Francisco will probably take two WR's in the first 4 rounds to pair with Crabtree, Manningham and a decrepit Randy Moss. Randle is the best fit out of all the WRs available. They would love Wright or Hill, but Randle is deserving of a 1st round pick. Randle blocks exceptionally well for a WR which is a necessity for Jim Harbaugh.

31. New England Patriots: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU.
I hate projecting players to New England because they rarely every actually take them so I usually just project best player available. I think that's Michael Brockers who some believe has top 15 upside.

32. New York Giants: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State.
Doug Martin is loved by all in the scouting community. I have heard some having him as high as #12 prospect overall and going to the Jets or Bengals. I see a big running back who can truck and use his speed and agility. I think New York would love to have someone to replace Brandon Jacobs.

Round 2
33. St. Louis Rams: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
34. Indianapolis Colts: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
35. Minnesota Vikings: Josh Robinson CB Central Florida
36. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami FL
37. Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
38. Jacksonville Jaguars: fndre Branch, DE, Clemson
39. St. Louis Rams (from WAS): Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
40. Miami Dolphins: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
41. Buffalo Bills: Bobby Massie, T, Ole Miss
42. Carolina Panthers: Devon Still, DT, Penn State

43. Seattle Seahawks: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC
Seattle gets their edge rusher in Nick Perry who Cosell called the best passrushing 4-3 DE in the draft. Unfortunately when I see Perry I see more Vernon Gholston than anything. I have a late 3rd round grade on him, but I understand why others have him as a top 20 pick.

44. Kansas City Chiefs: Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State
45. Dallas Cowboys: Mychael Kendricks, LB, California
46. Philadelphia Eagles: Mike Adams, T, Ohio State
47. New York Jets: Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas
48. New England Patriots (from OAK): Kendall Reyes, DE, UConn
49. San Diego Chargers: Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
50. Chicago Bears: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
51. Philadelphia Eagles (from ARI): Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall
52. Tennessee Titans: Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
53. Cincinnati Bengals: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
54. Detroit Lions: Kelechi Osemele, G/T, Iowa State
55. Atlanta Falcons: Chris Polk, RB, Washington
56. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alameda Ta'Amu, NT, Washington
57. Denver Broncos: Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State
58. Houston Texans: Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska
59. New Orleans Saints: Forefited
60. Green Bay Packers: Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama
61. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin
62. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson
63. New England Patriots: Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State
64. New York Giants: Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina

Round 3
65. Indianapolis Colts: Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana
66. St. Louis Rams: Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State
67. Minnesota Vikings: Mitchell Schwartz, T, California
68. Cleveland Browns: AJ Jenkins, WR, Illinois
69. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sean Spence, LB, Miami FL
70. Washington Redskins: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
71. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech.
72. Buffalo Bills: Markelle Martin, S, Oklahoma State
73. *Minnesota Vikings (from MIA): Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
74. Chicago Bears (from CAR): Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin
75. Kansas City Chiefs: Janoris Jenkins, CB, Northern Alabama

76. Seattle Seahawks: Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska
Yes Seattle takes 3 straight defensive players, and Crick is another DE. However, he's a completely different DE than Perry. He's more than a pass rushing specialist, and Seattle needs more than 1 DE. Crick was thought of as a 1st round pick until his disappointing senior season and his injury. I think Seattle would gladly take Crick here and use the next couple picks on a RB, OL and QB.

77. Philadelphia Eagles: LaMichael James, Oregon
78. New York Jets: Ronnell Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
79. Oakland Raiders -- used on Terrelle Pryor in Supplemental Draft
80. San Diego Chargers: Marvin Jones, WR, California
81. Miami Dolphins (from CHI): Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
82. Arizona Cardinals: Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia
83. Dallas Cowboys: Jeff Allen, G/T, Illinois
84. Tennessee Titans: Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt
85. Cincinnati Bengals: Josh Kaddu, LB, Oregon
86. Atlanta Falcons: Zebrie Sanders, T, Florida State
87. Detroit Lions: Brandon Washington, G, Miami FL
88. Pittsburgh Steelers: Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati
89. Denver Broncos: Demario Davis, LB, Arkansas State
90. Houston Texans: Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas
91. New Orleans Saints: Coryell Judie, CB, Texas A&M
92. Green Bay Packers: Derek Wolfe, DE, Cincinnati
93. Baltimore Ravens: Chris Givens, WR, Wake Forest
94. San Francisco 49ers: Ben Jones, G, Georgia
95. New England Patriots: George Iloka, S, Boise State
96. New York Giants: Ladarius Green, TE, LA-Lafayette

Huskies clinch at least a share of Pac-12 title with 80-58 blowout win over USC!

By Kshell

Playing down in L.A. where Darnell Gant grew up the senior has a great opportunity to clinch his fourth conference championship in four years. Gant provided a big game scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds as the Washington Huskies(21-8,14-3) blew out the USC Trojans(6-24,1-16) 80-58 clinching at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season title. For Gant that means he has won a Pac-10 regular season title as a freshman(2009) and won back to back conference tournament championships(2010 and 2011). Now he has won at least a co-regular season championship this year and with a win over the UCLA Bruins on Saturday will have won an outright conference title. The Huskies took care of business against the Trojans outrebounding them 47-20 as they knew exactly what was at stake.

The Huskies knew this game was important and treated it as such. They began the game on a 13-4 run. After the Trojans went on a mini 7-3 run to pull within 16-11 the Huskies went on an 8-0 run lead to 24-11. From there the Huskies cruised into halftime with a 40-26 lead. The Huskies shot 16-37(43.2%) from the field, three for eight on three pointers(37.5%) but just 5-12(41.7%) on free throws. They out-rebounded the Trojans 29-10 including 14-1 in offensive rebounds. The Trojans shot 11-26(42.3%) on field goals, two for five(40.0%) on three pointers and two for three(66.7%) on free throws. The Trojans were led by Garrett Jackson scoring 10 points on five for seven shooting with five rebounds. Byron Wesley scored eight points on three for nine shooting including two free throws.

For the Huskies they were led by Terrence Ross scoring 11 points poin five for nine shooting including a three pointer with three rebounds. Senior captain Darnell Gant scored seven points on three for four shooting including a three pointer while pulling down six rebounds. Tony Wroten scored six points on two for nine shooting and just two for five on free throws. He did however grab seven rebounds including four offensive while dishing out four assists. Abdul Gaddy scored six points while making both his shots including a three pointer and free throw. Desmond Simmons scored five points on two for five shooting with four rebounds including three offensive. The Huskies dominated the half and looked to continue that in the second half.

After starting the second half on a 4-0 run to take a 44-28 lead the Trojans fought back. The Trojans went on a 14-5 run pulling to within 49-40. Terrence Ross then hit a three pointer for the Huskies as the Huskies went on a 7-0 run to lead 56-40 as the game wasn't close again. The game ended with Wroten throwing an alley-oop pass to Martin Bruening for the dunk as the Huskies won 80-58 outscoring the Trojans 40-32 in the second half. The Trojans shot 23-51(45.1%) from the field, 3-10(30.0%) on three pointers and 9-16(56.2%) on free throws. They were led by Byron Wesley scoring 23 points on 10-18 shooting with five rebounds. Garrett Jackson finished with 14 points on six for nine shooting.

For the Huskies they shot 31-67(46.3%) from the field, 6-13(46.3%) from three point range and 12-23(52.2%) from free throws. The Huskies dominated the glass with 47 rebounds to the Trojans 20 including 18-3 advantage on offensive rebounds. They were led by Terrence Ross who scored 18 points on 8-13 shooting including two for three on three pointers. Ross pulled down seven rebounds with a steal. Darnell Gant playing in his second to last regular season game scored 14 points on six for eight shooting while making two of three three pointers. He also grabbed nine rebounds including three offensive. Abdul Gaddy scored 12 points on four for six shooting including making his only three point shot and three for four on free throws. Gaddy also had five assists. Aziz N'Diaye scored eight points on three for six shooting with seven rebounds and a block shot. C.J. Wilcox scored eight points as well on 3-10 shooting with a block shot. Tony Wroten scored seven points on 2-13 shooting and three for seven at the foul line. He did grab eight rebounds including four offensive with six assists, two steals and a block shot. Desmond Simmons scored five points on two for five shooting with seven rebounds including three offensive and two steals.  Martin Bruenig scored five points  and grabbed two rebounds in only four minutes of playing time. He also made both shots including a three pointer. The Huskies saw 12 guys play with 10 guys scoring at least one point. While the Trojans had just eight guys play and only six score. The Huskies defeated an opponent who is down and they took advantage of that.

After the Huskies won against the Trojans there was no celebration as Lorenzo Romar made sure his team knew there was still unfinished business. The goal for the Huskies this week wasn't to win a share of the conference title but to instead win the conference title outright. Prior to 2009 the Huskies hadn't won the conference title outright since 1953 and now they have a chance to do that for the second time in four years. This Huskies team who graduated three key seniors last year, lost Isaiah Thomas to the draft and Scott Suggs has a chance to do something the two previous teams couldn't do which is win a regular season conference title. Something the Brandon Roy/Nate Robinson teams couldn't even do. This team who lost some terrible games in December has a chance to make some history at Montlake as only one team(1984) has ever won 15 conference games in a season as well. This team has accomplished quite a bit and now they have a chance to finish the job at UCLA this Saturday.

Observations:

- In front of NBA scouts Tony Wroten had an off game. He kept missing layups and was 2-13 while shooting just three for seven on free throws. He also had four turnovers. With that said Wroten still showed his value grabbing eight rebounds(four offensive) and dishing out six assists with two steals and a block shot. Wroten will run away with the freshman player of the year and with a big game against UCLA on Saturday could win player of the year in the conference as well.

For the season now Wroten is averaging 16.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 3.6 APG. He is shooting 44.8% from the field and averaging 2.0 steals per game. Wroten tends to play big in big games and this game was never in doubt. Look for Wroten to have a big performance against UCLA and in the Pac-12 tournament. Depending on what he does in the NCAA tournament will determine if he comes back or not. If Wroten returns back to the program the Huskies could be the favorites to win the conference title.

- Darnell Gant has had an up and down career with the Huskies. He came to Washington as the highest rated power forward in the country. He was forced to redshirt his first year at Washington then as a redshirt freshman started 34 out of 35 games for the Huskies who won the regular season Pac-10 title. As a sophomore he was a starter but was quickly benched and rarely played. As a junior he made some starts but was a key guy off the bench. This season Gant started the first 14 games before being benched. He has now started the last three games and has played well the last two games. Gant in the last two games is averaging 8.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG while shooting 7-11(63.6%) from the field.

Gant's leadership and play will determine just how far the Huskies will go. So far this year Gant is averaging 7.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 23.2 minutes per game with 17 starts. He is shooting 46.7% from the field and 34.4% on three pointers making 0.7 a game. Gant who is from LA. has a chance for the fourth straight year to receive a  conference championship ring in his hometown. This would be the type of storybook ending all Husky fans would love. The Huskies have won 97 games in the four years Gant has been at UW meaning no other four year stretch in Huskies history has seen more wins. If the Huskies reach the NCAA tournament no player will have played in four NCAA tournaments with the Huskies or have played in eight games which Gant will do. His career is almost over but Gant is hoping to prolong that career as long as possible.

- The big reason the Huskies won this game is the domination on the rebounding. The Huskies won the rebounding battle 47-20 including a 18-3 edge in offensive rebounding. They outrebounded the Trojans 29-10 at halftime with a 14-1 edge in offensive rebounding. The Huskies didn't shoot well from the field, three point range or free throws. The Huskies defense at times was lacking but one thing that was consistent was the rebounding. This was big since last game against the Cougars the Huskies were out rebounded by a team who ranks 248th in the nation in rebounding while the Huskies are top 10 in the nation. The Huskies get the job done as a team on rebounding as Aziz N'Diaye leads the team at 7.6 rebounds per game, then Terrence Ross who is a guard is next at 6.7 per game. Desmond Simmons is third at 5.4 per game in only 19 minutes. While Tony Wroten the point guard is fourth at 5.0 then Darnell Gant averages 4.8 per game. The Huskies have several guys including guards who can crash the boards which has been the key to success all season long.

- Terrence Ross rebounded nicely from his two point performance and fouling out against the Washington State Cougars. This game Ross started off early scoring 11 of his team high 18 points. When the Trojans pulled to within single digits at 49-40 it was Ross who hit a three pointer to start a run for the Huskies to finally put the Trojans away. Ross had a good game scoring 18 points on 8-13 shooting including two for three from three point range. He also grabbed seven rebounds in the process. The three point shooting was key because prior to that Ross had been 1-11(9.1%) from three point range last two games and 6-31(19.4%) in his last six games. Ross also hasn't attempted a free throw in two straight games and four out of six games. Ross needs to be more agressive going forward. Ross like his teammate Tony Wroten can win the conference player of the year award with a big performance on Saturday against the Bruins. Ross will make the first team all conference team as well as play in the NBA eventually.

For the year Ross is averaging 15.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks. He is shooting 45.5% from the field, 35.7% on three pointers making 1.8 a game and 74.7% on free throws. Depending on how well Ross plays throughout the season will determine how far the Huskies go in the NCAA tournament if Ross will leave. If Ross and Wroten both leave the Huskies will be in a transition year. I think if Wroten comes back the Huskies can survive Ross leaving and still make the NCAA's. If both Wroten and Ross come back the Huskies could be talking preseason final four and find themselves ranked in the top 15 heading into next year. These next few weeks are critical for Ross and Wroten's future at this program.

- Lorenzo Romar for the fifth time in his coaching career at Washington will have won some sort of conference championship. In 10 seasons at Washington Romar has produced eight winning seasons and has won 19 games or more eight times. He has won 20 games or more six times. Romar has a chance to win his second outright regular season conference title with a win against a team he was an assistent for so many years(including winning a national championship). With that win that would basically clinch Romar going to the NCAA tournament for the seventh time in the last nine years at Washington. He also improves to 13-7 all-time against the Trojans who had defeated the Huskies three out of four and five out of eight. This was a program the Huskies had struggled with and the Huskies won both games by over 20 points. Romar the veteran coach just like that has been down this road before and will remind his team to keep calm. In 2005 the Huskies were in the same position but lost to Stanford on the road while in 2009 they finished the deal defeating the Washington State Cougars to clinch the title. Like every year Romar is at Washington his team has improved as the season has gone on which is the sign of a good coach. Can this finally be the year Romar moves past the sweet 16? We'll find out in a few weeks.

Now this long season comes down to one regular season game for the Huskies. The Huskies have a chance to have their banner read "2011-12 Pac-12 regular season champions" rather than "2011-12 Pac-12 co-champions". Both banners would look nice but obviously the banner that doesn't include the words "Co" would look better. The Huskies took care of business in the conference through the first 17 games winning 14 of them and hopefully they can finish the deal this Saturday at UCLA. This has been a great ride which will remind most fans of the 2003-04 team which featured a young roster who finally matured and went on a winning streak. The Huskies will take on a Bruins team they have defeated four times in a row. The Huskies did their job against the Trojans and now they know there is just one game left. As Romar told his team the Huskies goal wasn't to share it was to win the conference outright. Beating the Trojans was nice but the celebration won't happen until the Huskies defeat the Bruins.