NFL NFC East Breakdown

Our last NFL breakdown before the start of the season and It's one of my personal favorites. The NFC East has long been one of the most popular divisions in the league with the most popular teams in the league. This should be another exciting year for one of the most polarizing divisions in the NFL. Doesn't matter who your team is everyone checks to see how the NFC East does from week to week. Enjoy our NFL breakdown and tell us about your teams in the comments.

Dallas Cowboys: How 'bout them Cowboys? This has to be one of the best offenses in the NFL. Tony Romo, Jason Witten and his posse of tight ends, Dez Bryant and this receiving corp, DeMarco Murray and Lance Dunbar, and this big mean o-line. Offensively they should be one of the best if the play calling is balanced and players can stay healthy. This defense is very young and last season they had so many injuries it seemed like they were hiring anyone off the streets that could wear a helmet. I expect them to be better than last season especially in regards to this secondary, they have talent but have struggled to produce. Depending on injuries I could see this Cowboys going 9-7 or 8-8. Not sure if that will be good enough for a playoff shot but I believe they will have a chance.

New York Giants: Eli Manning will be the downfall or hero of the Giants' season. Last season he threw 27 interceptions, most of all QBs in the leagues. In his defense he didn't have great targets due to injury but this is a QuarterBack's league and everything is the QBs fault. They need someone to step up in this running game. I like Rashad Jennings and I believe he will play well for the Giants. This defense was good last year and they should get better. Just like the Cowboys I have no idea how the Giants' season will go, I see them either going 8-8 or 9-7. We'll see if they are able to make the playoffs, if they don't I can't see Eli Manning wearing a Giants' jersey much longer.

Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Manning and Nick Foles may become friends by the end of this season, they both will decide how their teams do. Nick Foles will be praying he can have the season he did last year or he will get the blame. They lost DeSean Jackson from this receiving corp and I believe it will have a big impact on the flow of their offense, without Jackson they will rely more on the run game. This defense will be good just as they always are in regards to the run game. Their pass defense however was last in the league last year so they will need to improve in that area. Something that makes the NFC East so exciting is how equal the teams seem to be, I can see the Eagles going 9-7 or 8-8 and I believe this division is theirs to lose.

Washington Redskins: Will this season determine RGIII's NFL career. The Redskins have made it clear he is their starting QuarterBack but to me it seems they have also said if he does not meet expectations he won't be their QB of the future. I like RGIII's game and believe he can excel in this league, I will be rooting for him all season. The Redskins did a great job of loading this offense with weapons in DeSean Jackson, Alfred Morris, and Pierre Garcon. Their defense didn't play very well last season but they are young and should be improving game to game. Again I see them being in contention for the NFC title with a record of 8-8 or 9-7.

NFL AFC East Breakdown

This is one of the up and coming divisions in this AFC conference. I really like the rosters these teams have, they're young and they are going to be the future powerhouses in the NFL. These past few years everyone but the Patriots have not played very good football, the Patriots have won the division 10 out of the last 11 years. Will this be the year we see another one of these teams in the playoffs? Let us know what you think. Comment below and let us know who you think will win the AFC East. #BeHeard

Buffalo Bills: Not many people outside of Buffalo realize the Bills were number 2 in rushing yards per game. They didn't have much of a passing game and relied almost solely on the legs of their running backs. Their pick of Sammy Watkins in the draft will help their receiving corp get better, it also gives EJ Manuel someone to grow with. I love this young core of C.J. Spiller, EJ Manuel, and Sammy Watkins, these Bills fans should be excited not only for their players but also for the potential change in ownership. This Bills team looks very promising for a successful future. This season they will still have their growing pains, I expect them to go 6-10.

Miami Dolphins: I believe in this Dolphins' team because they have great talent on both sides of the ball and I expect them to perform better this season. Ryan Tannehill is probably one of the most underrated quarterbacks in this league, he throws the ball well and is a great leader for his team. Adding Knowshon Moreno was a great addition to this team and will add another aspect to this offense. After some unfortunate events, last season really hurt this team but I expect them to learn and grow from mistakes and make a great run this season. With their schedule I predict they will go 9-7 and have a shot to make the playoffs.

New England Patriots: This used to be Tom Brady's team and while he is their leader their success does not depend on him. Rob Gronkowski and the receivers on this team not only affect the outcome of each game but they as well control team chemistry. Last year was a great example of this as these young receivers struggled a few weeks and Tom Brady became frustrated destroying team chemistry for this squad. For this team to make the playoffs and win a few playoff games will rely solely on the back of this defense, they need to get stops and improve from a subpar, injury riddled 2013 campaign. I can see them easily going 10-6, winning the division, but I don't believe this is a SuperBowl caliber team.

New York Jets: What will be the storyline this year for the Jets? Rex Ryan is out of a job? Geno Smith the next quarterback to drive disgruntled Jet's fans to insanity? I really like the addition of Michael Vick to this team, he will help Geno Smith develop into a good quarterback. Eric Decker will also help greatly in Smith's development. This is a team that prides themselves on defense and they have a team that can play with some of the best offensive teams in this league. While a good defense is a plus in this offensive driven league it won't get you very far. It's safe to assume this team will go 5-11 this season. They have talent but it is not developed yet and that will show.

NFL NFC West Breakdown

I feel like every division in the NFL has 2-3 teams that have potential on paper to make the playoffs. This NFC West division I can potentially see all four teams having a legitimate shot at the postseason. For the last two season this division has produced the NFC Champions, the 49ers in 2012-2013 almost winning the Super Bowl, and the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl this last season. Expect this division to be top notch in this league.

Arizona Cardinals: I've always been a Carson Palmer fan and last season he played well with this Cardinals offense. With targets like Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and Ted Gin Jr they will be an excellent passing team. Not only will their passing game be good but I have always thought Andre Ellington was a great player; he will help balance out this offense. Arizona to me has the best secondary in the NFL. With two shut down corners on the outsides, Antonio Cromartie and Patrick Peterson, teams are going to have a hard time running on the ends and getting receivers down field. They have two young safeties, Deone Bucannon and Tyrann Mathieu, combined they have 1 year NFL experience between them but they are both extremely talented, good tackling safeties. With their schedule I don't expect the Cardinals to win more than 8 games. I predict they will go 8-8 and miss the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers this season need to work on their passing game. They ranked 3rd in rushing yards per game but were 30th in passing yards a game. With receivers, Michael Crabtreee and Anquan Boldin, they need someone to step up and become that 3rd option for them. Their running game looks even better than last year. They have four great backs that should make this team the number one rushing team in the league. I love the old school ground and pound, good defense football and the 49ers are that team to the T. This is a great team and I have them winning this division with a record of 11-5. 

Seattle Seahawks: Our Super Bowl champs look this season to be only the 8th team ever to win back to back Super Bowls. All you Seattle Seahawks' fans, bandwagon or not, please jump down my throat; Seattle will not win Super Bowl XLIX. They won't even make it to the Super Bowl game. I don't trust Russel Wilson and their passing game. Seattle lost it's number 1 receiver from last year, Golden Tate, and even with Tate on the squad they ranked 26th in passing yards per game. With the absence of Golden Tate, Percy Harvin, needs to step in a replace that production and I don't trust Harvin to stay healthy. Expect teams to find ways to get around this defense, coaches will look at the tape and get more clever with their offensive schemes. With their schedule I have them going 10-6 grabbing a Wild Card spot.

St. Louis Rams: Ah, the poor Rams. Stuck in one of the best divisions, they finally get a team good enough to compete, and then the injury bug bites them in the butt. They have a great offensive line, two great backs in Zac Staley and rookie Tre Mason. The only questions regarding this offense is their passing game, I'm not sold on Sam Bradford and these receivers really need to step up their game if this team wants to win any games. Their defense is very young but seems to be getting better and better each season. They will improve especially their secondary. With the schedule they have they should be 8-8 missing the playoffs yet again.

SFS 8 Team College Football Playoff Proposal

The 2014 college football season kicks off in less than a week and this year marks the debut of the new 4 team college football playoff. While I believe the CFB playoff is a big step above its BCS predecessor, I still believe there is more room for improvement before we have another mess on our hands.

A 4 team playoff isn't nearly enough to determine a true post-season champion, and I believe this system will quickly draw criticism which compares to that of the "top 2 teams" BCS method. There are 5 major conferences in the nation, and It's only fair that the championship winner from each of the major conferences should get a bid into the playoffs. Aren't we trying to prove which conference is the best in the nation each year anyways? This is up for debate every year and will continue to be if a conference champion is left on the outside looking in. The best of the best need to be put up against each other to honestly answer this question effectively.

Of course there is a conundrum we have to solve here with at least 5 teams needing a spot in a 4 team playoff. That's why I, along with many others, propose an 8 team playoff system. This type of system guarantees each top conference champion a spot in the playoffs, and gives 3 other really good teams a chance at college football glory. But how will it work? Well, I think there are a couple of different methods that could be used to determine how this system would work.  

Of all the proposals I've heard from around the web I believe this is how I would like to see the 8 team playoff seeded:

5 seeds guaranteed to each of the major conference champions.

2 seeds guaranteed to the next best records of major conference teams or independents. (3 seeds if 1 non-major conference champion is not ranked Top 12)

1 seed from the best conference champion from the“Group of 5"- AAC, MWC, C-USA, MAC & SunBelt or an independent. (Determined by strength of schedule, W/L record, etc…) (0 seeds if not ranked in the Top 12)

I think this is the best method of seeding because it features not only the best from each of the major conferences, but features the next 2 best teams from the major conferences or an independent team. It also gives 1 team from a non-major conference a chance to “bust” into the playoff bracket. Some may disagree with the 1 non-major conference champion getting in, but I think it is only fair for what could be a great team to have a chance in the playoffs. Having a top 12 exception clause for the “Group of 5” should calm down the naysayers, as it will weed out those teams that don’t have a strong strength of schedule or multiple losses.

I think the next question to be answered is how the major bowls would be addressed. Again, I think there are multiple methods that could be used, but here are the two proposed methods that I think could work.

This method below features all 6 of the major bowls in the quarterfinals and semifinals, and they would continually rotate every year just like they do now in the 4 team playoff method. The Final game would be played at a major stadium as it’s own venue just like it is now in the 4 team playoff method.

The next proposed method below has 4 of the major bowl games played in the quarterfinals and the remaining 2 being played by ranked teams 9-12. Again, the bowls would continually rotate every year. The semifinals and finals would then be played at one or two major stadiums kind of the like final 4 in basketball.

Of these two methods, I am more fond of the latter version. I like the idea of 4 major bowls being used in the quarterfinals, and the other 2 major bowls being used for those who didn't quite make the playoff. I think having the semi-finals and finals being played at one or two remote locations will make for great football competition and an enjoyable viewing experience. 

Some might argue that playing 2 additional post-season games is too many, but I disagree. Most schools have there semesters completed by the middle of December, so there should be plenty of time for the student-athletes to get there final exams complete and start preparing for their CFB post-seasons.

Now that the bowls have been addressed some might say that there is one more loose end to clean up: The playoff selection committee. I actually agree with cutting this loose end to a point. That point being the 4 team playoff method. It seems to me that the selection committee has been set up to fail because there will always be two or three teams who feel they deserve to be there, and most of the time those teams do deserve to be there. I think the selection committee will quickly draw more hateful criticism than the BCS computers could ever imagine. This is another clear reason why the 8 team playoff system is the better option with a selection committee, and I am proponent of that committee if it's selecting 8 teams.

I am looking forward to the new college football playoff, and I am hopeful for the addition of 4 more teams. What do you think? Do you agree? Do you disagree? How do you think the college football playoff should be run? #BeHeard with your comments below and let us know!

- Nick H

NFL AFC West Breakdown

The AFC West is another one of those conferences with a lot of great teams and whenever they get together you can't help but turn on your television and watch a great game of football. Last season three of their teams made the AFC playoffs. We all remember the pitiful Super Bowl performance by the Denver Broncos, Kansas City's surprising playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts, San Diego's season turn around getting them into the playoffs, and the Raiders continued latest tradition of terrible teams and washed up draft picks.

In the ever changing National Football League you never know if a team will go from worst to first or first to worst. There are so many little things that can change the entire outcome of a team's season: injuries, suspensions, and players not performing to expectations. Read our breakdown of the AFC West and let us know which team you think will win. 

Denver Broncos: It's very hard to root against a team that has arguably the best Quarterback of all time.  They lost Eric Decker and Knowshon Moreno. I don't believe Emmanuel Sanders is the same player Eric Decker is but he will have Peyton Manning throwing to him, I expect his numbers to go up and help this offense. I really like the talent they added to their defense. DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, and Aqib Talib are excellent additions. This team took a hit on offense but they got better overall as a team. I expect them to have another great year going 12-4 and winning the AFC West division. 

Kansas City Chiefs: After a disappointing end to their 2013 season and even more disappointing playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts, this Chiefs team needs to get back to the way they were playing football when they started 2013 with a 9-0 run. They didn't really make any changes this offseason, as their players are healthy and they should be able to win some games. Alex Smith and Dwayne Bowe are sure to have a great year together. I like Alex Smith as their quarterback and if this offensive line can protect him, expect some big numbers. Expect them to go 10-6, and with that record they should be able to grab a wild card spot in the playoffs.

Oakland Raiders: You can't help but feel bad for the Raiders. With Al Davis gone they keep trying to sign talented athletes, coaches, etc, unfortunately despite their efforts nothing seems to be working for them. I really liked their pick-up of Matt Schaub and Maurice Jones-Drew. These players will add more weapons to this offense and make play calling easier for this coaching staff. Look for their defense to get better as well. Despite that this team has to play in one of the toughest divisions with the Broncos, Chiefs, and Chargers, it's a safe bet to say they will not make the playoffs. With their schedule I predict they will go 6-10.

San Diego Chargers: I really like this Chargers team and believe they can be a good playoff team. There are still a lot of questions for this team however. This offensive squad has had some rough times but last year they seemed to turn that around and put some points on the board. I expect them to keep up that intensity as they didn't lose much talent on that side of the ball. This defense should be getting better as these younger guys have had time to develop and get healthy. The question for their defense is how will Dwight Freeney play? He's 34 years old and nearing the end of his career. I liked him in Indianapolis with the Colts and I believe he will play well for the Chargers. The way their schedule is laid out I expect them to go 9-7 and they should have a shot at the playoffs with that record.

It's All About the Money

Many people have been up in arms whether college athletes should be paid for the "services" they give their respective schools. The argument is these players make too much money for these schools to not get something in return. I will be telling you my opinion on the matter and I encourage you to disagree if that's what you believe. SportsFansSpeak is about the fans and their opinions, if you disagree BeHeard by commenting on this article, if you agree with what I say then comment as well. Don't let your voice go unheard.

Let me just start with what I think is the right thing to do. Players should not get paid. Let me throw out a few numbers of how much a full ride athletic scholarship includes. Tuition for major universities is getting more and more expensive every year. The average price of tuition at a couple major universities was $29,671 annually. These athletes are getting $29,671 of annual tuition for playing 12 football games. The scholarships also pay for room and board, this includes housing and meal plans, the average price for room and board comes out to be $9,067 a year. One of the most dreaded parts of college is buying the books for classes. Athletic scholarships, of course, cover the costs of books. The average price for books a year came out to be $1,009. Schools usually give athletes personal money for transportation, hygiene, etc. The average for major universities comes out to $1,939 a year. The total value of an athletic scholarship cannot be completely understood as most universities offer their athletes free tutoring, buildings designed only for athletes to study and get help with their school work, counselors, etc. The total amount of money they receive a year comes out to $41,686. Seems to me like that is plenty of "pay" for an 18 year old kid. I can't think of any 18 year olds that are earning $41,686 a year.

A lot of these athletes come from underprivileged families and they want to help their families to flourish and be successful. I respect that and I believe these young men should be commended for their efforts in helping their families, but should they be paid for that? They are already getting money for their families or they at least have the option to. The NCAA Student Assistance Fund gave out $54 million worth of aid to students and their families. Do you still feel like athletes "need" this money?

For all of those athletes that care more about making lots of money rather than bettering themselves with a free college education should have an option as well. If they want to make millions of dollars major sports organizations should open their doors to any age joining their leagues. There are also many other options with developmental leagues, overseas teams, local leagues, the possibilities are endless for these athletes. Maybe they will learn to appreciate the privilege it is to play for a prestigious college team.

I am heavily opposed of college athletes getting paid, but they are not the only ones to blame for this debacle. Many of these schools are making more than $100 million off of their athletic programs, this money needs to go somewhere other than the pockets of the University Presidents. Give some of that money back to the schools, make tuition cheaper for all students, after all they are the fans, they are the ones buyings game tickets, jerseys, concessions, and becoming boosters, once they have paid off their grievous student loans. Don't the students deserve to go to the school they love at a cheaper price? Wouldn't that cause them to spend more money on the teams they love? To me that makes business sense, (haven't we heard so often that college sports are a business?), with lower tuition, more students will have money to spend on athletic events, merchandise, and eventually give back to the schools.

2014 PAC 12 Regular Season Predictions

College football is literally right around the corner. We at SportsFansSpeak we feel it only appropriate to start breaking down one of the top conferences that is very close to home. The PAC 12. 

The PAC 12 in my opinion is one of the deepest conferences in college football. From top to bottom almost anything can happen at any moment. Fast offenses, great defenses and quick quarterbacks, the PAC has it all. Here is our regular season predictions for the PAC 12.

NORTH

1. Oregon 11-1 (9-0) North Division Winner

It’s hard to count Oregon out of anything when it comes to football. They are a deep team with a very serious candidate for the Heisman award with returning QB Marcus Mariota. Mariota played out of his mind last year, going his first 9 games without a single interception. He’s fast and makes defenders pay with his quick feet. They also return all 5 of their offensive lineman, and a great RB core. Offense should not be a problem for Oregon.

Defense on the other hand could. Yes, they seem to get a good defense going every year, but it seems to me like the defense could yet again be the ahilles heel of this team. That’s why I see them taking a loss against Michigan State early in the year.

I think the Ducks will beat all their opponents coming out of the North, and the only real threat I see coming from their division is Stanford. However, it’s hard to see Stanford pulling off another upset in what looks to be like a little bit of a rebuild year for them. I do believe the Ducks will see the UCLA Bruins twice this year as well. I think they grab the first one in the regular season play, but I think they get edged by them in the PAC 12 Championship game.

Wins: South Dakota, Wyoming, at Washington St, Arizona, Washington, Cal, Stanford, Colorado, at Oregon State, UCLA

Losses: Michigan State

2. Stanford 9-3 (6-3)

Stanford has had a decent run these past couple of years under head coach David Shaw. He has really taken the program above and beyond what a lot of people expected. Last year was a good season for the PAC 12 conference champion, but it kind of ended sour with it’s loss to the Michigan State Spartans in the Rose Bowl. Sadly, I believe this year will continue to be a bit more sour for the Cardinal.

Sour to the point where they won’t be winning the PAC 12 this year. Don’t get me wrong though.. Stanford will still be a very competitive team and will win most of its games, but there’s a lot of question marks that will need to be answered on one particular side of the ball. The offense. The cardinal will lose 4 out of 5 O-Line starters this year, which leaves the question mark of whether Kevin Hogan will feel comfortable in the pocket. That O-Line was his secret sauce, and while there is a lot of good talent coming in to replace those guys; how long will it take them to put together a solid O-Line? Luckily Hogan still has Ty Montgomery, who is an absolutely incredible receiver, who should help give Stanford a lot of wins. I just don’t think one of those wins will come against Oregon or UCLA this year. I think they’ll also have a potential matchup nightmare against USC in their second game this year, and I find it hard to see the Cardinal running much offense against Leonard Williams and company while trying to figure out that O-Line.  

Their defense on the other hand looks to be impressive, and that’s why they should still be a threat to every team they face. They do have to replace some holes, but there are plenty of high quality defenders coming back this year along with some highly recruited young talent. This should be enough to get the Cardinal to get to 9-3, but something tells me that Cardinal fans will not be happy with that.

Wins: UC Davis, Army, at Washington, at Norte Dame, Washington State, at Arizona State, Oregon State, Utah, Cal

Losses: USC, at Oregon, at UCLA

3. Oregon State 8-4 (5-4)

The Beavers can be an interesting team to follow every year. They were off to a bad start in 2013, and then things picked up a little mid season for them, but the remainder of their season was awful. The biggest thing they lack is consistency, and I think that will show again this year.

Sean Mannion will be returning to the offense this year along with a decent core of WR’s, TE’s and RB’s. A lot of folks think Mannion will be a darkhorse Heisman candidate, but I think it’s a long shot with what he’s surrounded with. He won’t have his star WR Brandin Cooks back on the field, but maybe someone else steps up to catch his passes. Still, I don’t think it will be enough to get some of the big wins they’ll be hunting for this season.

Defense could also be a question mark for the Beavers this year as well. Last year they were just bad, even more so against the run. They do return a decent amount of linebackers this year, but will they be able to lead this defense back to a competitive level? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. They should still should have a decent enough team to get them to the 3rd spot in the North with a nice bowl bid.

Wins: Portland State, at Hawaii, San Diego State, at Colorado, Utah, Cal, Washington State, Arizona State

Losses: at USC, at Stanford, Oregon, at Washington

4. Washington 7-5 (4-5)

Chris Peterson is finally getting his shot at the big time as the new head coach for the Huskies. I can’t help but be optimistic about the future he has with Washington. He built Boise State into a powerhouse, and they became a nightmare for other teams around the nation. Now he hopes to bring that same mentality to Washington, and being in the PAC 12 can only make things better for him.

I don’t think we will see Coach Peterson’s success right away because they’re are still a lot of kinks that need to be worked out on the team. The offense is going to be the biggest weak link in the armor. Washington does return a hefty group of O-Lineman, but they have key losses with Bishop Sankey, Keith Price and Austin Seferian-Jenkins. I’m just not sure where they’re going to find the offense with a new QB and RB. I feel the offense will be rebuilding this year.

Luckily, Coach Peterson has a stout defense returning this year.  The front 7 are arguably the best behind UCLA. It features two of the best defensive lineman this conference has to offer with DE Hau’oli Kihaha and DT Danny Shelton. They will also have Marcus Peters returning to the secondary unit, who might be one of the best corners coming out of the league this year. This defense should be good enough to bring in a decent amount of wins and a bowl game, and with Coach Peterson at the helm I don’t think it will be too long before Huskies become a serious contender in the PAC 12.

Wins: at Hawaii, E. Washington, Illinois, Georgia State, at Cal, at Colorado, Oregon State, at Washington State

Losses: Stanford, at Oregon, Arizona State, at Arizona, UCLA

5. Washington State 6-6 (3-6)

Coach Mike Leach’s offenses are a pass first, and then pass again, and again, and again, and always. Surprisingly it was good enough to get them to a bowl game last year, but it failed them against Colorado State in that bowl game. I’m a believer in a balanced offense, and I think if Coach Leach and the Cougars want to get more wins they need to run a more balanced attack.

It's not that an all out passing attack can't be successful every now and then,  but it still leads to a lot of 3rd down attempts, a lot of 3rd and 10’s, and eventually leads to a lot of quick 3-and-Outs. That’s a lot of time for the Cougar defense to be on the field, and that Cougar defense is going to be about as average as it was last year. That’s why I have a hard time with this offense.  Again, I feel it needs to be more balanced.

The Cougars should be good enough to get back to a bowl game, and I see them also pulling off an upset against USC at home. I just have a hard time seeing them do much more than 6 wins.

Wins: Rutgers, at Nevada, Portland State, California, Arizona, USC

Losses: Oregon, at Utah, at Stanford, at Oregon State, at Arizona State, Washington

6. California 2-10 (1-8)

There’s not a whole lot to be excited about for the lowly California Bears. With winning only one game last year there’s no where to go but up, unless of course they don’t win any games this year. Let just hope that doesn’t happen for the sake of the conference.

Cal should improve this season to two wins. That’s not a lot, but it is improvement! Sadly, there are still too many question marks surrounding this terrible (just terrrribbblee) team. The offense might see some bright spots this year, but it won’t be enough.   

Best of luck Cal.

Wins: at Northwestern, Sacramento State

Losses: at Arizona, Colorado, at Washington State, Washington, UCLA, Oregon, at Oregon State, at USC, Stanford, BYU

SOUTH

1. UCLA 11-1 (8-1) South Division Winner, Conference Champion

UCLA is the team that I think will turn a lot of heads this season. They had a pretty decent season last year, but lacked some of the experience to win the South Division and ultimately the PAC 12. They return starting QB Brett Hundley, who in my opinion is set up to be the best QB's in the PAC 12 this year. He’s also my pick for the Heisman award. The only real worry I have for the Bruins offense this year will be their young O-Line. However, Hundley is a great QB and has plenty of offensive weapons to use this year, including his own two feet.

The biggest strength for the Bruins is going to be their defense. The front 7 is the best the PAC 12 has to offer this season, and they’re going to be a tough team to move the ball against. Miles Jack will be the face of the Bruin defense this season, and he will be a key factor in leading them to the PAC 12 Championship game.

The Bruins have both Oregon and Stanford at home this year, but I don’t think they’ll be ready to take out Oregon just yet. However, I do see them getting the job done against Oregon in the PAC 12 Championship game. I’m hopeful that they’ll be the team that will represent the PAC 12 for the first time in the College Football playoff. That one loss though might barely edge them out. Let’s just hope it doesn't.

Wins: at Virginia, Memphis, at Texas, at Arizona State, Utah, at Cal, at Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Stanford, USC

Losses: Oregon

2. USC 9-3 (6-3)

USC’s program has struggled quite a bit until recently. They had a decent season last year and are looking to improve upon that this upcoming season. I just find it hard to see their new head coach Steve Sarkisian getting them much further this season. Coach Sark really hasn’t shown me that he can coach a championship caliber team yet, which is really the bar for USC. However, I do think he has the talent to get them there in the near future. I just think for this season the hype surrounding him and the Trojans has been set a little too high for that expectation.

USC returns a strong running game back to the field this year, but I still don’t think it will be enough to get them to the top of the South Division. What they lack is depth, and I’m not sure that their returning QB Cody Kessler is the guy who can really command this offense as a playmaker. I think this will be the fault in USC’s season. However, when you consider Coach Sark’s recruiting ability, and his QB coaching experience, I think we can see this USC squad getting pretty good in the upcoming years. Then maybe they’ll get to that championship.

The highlight for this team will be the defense. Leonard Williams will be the star again of this defense, and it’s crazy to think that he played last year with shoulder trouble. He’ll be a beast again without the injury, and should make a lot of stops on the line this year. He’s only one of the many playmakers on this defense that should be able to get a few key wins this year. They do lack depth in the secondary, which is why I think they take another loss at Washington State this year. I also think they have a few more bumps along the way at Utah and against UCLA.

Wins: Fresno State, at Stanford, at Boston College, Oregon State, at Arizona, Colorado, Cal, Norte Dame

Losses: at Utah, at Washington State, at UCLA

3. Arizona State 8-4 (5-4)

The Arizona State Sun Devils are going to be one of the more interesting teams to watch this year. The PAC 12 South champs will bring back an explosive offense with the return of starting QB Taylor Kelly at the helm, and a deep WR core. It will be fun to see how much Kelly will improve next year, and he could very well be one of the best QB's in the nation.

The biggest question mark is going to be the Sun Devils defense. Will they be able to stay competitive with the loss of 9 starters from last season? That’s basically their whole squad. I think that’s why they’ll take a step backwards this season. The offenses this young Devils squad will face this year are going to be a handful, and I don’t think Kelly will be able to do enough to beat some of the better teams in the PAC 12.

It’ll be hard to see such a highly ranked offense suffer due to a poor defense, but with taking a step backward this year it’s hard to doubt that the former South Champs will take 2 steps forward once they get that defense figured out.

Wins: Weber State, at New Mexico, at Colorado, at Washington, Utah, Norte Dame, Washington State, at Arizona.

Losses: UCLA, at USC, Stanford, at Oregon State

4. Utah 7-5 (4-5)

It’s going to be very interesting to see what the Utes can do this season if the team stays healthy. Starting on offense, the Utes get back two key playmakers who went down to injury last year. QB Travis Wilson, and WR Kenneth Scott. Wilson was looking pretty good last season, especially in that game against Stanford, before crap hit the fan and a pre-existing brain injury nearly ended his football career. This season will be a good opportunity for him to bounce back on what looked like a promising breakout season for him. Kenneth Scott was also projected to have a breakout season for the Utes last year, but ended up breaking his leg instead. Scott will give the Utes another option down the field and should open up the lanes for WR Dres Anderson. If the Utes are going to win games in the PAC 12, the offense must stay healthy because there is not a lot of depth that can replace the talent they have.

Defense should improve this year as well, especially with the addition of Brian Blechen, who also went down with an injury last year. The Utah defense has always been competitive year after year and should continue to cause some problems for the teams they face this year.

A majority of Utah’s losses against ranked opponents last year (other than Oregon) were within a touchdown. If they can stay healthy, I can see the Utes having a couple of opportunities to win some of those games that come down to the wire. I think they can pull off at least one upset against USC or Oregon this year like they did against Stanford last year, and my pick is going to be against USC. They won’t be contending for the championship by any means this year, and I think they’ll struggle again to win on the road against PAC 12 teams, but they will improve to a bowl game and finally have a decent season since joining the conference 3 years ago.

Wins: Idaho State, Fresno State, at Michigan, Washington State, USC, Arizona, at Colorado

Losses: at UCLA, at Oregon State, at Arizona State, Oregon, at Stanford

5. Arizona 6-6 (3-6)

I don’t expect Arizona to be a real threat this year. They will start off strong with a fairly easy non-conference schedule, but they will quickly fall near the bottom of the PAC 12. The Wildcats lose some key pieces on it’s offense this year. The biggest name being Ka’Deem Carey. Carey literally carried the Wildcat offense on his back and really stretched the field for Senior QB B.J. Denker. With the loss of both Denker and Carey, it’s going to be hard for the Wildcats to craft an explosive offense back to the field this season. They do have some QB hopefuls who will make their debut this year, but I think it will take more than a few games to get this offense figured out without Carey.

I also worry about the Wildcat defense, as they will lose three of their top defenders: Jake Fisher, Marquis Flowers, and sack leader Sione Tuihalamaka. They do have a nice piece to build around with the return of their 4th leading tackler Scooby Wright, but I feel the Wildcat defense will struggle to stop the explosive offenses they will see this year.

With struggles on both sides of the ball, I predict that this will be a rebuilding year for head coach Rich Rodriguez. However, it won’t be long before the Wildcats are back competing at a high level. I predict the Wildcats will go 6-6 (3-6), and still make it to a bowl game.

Wins: UNLV, at UTSA, Nevada, California, Colorado, Washington

Losses: at Oregon, USC, at Washington St, at UCLA, at Utah, Arizona State

6. Colorado 4-8 (1-8)

Last year the Colorado Buffaloes saw great improvement to 4 wins from the 1 they had in 2012, and it was nice to see them turn some heads with a glimpse of their up and coming future. The offense returns young QB Sefo Liufau, who will have a chance to make this Buffs team his this season. However, in spite of how hopeful Sefo looked on the field last year, I still don’t think it will be enough for the Buffs to make a huge difference this year. The offense will have it’s moments both good and bad, but it’s not an offense that’s worth comparing to some of the top dogs in the PAC 12 this year.

The defense does return some starters this year and should see some improvement in multiple positions on the field. That improvement won’t be much though because the Buffs haven’t really shined when it comes to facing the explosive offenses the PAC 12 has to offer. They’re still trying to play catch-up since joining the conference 3 years ago, and I don’t think they’ll be quick enough this year to really stop many teams.

The Buffs are looking to prove a lot of people wrong this year, but it won’t be enough. “Enough” though, may be making it’s way very soon in a few years.. I predict that Colorado will finish the season at 4-8 (1-8)

Wins: at CSU, at MASS, Hawaii, at California

Losses: Arizona State, Oregon State, at USC, UCLA, Washington, at Arizona, at Oregon, Utah

- Nick H.