Well now that the season is starting in full force this weekend, I have my last preview up just in time. In this article, I will preview the Pac 12 North. If you are looking for a specific team, they are listed in alphabetical order.

California

Last Season

Cal started off 3-0 last season with wins over North Carolina, BYU, and Idaho State in non-conference play. The Golden Bears then had their record even out as they lost to Oregon, Arizona, and UCLA. They blew out Oregon State the next week and followed that up with an upset win over Washington to move up to 5-3. They hung close, but lost at Washington State. Cal then actually beat USC for the first time since 2003 and won at USC for the first time since 2001. They then beat Colorado, but fell in the Big Game to Stanford to finish the regular season 7-5. In a historically ugly Cheez-It Bowl matchup with TCU, Cal unfortunately fell short and finished out the season 7-6.

Offense

Cal platooned quarterbacks for awhile last season. Chase Garbers and Brandon McIlwain both took their fair share of snaps before Garbers fully became the guy later on in the season. On the season, he completed 61% of his passes but had a rough touchdown to interception ratio of 14/10. UCLA graduate transfer Devon Modster came in to compete with Garbers for the starting job this offseason but Garbers was still named the starter. Garbers will look to take a step forward this season. At running back, the Golden Bears lose their leading rusher from last season in Patrick Laird. Laird led the team in rushing yards for the last two seasons and will be a tough guy to replace. Laird took the bulk of the carries last season and after him, there is no running back on the roster who ran for more than 150 yards last season. Christopher Brown will be the next man up at running back after seeing some time during his freshman season in 2018. Marcel Dancy and junior college transfer DeShawn Collins will also get some looks. Cal loses their top four leading receivers from last season. Vic Wharton is gone after leading the team in receiving yards last season. Moe Ways also started and will be gone, and the same goes for Kanawi Noa. Laird led the team in catches and receiving touchdowns as well. Jordan Duncan tied for first on the team in receiving touchdowns last season and will fill in one of the spots. Duncan will likely be the team’s best receiver. Ricky Walker will fill at one of the other spots. Nikko Remigio will play in the slot. Michigan transfer Kekoa Crawford will get some reps at receiver as well. At tight end, Ian Bunting is gone and will be replaced by redshirt freshman McCallan Castles. On the offensive line, Cal returns three starters. Tackle Patrick Mekari will be tough to replace. Tackle Jake Curhan will be the team’s best offensive lineman. Overall, the offensive line might struggle this season and will need to improve if the offense wants to be effective.

Defense

At nose guard, the Golden Bears lose Chris Palmer who was a starter last season. Luc Bequette is shifting down from defensive end to take the spot. In 2018, Bequette had a strong showing. Although his numbers might dip due to the position change, he will be just effective if not more so. The spot left by Bequette will go to Lone Toailoa. Toailoa played a backup role last season. Cal loses their other defensive end as Rusty Becker graduated. Becker did well last season when healthy. Filling in Becker’s spot will be Zendae Johnson. Johnson has some starting experience and will be a solid starter for the Golden Bears. At inside linebacker, Cal loses Jordan Kunaszyk. Kunaszyk had a whopping 148 tackles last season and added another 11 tackles for loss. His replacement at inside linebacker will be junior college transfer Kuony Deng. Deng was a four-star recruit and one of the top junior college players in the country last season. He should make an immediate impact. Back at middle linebacker is Evan Weaver. Weaver, who was originally recruited as a defensive end, put up 159 tackles last season en route to a first team all-Pac 12 nod and clearly has a nose for the ball. He will be a major impact player on this defense and could be the best at his position in the conference. Alex Funches is gone at outside linebacker after starting last season. In his spot will be Cameron Goode. Goode started in 2017 but went down for the season in 2018 with an injury in the first game. Tevin Paul is back at the rush linebacker spot after starting in 2018. Paul had 11 tackles for loss last season. Chinedu Udeogu could also see time. This group of linebackers is very strong and will be the strength of the defense and likely the strength of the team. Every significant player in the secondary returns for the Golden Bears. At cornerback, Camryn Bynum finished fourth on the team in tackles and had a team leading 10 pass deflections. Elijah Hicks also returns at cornerback after starting in 2018. Traveon Beck saw time last season at cornerback and will play the nickel back spot when it is used. Beck picked off three passes in 2018. Jaylinn Hawkins returns at strong safety. Hawkins picked off an impressive six passes last season. Ashtyn Davis is back at free safety. Davis was third on the team in tackles and added another four interceptions. Davis and Hawkins will be a great duo at safety. Greg Thomas is back at kicker. While he was 32/32 on extra points last season, he was a shaky 12/17 on field goals. Gabe Siemieniec will be a kickoff specialist. Stephen Coutts returns at punter after downing 37 punts inside the 20 last season.

Coaching Staff

Former Washington defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox is back for his third season as head coach. Wilcox struggled the first couple seasons but looks to have Cal on an upward trajectory. Beau Baldwin was a huge hire at offensive coordinator when the Golden Bears lured him away from Eastern Washington. Unfortunately, he has not done too much in his first two seasons. While he does not have a ton of talent to work with, he will be under some pressure to succeed this season. Former Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter is back for year three as defensive coordinator. DeRuyter has done excellent in his time at Berkeley and should be in consideration for a head coaching job at a G5 school if he keeps it up. Peter Sirmon was promoted from inside linebackers coach to co-defensive coordinator this past offseason.

Final Prediction

The Golden Bears are in a bit of a weird spot this season. This team’s defense, especially the linebackers and secondary, will be elite and an absolute chore to play against. On offense, they really have no weapons or players that strike fear in the heart of opponents. Justin Wilcox hoped to have turned a corner last season, but I would not call his hiring a success quite yet. Tim DeRuyter was an amazing hire at defensive coordinator. On offense, Beau Baldwin will have to get creative and savvy this season when it comes to generating yards. On defense, Cal will need to generate turnovers and big plays or anything to help the offense. On offense, if Garbers can take a step forward, it will be nice. They need to find a threat at receiver or especially running back. I just do not see this offense ever being competent this season and Cal going 5-7 despite an elite defense. I think they can hit bowl eligibility but their offense needs to figure something out.

Oregon

Last Season

Oregon started off 2018 with a 3-0 record as they destroyed a weak non-conference schedule. In their Pac 12 opener against Stanford, the Ducks blew a lead and fell 38-31 in overtime. They rebounded well with a win over Cal, then upset rival Washington in overtime which was a huge win. When they traveled to Washington State, things did not go as well as they fell 34-20. In their next game, the Ducks inexplicably lost 44-15 at Arizona. A win over UCLA was nice, but they lost again to Utah the next week. Oregon ended the regular season on a good note still as they beat Arizona State and rival Oregon State in the Civil War. Oregon also come out on top against Michigan State in the RedBox Bowl to finish the season 9-4.

Offense

It was great news for Ducks fans when quarterback Justin Herbert elected to return to school. Herbert is a very strong armed quarterback who threw for 3,151 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. While I think Herbert is a very good quarterback and I see why he has NFL scouts drooling, t think he needs to improve his accuracy and elevate his big game performance to be a truly elite college quarterback (Oregon fans if you are mad at me, I think Marcus Mariota is the best college quarterback of this decade). At running back, Oregon returns CJ Verdell who ran for 1,018 yards during his redshirt freshman season. Travis Dye was a very good secondary back last season and will also return. The Ducks lose Dillon Mitchell at receiver. Mitchell led the team with 75 catches for 1,184 yards. Both of those numbers were over double the next highest finisher. To replace Mitchell, the Ducks hit the graduate transfer market and signed Penn State transfer Juwan Johnson. Johnson was a two-year starter for Penn State and will be an impact player for the Ducks this season. Johnny Johnson is back at receiver after starting last season. Jaylon Redd will start at slot receiver after starting last season and finishing second on the team in catches and receiving yards. Bryan Addison is another player to watch for at receiver. Brenden Schooler and four-star true freshman Mycah Pittman are both out with injuries for the time being but could make an impact once they return. Jacob Breeland is back at tight end. Breeland was third on the team in receiving yards last season and is one of the best at his position in the conference. On the offensive line, Oregon returns all five starters on what will be the best offensive line in the conference and possibly the best in the country. Center Jake Hanson has started since his freshman season and is a nice anchor. Guard Shane Lemieux is another key player that will be a major impact. Tackle Penei Sewell had a great true freshman season and has the makings of a future first round draft pick. Guard Dallas Warmack and tackle Calvin Thockmorton round out the starting lineup. Tackle Brady Aiello will also see a lot of time.

Defense

At defensive end, the Ducks lose Jalen Jelks. Jelks has been Oregon’s best defensive lineman for awhile as he was an all-Pac 12 defensive lineman for two straight seasons. In his spot will be Gus Cumberlander who played a backup role last season. True freshman Kayvon Thibodeaux was the consensus top overall recruit in the country this past cycle and will surely play quite a bit as well and could take the starting gig by the end of the season. Jordon Scott returns at defensive tackle after starting last season. Gary Baker started as well last season but has been relegated to the bench with the shift in defense. He will still see time. Austin Faoliu is back at the other defensive tackle spot. DJ Johnson will play the stud position which is an outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid. At linebacker, the Ducks lose Kaulana Apelu. Apelu finished second on the team in tackles last season. They also lose Justin Hollins at outside linebacker. Hollins was a versatile player as he was third on the team in tackles, had seven pass deflections, and led the team with 14.5 tackles for loss. At middle linebacker, Isaac Slade-Matautia will get the nod. La’Mar Winston has starting experience and will start at outside linebacker. Outside linebacker Troy Dye elected to return to Eugene and hold off on the draft, which is huge for Oregon’s defense. Dye led the team with 115 tackles last season, his third straight season to lead the team in tackles. At cornerback, the Ducks return both starters. Deommodore Lenoir is a great athlete and did solid in his first season as a starter. Thomas Graham had 18 pass deflections and three interceptions last season. Graham is very sound in coverage and will look to get thrown at less this season. Freshmen DJ James and Mykael Wright will also get looks. At safety, the Ducks lose Ugo Amadi. Amadi was a quick and hard hitting safety who picked off three passes last season and was also very good as a punt returner. Amadi was a leader on the defense and will be missed. His replacement will be Jevon Holland who had five interceptions playing a backup role last season. Nick Pickett returns as the starter at the other safety spot. Oregon has been going through a battle for the starting kicker role all through camp. It looks as though Adam Stack will get the nod. Stack was a perfect 32/32 on extra points but struggled on field goals and was 6/10. Blake Maimone is back at punter.

Coaching Staff

Mario Cristobal is back for his third season as head coach. After being the third head coach in three seasons, Cristobal did pretty well in year one. He has worked as Oregon’s co-offensive coordinator in 2017 and was previously the head coach at FIU. Although FIU fired him, I think he did very well at the job. Marcus Arroyo is back for his third season as offensive coordinator. Arroyo and Cristobal are working to turn Oregon into a team that leans heavily on the run game and using the pistol offense, which is a stark contrast to the great Oregon teams earlier this decade. I think it is an interesting move, but can be a successful one if done right. Andy Avalos is starting his first season as defensive coordinator. Avalos had a lot of success as the defensive coordinator at Boise State before the Ducks hired him.

Final Prediction

After losing their way for a couple of seasons, Oregon has found their footing under Mario Cristobal. The Ducks did well last season and now will have heightened expectations attached to them for the first time in awhile. After getting to nine wins and beating Washington, Oregon already would have entered the season with hype, but they also return the vast majority of their starters from last season. Oregon has a pro caliber quarterback and an outstanding offensive line. On defense, they have some great talent that can be very effective as well. This team should be the best team in the Pac 12. They can turn into a playoff contender if they have skill position talent develop and if Justin Herbert plays like he did before his injury in 2017. On defense, they need to have a good pass rush. I expect Oregon to go 10-2 this season and win the Pac 12.

Oregon State

Last Season

Oregon State got blown out at Ohio State in the season opener. They were able to beat down FCS foe Southern Utah in their second game, but lost at Nevada the next week (they deserved to lose when they kneeled the clock down before trying to kick a game winning field goal while down two points). Their losses against Arizona and Arizona State were both by over 20 points. They kept it close with Washington State, but their defense could not hang. A 42 point loss to Cal was pretty rough. Oregon State fell behind against Colorado 31-3 but stormed back and won 41-34 in overtime. The Beavers hung with USC but fell short (at least Oregon State can say they cost USC a National Championship in 2008). Oregon State was then blown out by Stanford, kept it close with Washington, and were blown out by Oregon in the Civil War. Oregon State finished the season 2-10.

Offense

While he was given a run for his money by Nebraska transfer Tristan Gebbia, Jake Luton returns as the starting quarterback. Luton battled injuries through the season but completed 62% of his passes and had a touchdown to interception ratio of 10/4 while throwing for 7.4 yards per attempt. Luton is not very athletic, but he is a big quarterback at 6’7” and 230 pounds, and has a strong arm. At running back, the Beavers bring back Jermar Jefferson. In his true freshman season, Jefferson ran for 1,380 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jefferson was named freshman all-American and Pac 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year last season and will look to build upon that. He will be a tremendous player in Oregon State’s offense. Artavis Pierce is a good secondary back to have as well. Pierce ran for 408 yards last season on 7.6 yards per carry. BJ Baylor could also get some carries. At receiver, Oregon State loses Timmy Hernandez who was a starter and finished second on the team in catches and receiving yards. Trevon Bradford was a starter for Oregon State last season at receiver and will be out for the time being as the recovers from foot surgery he had at the end of April. Bradford finished third on the team in receiving yards and will be tough to play without. Isaiah Hodgins led the Beavers with 59 catches, 876 receiving yards, and five touchdowns and will be back. Nebraska transfer and former blue chip recruit Tyjon Lindsey will start at one of the other spots. The other starting gig at receiver will go to Champ Flemings. While Flemings is just 5’5” and 140 pounds, he is very quick and has done well as a kick returner. Jesiah Irish and Kolby Taylor will also get some reps at receiver. Noah Togiai is back as the starter at tight end, but Teagan Quitoriano could see time as well. Oregon State loses three starters on the offensive line. Center Sumner Houston was a three year starter and will be missed. They did add a graduate transfer at center in Nathan Eldridge. Eldridge started for Arizona in 2016 and 2017 but missed last season with an injury before transferring to Oregon State. He will be a definite impact player on the line. Guard Gus Lavaka and tackle Blake Brandel will also be solid.

Defense

At defensive end, Oregon State loses Kalani Vakameilalo who was a starter last season. His replacement will be LaMone Williams. Williams saw limited action as a backup last season. Isaac Hodgins returns at defensive end after starting last season but could get beat out by junior college transfer Jordan Whittley. Hodgins looks to be the favorite, but Whittley has had a really good camp and will definitely play some. Elu Aydon is a behemoth at 6’2” and 365 pounds and returns as the starting nose guard. Oregon State had the second worst run defense in the FBS and allowed 6.8 yards per run, so this unit will need to improve. At outside linebacker, the Beavers will be without Jonathan Willis who was a part time starter last season. The outside linebacker unit also was hit with some tough news as they found out Andrzej Hughes-Murray will be out indefinitely and possibly for the season with a foot injury. Hughes-Murray was a starter last season for the Beavers. While he is out, former backup Matthew Tago will take his spot. The other outside linebacker position will go to Oklahoma transfer Addison Gumbs. Gumbs was a blue chip recruit out of high school and saw limited time during his freshman season with the Sooners. He then got hurt right before his sophomore season and ended up transferring. John McCartan and Hamilcar Rashed will also see time at outside linebacker. He could be an impact player on this defense for sure. At inside linebacker, Oregon State returns Shemar Smith who finished second on the team in tackles last season. The other inside linebacker will be Nebraska transfer Avery Roberts. Roberts was a four-star recruit out of high school who saw time in every game during his freshman season at Nebraska before transferring over to Corvallis. Head coach Jonathan Smith said true freshman Omar Speights will see time at inside linebacker as well. Another player to watch at inside linebacker will be Jack Colletto. Colletto has been a backup quarterback for the Beavers the last two seasons and chose to make the position switch after he knew he would not beat out Luton and Gebbia. Jaydon Grant will play the nickel when the scheme calls for it. At cornerback, the Beavers lose Dwayne Williams who was a starter last season. Isaiah Dunn will fill in the spot left by Williams. In a bit of a mysterious move, Kaleb Hayes, who was a starting cornerback last season, was left off the two-deep depth chart Oregon State put out this week. His spot is being fought for by a pair of junior college transfers in Nashon Wright and Jojo Forest. Wright looks to have the upper hand. While it is unclear why he fell in the depth chart, Hayes will surely see time at cornerback if he is not back starting. Jalen Moore led the Beavers with 102 tackles last season and will be back as the starter at safety. His fellow starter, Shawn Wilson, will also be back at the other spot. David Morris was a very strong player during his true freshman season in 2017, but missed all of last season due to injury. He will definitely be a contributor and could be a starter by the end of the season. Daniel Rodriguez is back at punter. Jordan Choukair returns at kicker.

Coaching Staff

Jonathan Smith is back for his second season as head coach. Smith, a former quarterback for Oregon State and their third all-time leading passer, worked previously as the offensive coordinator at Washington. When at Washington, he led an offense that performed quite well. Brian Lindgren is back for year two as offensive coordinator. Lindgren previously held the same job at Colorado. Tim Tibesar has his work cut out for him as defensive coordinator. Tibesar worked as Wisconsin’s outside linebackers coach before taking the position with Oregon State before the 2018 season.

Final Prediction

Oregon State has been in a tough spot with their football team since Mike Riley departed. The Beavers have become a poster child of how a bad hire can derail a program. While I think Jonathan Smith was a good hire, he will need time. For Oregon State to be competitive, they need to maintain their prowess in the run game with Jermar Jefferson. On defense, they need to be able to stop the run at least some. Oregon State got run all over by many of their opponents and they need to find a way to slow down opposing running backs. I think Oregon State will be more competitive but still only go 4-8.

Stanford

Last Season

Stanford opened 2018 by avenging their upset loss to San Diego State from the season prior. They then shut down USC’s offense in another win. In their trip to Oregon, Stanford fell behind in the first half but rallied back for an overtime win. Their hopes for an undefeated season came to an end when they lost to Notre Dame 38-17. They then were upset (it seemed like one at the time but looking back, it really was not an upset) at Utah by a score of 40-21. A win at Arizona State stopped the bleeding some, but they lost again to Washington State in their next game. The Cardinal then lost to Washington, which made their an uninspiring record 5-4. Stanford took out their frustrations on Oregon State, but then struggled to beat UCLA. They beat Cal in the Big Game to wrap up the regular season with a record of 8-4. In the Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh, Stanford won in an ugly game to finish 9-4.

Offense

KJ Costello is back at quarterback after starting last season. Costello made some strides in 2018 as he completed 65% of his passes and threw for 3,540 yards and 29 touchdowns. While he has a slow release and his throwing mechanics are not the best, he has a strong arm and is able to thread the needle on passes when he can set his feet. Costello looks ready to play in a more passing oriented offense this season. Stanford loses Bryce Love at running back. Love battled injuries all through last season but finished with 808 rushing yards, which was down from his 2,118 yards in 2017. Love was an elite running back when healthy and had major big play potential any time he had the ball. Stanford also does not have a clear next man up at running back for the first time in a while. Since 2009, Stanford has seamlessly transitioned the role of lead back as they went from Toby Gerhart to Stepfan Taylor to Tyler Gaffney to Christian McCaffrey to Bryce Love. With the exception of 2014, there always was a talented back and by the time they left, there was another clearly talented back ready to take their spot. Cameron Scarlett will take the lead back role after backing up Love the last two seasons. Trevor Speights and Dorian Maddox will also get some carries their way. Houston Heimuli returns at fullback At receiver, the Cardinal lose JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Arcega-Whiteside had a team leading 63 catches for 1,059 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Arcega-Whiteside was a bigger receiver who could easily outmuscle opponents for contested catches which made him a perfect red zone target. He will be missed. Trenton Irwin was second on the team in catches and receiving yards and will also be gone. Michael Wilson and Connor Wedington will fill in those spots. Wilson and Wedington played backup roles last season. When the personnel calls for it, redshirt freshman Simi Fehoko will play slot receiver. Osiris St. Brown will definitely also get some looks as he is second among returning players in receiving yards. At tight end, Stanford loses Kaden Smith who was a very good player at his spot. Thankfully, Colby Parkinson returns. Parkinson did so well in 2018, Stanford incorporated two tight ends into their offense often. Parkinson had 485 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season, more than any other returning player. Parkinson is a huge target at 6’7” and 250 pounds and will be an excellent red zone target. When the personnel calls for two tight ends, either Scooter Harrington or Tucker Fisk will take that spot. On the offensive line, Stanford returns just two starters. Guard Nate Herbig, center Jesse Burkett, and tackle AT Hall will all be missed. Walker Little returns at tackle after being named first team all-Pac 12 last season. Little will definitely be a top 15 draft pick in the future. Devery Hamilton is back at guard and will be solid as well. Foster Sarell was a top 10 recruit in the class of 2017 and is just not getting his shot as a starting tackle. I do not expect he will disappoint.

Defense

At defensive end, the Cardinal lose Dylan Jackson who was a starter last season. Thomas Booker will take his spot and did very well in the reps he saw during his freshman season. Michael Williams returns at nose guard after starting in 2018. The best player on the defensive line will be Jovan Swann. In 2018, Swann had seven tackles for loss while drawing double teams often. Swann will also be a leader on this somewhat young defense. At linebacker, Stanford loses Bobby Okereke. Okereke led the team in tackles last season. He had great instincts and awareness (a Stanford football player playing intelligently is probably not the most shocking thing I have heard today) and will be tough to replace. Sean Barton was second on the team in tackles and will also be gone. The same goes for Joey Alfieri and Mustapha Branch. Curtis Robinson and Andrew Pryts will take over the two spots at inside linebacker. Robinson was a rotational player in 2016 and 2017 but missed all but two games last season with injury. Pryts saw some action as a backup last season. Redshirt freshmen Jacob Mangum-Farrar and Ricky Miezan could also see time. Jordan Fox led the team in tackles for loss last season and finished fourth in tackles all while playing a backup role at outside linebacker. He will start at the open spot there. Casey Toohill is the lone returning starter at linebacker and will play the other spot. Gabe Reid also looked good in spots last season and should see time. At free safety, Frank Buncom will be gone after starting last season. In his spot will be Kendall Williamson who was a rotational backup last season. Malik Antoine returns at strong safety and should be a solid player in the secondary. Alijah Holder is gone at cornerback after putting up 59 tackles and 10 pass deflections last season. Holder was a very good piece for the defense and will be missed. Obi Eboh saw time last season and will get the starting nod. Opposite him will be one of the best cornerbacks in the country in Paulson Adebo. As a redshirt freshman, Adebo 64 tackles, 20 pass deflections and four interceptions. Adebo, who was originally recruited as a receiver, is a very physical cornerback who will step up and make plays against the run and has terrific ball skills. He locked up Dillon Mitchell and N’Keal Harry in big moments against Oregon and Arizona State respectively and could be the best cornerback in this draft class. Jake Bailey is gone at punter after he averaged 44 yards per punt and downed 24 inside the 20. True freshman Ryan Sanborn will be the next man up. Jet Toner returns at kicker after a strong season in 2018.

Coaching Staff

David Shaw returns for year nine in Palo Alto. Shaw has done very well at keeping up the program Jim Harbaugh built. Shaw has a specific style of play that Stanford sticks to and does extremely well. Tavita Pritchard, a former quarterback for the Cardinal, (who led their amazing upset of USC in 2007) is back for his second season as offensive coordinator. Pritchard is looking to use the passing game more and open up the offense. Lance Anderson is back for his sixth season as defensive coordinator.

Final Prediction

Stanford had a bit of a disappointing season in 2018. While a 9-4 record is fine, it is more disappointing that they are falling down the Pac 12 hierarchy. Washington, Washington State, Utah, and Oregon (I know Stanford won but Oregon seems to be held in higher regard) seem to be held in a higher regard than the Cardinal. I think that this also makes it a bad time for them to have to retool their team. With no true lead back, Stanford will look to pass more this season. I think it can work out, but it will be an identity shift. On defense, the Cardinal need to find some solid players at linebacker. Stanford also has a non-conference schedule that is unrelenting as they travel to UCF, and host Northwestern and Notre Dame. I expect the Cardinal to be a good team but they will not be able to fully weather their schedule and go 7-5.

Washington

Last Season

2018 got off to a less than ideal start for Washington as they lost to Auburn in the season opener. The Huskies took out their frustrations on FCS foe North Dakota, and then beat Utah and Arizona State to start off Pac 12 play. A win over then ranked BYU was nice, but they had to struggle a bit to beat winless UCLA. When they went to Eugene to play Oregon, the Huskies fell short in overtime. A win over Colorado was nice, but they went back to losing again when they lost an ugly game at Cal. They beat Stanford and Oregon State to get back on track and set up an Apple Cup matchup at Washington State with a division title on the line. Washington came out on top yet again, and beat Utah to take home the Pac 12 Championship. A loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl ended their season at 10-4. While they won the Pac 12, this season was a tad disappointing for a team with playoff aspirations in the preseason.

Offense

Washington will be replacing a four-year starter at quarterback. While his career did not quite pan out like many fans had hoped, Jake Browning was a solid player for the Huskies who was very accurate with the ball, had great mechanics, and was tough as nails. Injuries and losing talent around him derailed his production, but he did leave Washington as their all-time leading passer and winningest quarterback in Pac 12 history. Thankfully for the Huskies, they dipped into the transfer market to get his replacement. Jacob Eason was a five-star recruit out of high school and started for Georgia as a true freshman in 2016. Unfortunately, he succumbed to injuries in 2017 and was beat out by Jake Fromm. The last time we have seen Eason play game action was early in the 2017 season. While that might be concerning, he was the number one quarterback in the country coming out of high school and has the size and arm strength to be a very good quarterback. At running back, Washington loses Myles Gaskin. Gaskin was a great power back who ran for over 1,000 yards for four straight seasons. He battled injuries during last season, but still ran for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns. Gaskin leaves Washington as the program’s all-time leading rusher and will be tough to replace. The next man up at running back is Salvon Ahmed. Ahmed ran for 608 yards last season on 5.8 yards per carry. Ahmed is different than Gaskin in that he is more built on speed and elusiveness as opposed to power and strength. Sean McGrew will also step up as the secondary back for the Huskies. At receiver, Aaron Fuller and Andre Baccellia return after starting last season. Fuller led the team with 58 catches for 874 yards while Baccellia was second on the team with 55 catches for 584 yards. Chico McClatcher is a bit of a wild card at receiver. He has the talent and could be a great player but he has played in just 10 games the last two seasons. In 2017, he tore his ACL and in 2018, he left the team briefly. McClatcher looked like a star in the making in 2016 and I am inclined to believe he can do quite well if he stays healthy. Quinten Pounds will also see a lot of time at receiver. At tight end, the Huskies lose Drew Sample who was a second round draft pick this spring. Thankfully, Hunter Bryant is back after a solid season in 2018. Bryant might not get as much play time at first as he is recovering from an injury, but he will be an impact player for the Huskies. Cade Otton will likely be taking a lot of the reps earl, but he is also a solid player. On the offensive line, the Huskies lose a first round draft pick in tackle Kaleb McGary who was a four year starter. The good news is McGary is the lone starter who will be gone. Tackle Trey Adams was a second team all-American in 2016 but has not been fully healthy for a season since. Center Nick Harris will also be solid.

Defense

At defensive tackle, the Huskies will be without Greg Gaines who was named first team all-Pac 12 last season. Gaines was a great run stuffer up the middle and could hold down his spot well in the red zone. Jaylen Johnson also started on the defensive front and will be gone. The new starters are former backup Levi Onwuzurike and Josiah Bronson. Onwuzurike played a lot in 2018 and started in four games while leading the team in tackles for loss. Bronson saw time as a rotational player last season. Tuli Letuligaseona will see time as will blue chip true freshman Faatui Tuitele. Benning Potoa’e moved from outside linebacker and will see time as well. Potoa’e started at outside linebacker the last two seasons and is a solid player in his spot. Washington only lists two starters at defensive line, but their outside linebackers end up playing on the line very often. Shane Bowman started at outside linebacker last season and will be gone. Shane’s younger brother Ryan Bowman will fill in one of the spots after getting some reps as a starter last season. The other spot will go to Joe Tryon who played in the rotation as a true freshman last season. At inside linebacker, the Huskies lose Ben Burr-Kirven. Burr-Kirven was named Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year last season and was a first team all-American. Burr-Kirven led the FBS with 176 tackles and was a terrific player who will be tough to replace. Tevis Bartlett was second on the team in tackles last season at inside linebacker and will loss be gone as well. Kyler Manu and Brandon Wellington will be the new starters. Both of the two played rotational roles last season. At nickel back, Myles Bryant returns after starting in 2018. Bryant finished third on the team in tackles last season. Bryant is lightning quick at his spot and plays with a very high football IQ. The Huskies lose both starting cornerbacks from last season. Byron Murphy was a true ballhawk last season who picked off four passes, and had 13 pass deflections. His absence will be felt. Jordan Miller started opposite Murphy and will also be gone. The new starters will be Kyler Gordon and Keith Taylor. Taylor saw time the last couple seasons as a backup. Gordon, a redshirt freshman, saw limited last season but was a four-star recruit out of high school and is a tremendous athlete. Redshirt freshman Dominique Hampton and four-star true freshman Trent McDuffie could also get some reps as well. At safety, the Huskies again lose both starters. Taylor Rapp will be gone after starting for three seasons. Rapp did well in coverage by playing smart and sound, but could also step up and make big hits in the run game. Jojo McIntosh was another physical player who started at safety and will be gone. Rapp and McIntosh made up one of the best safety duos in the country and will be hard to replace as a unit. The new starters will be true freshman Cameron Williams and Elijah Molden. Molden has some starting experience and has looked good in spots. Williams has impressed quite a bit in camp and has clearly earned the trust of the coaching staff. Brandon McKinney could also see time as could true freshman Asa Turner. While there are plenty of new faces in the secondary, I have faith in Washington’s ability to reload at that spot. Peyton Henry returns at kicker. Henry did a bit shaky in 2018 as he missed a field goal that could have won the game against Oregon and only made 16/23 field goals. He also only attempted three field goals beyond 40 yards. Joel Whitford returns at punter.

Coaching Staff

Chris Petersen is back for year six with the Huskies. Petersen has done very well at taking Washington’s program from a solid one, to a conference title and NY6 contender. Petersen has tremendous success at Boise State and has carried that momentum to Washington. Bush Hamdan is back for his second season as offensive coordinator. Hamdan previously was a quarterback coach in the NFL. Jimmy Lake is back for his second season as defensive coordinator. Lake has done very well with the Huskies and could be a contender for a head coaching job soon. Pete Kwiatkowski is back as co-defensive coordinator.

Final Prediction

Washington football is in a pretty good place right now. To win their conference and still have a slightly disappointing season, they tend to have to be in a good spot. The Huskies do have a new challenger with Oregon’s apparent return to elite status. The Huskies lose the combination of Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin in the backfield that have been a part of the program for four season. If they get solid play out of both spots, they will be fine. I am inclined to believe they will get the solid play they need. On defense, they just need their talented recruits to prove their worth. I think there is talent on the defense, but they need to learn to play well in the system. I expect Washington to benefit from an easy schedule and go 10-2.

Washington State

Last Season

Washington State got off to a solid start last season by tearing through an easy non-conference schedule. In their Pac 12 opener, the Cougars fell in a tight game at USC that had some questionable calls go against them late. The Cougars bounced back with a win over Utah and Oregon State. This brought College GameDay to Pullman for the first time for a matchup with Oregon. Washington State came out on top in that game and then won on a late field goal over Stanford. They won ugly over Cal and beat Colorado to set up a matchup with Washington in the Apple Cup where the winner would take the Pac 12 North. Sadly, the Cougars fell short in a blizzard and had to settle for the Alamo Bowl instead of the Rose Bowl. They made the most of it though as the Cougars beat Iowa State 28-26 in an exciting game. Their 11-2 finish was the winningest season in school history.

Offense

Although he was there for just one season, it will still be tough for Washington State to lose Gardner Minshew at quarterback. Minshew or the Mississippi Mustache as he became known as, threw for 4,779 yards and 38 touchdowns while completing 70% of his passes. Minshew was remarkably accurate and efficient at going through his progressions. He immediately showed flashes of brilliance in Washington State’s air raid offense. Minshew became a respected leader and face of the team in just one season and will leave Pullman as a legend and one of the school’s most iconic players (he should have been a Heisman finalist and it is ridiculous that he was not). While it seemed as though the job would go to Eastern Washington transfer Gage Gubrud, the Cougars are going to go with redshirt senior Anthony Gordon as the new starting quarterback. Gordon has not seen a ton of action, but Mike Leach holds his quarterbacks to high standards and I am inclined to believe Gordon will see success. At running back, James Williams will be gone. While Washington State runs the ball very little, Williams was the lead back and was a key part of the passing game. Williams had 560 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns, leading the team in both. He added another 83 catches for 613 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Williams was a very good multifaceted player. The good news is that Max Borghi looks poised for a breakout season. As the secondary back, Borghi ran for 366 yards and eight touchdowns, and also added 374 receiving yards. Borghi did this as a true freshman and I believe he will only improve with more of an opportunity. At receiver, the Cougars lose Kyle Sweet who was a starter last season. The good news is is that every other main contributor returns. Washington State had no true number one receiver, but they had many players who contributed. Least Season’s team had 10 players with at least 200 receiving yards. Dezmon Patmon and Easop Winston are two of the best receivers on the roster and will rotate at z-receiver. Patron led the team with 816 receiving yards last season while Winston had 654 yards of his own and led the team and for first on the team with eight receiving touchdowns. The two will both see significant time. Renard Bell will start at h-receiver but Travell Harris will also rotate in. Brandon Arconado will take the spot at h-receiver which was left by Sweet. Jamire Calvin and redshirt freshman Kassidy Woods could also get some looked their way. Calvin had 497 receiving yards last season and will surely see time. At x-receiver, Tay Martin will hold down the spot after he had 69 catches for 685 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Calvin Jackson (cousin of former Oklahoma receiver Hollywood Brown) will also see some time at the spot. Rodrick Fisher will be another player to watch. On the offensive line, the Cougars lose a tremendously good tackle in Andre Dillard. Dillard was a first round draft pick, which does not happen to players from Washington State, and was an elite pass blocker. Thankfully, every other starter returns. Tackle Abe Lucas was named second team all-Pac 12 as a redshirt freshman. Center Frederick Mauigoa will be another guy to watch.

Defense

Washington State loses Taylor Comfort at defensive line (which might cause the team discomfort). Comfort was a starter last season. His replacement will be Misiona Aioulupotea-Pei, who was a backup last season after transferring from a junior college. Will Rodgers will return at the other defensive tackle position after starting and getting 7.5 tackles for loss last season. Rodgers is a bit undersized for his position but has still seen success. West Virginia transfer Lamonte McDougle is another player to watch. At defensive end, the Cougars lose Logan Tago. Tago amassed 10.5 tackles for loss last season and was named first team all-Pac 12. Nnamdi Oguayo will take his spot at defensive end. Oguayo started in 2017 but saw his play time dwindle a bit. He could do well in the spot this season. Karson Block is another player to watch for. Willie Taylor returns as the starter at the rush linebacker position. Taylor had 7.5 tackles for loss and a team leading six quarterback hurries at the position during his redshirt freshman season. At middle linebacker, the Cougars lose Peyton Pelleur. Pelleur led the Cougars with 98 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss. Pelleur was a leader on the defense and will definitely be missed. Justus Rogers will take over the spot at middle linebacker. Rogers has seen time at the spot and should do well. Dillon Sherman could also see time. Jahad Woods returns at outside linebacker after finishing second on the team in tackles last season. Woods will be a key contributor on defense. Skyler Thomas is shifting from free safety to nickel back. Thomas was third on the team in tackles in 2018. At cornerback, Washington State loses Darrien Molton and Sean Harper. Molton led the team with nine pass deflections last season. Harper was a solid player who did well before going down for the season after six games. Marcus Strong took over the starting role after Harper went down and did well, leading the team with three interceptions. Strong will have to step up this season as he will likely be the number one cornerback. The other position will go to either Armani Marsh or George Hicks. Both saw limited action as backups last season. Derrick Langford will be another player to watch. After Thomas moved from free safety to nickel back, junior college transfer Bryce Beekman will fill in his spot. The secondary was hit with tough news also when strong safety Jalen Thompson entered the supplemental draft. Thompson had 67 tackles and eight pass deflections last season. He would have likely been the best player on the defense. The next man up at strong safety will be junior college transfer Daniel Isom. Blake Mazza returns at kicker. Oscar Draguicevich returns at punter after averaging 45.7 yards per punt last season.

Coaching Staff

Mike Leach returns for his eighth season as head coach in Pullman. Leach inherited a program that was in pretty poor condition and has elevated them to a consistent 7-8 win team. Leach has definitely flexed his muscles as one of the best coaches in the country during his time as Washington State. Leach also will continue to call his own plays. He was the founder of the air raid offense and is one of the best offensive minds in college football. Tracy Claeys is back for his second season as defensive coordinator. Claeys, the former Minnesota head coach, did pretty well in year one.

Final Prediction

Washington State has quietly had a rise from being a doormat to a consistent program in the last few years. The Cougars have had at least eight wins in the last four seasons, and they are the only Pac 12 team to have pulled off that feat. What the Cougars are going to have to do now is learn how to play with the target on their backs. I think they are up to that task, but it can be difficult. While they will trot out a new quarterback, the Cougars have had three great quarterbacks during Mike Leach’s tenure and I do not expect the quality to dip too much. On defense, their secondary has a lot of new faces and question marks. If they can get decent play from there, this will be a quality team. Washington State is also going to be under pressure to win the Apple Cup. The Cougars have lost six straight games to Washington and have lost nine of the last 10. It might not be this season, but that is a game they need to win at some point. I expect the Cougars to go 8-4 this season. Their record feels the effects of playing Utah, Oregon, and Washington in the road.

Here are my Final Standings Predictions

Oregon 10-2 Washington 10-2 Washington State Stanford 7-5 Cal 5-7 Oregon State 4-8

To be notified when I post, follow my Instagram @impassionedsportsnerd. My week one preview will be up before Saturday.

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