Voice your thoughts on next season and Barrett's predictions here.

I recently read a season preview that suggested we might go 9-3 and finish third in the Pac-10. As usual it says its all going to come down to the offense but with Dykes running the show our outlook is a lot more optimistic. They also said by seasons end we should have a top ten ranked defense and be ranked nationally come Nov.

Also Barrett, we'll be without Coach Candrea next year so you might want to hold your bets.

9-3? Third in the Pac-10? Come on, let's be realistic. The vast majority of predictions have us in the bottom half to bottom third of the league. The rest of the league has improved, whereas we still don't have a tailback (not that Stoops has been able to use the talent he's had at that position) or a backup QB (the odds that Tui stay healthy aren't looking too good).

I absolutely love the Blue Ribbon Preview for Arizona this year (which is what Soren was referring to in his previous post). They actually project a ten win season including a bowl victory (apparently this "bowl game" thing that everyone keeps talking about is an extra game tacked on to the end of a successful season. Who knew?). Blue Ribbon correctly projected a 6-6 record for Arizona's '06 season, so it's not like they lack credibility.

I do think the 'Cats can win two of the Oregon State, UCLA, and ASU games (as Blue Ribbon seems to suggest and my prediction does not). But going from a team that should beat someone to a team that DOES beat someone is a humongous leap. I will be happy with seven to eight regular season wins and the chance for another in a bowl game.

Read the Blue Ribbon projections for every Pac Ten team and you'll see that it's a bit more "thought out" than the Athlons and Lindys of the preview mag world. But it's an impossible science that serves no purpose other than making this next month and a half go by at a less excruciatingly slow pace.

If you are an ESPN Insider, you can read the Blue Ribbon Preview for Arizona and others here:

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/news/story?id=2917985

If you don't have ESPN Insider, just view the post below. If it doesn't get you excited, you have no soul.

Team preview: Arizona

Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook

(All information as of June 20, 2007)

COACH AND PROGRAM

What began as a seemingly harmless question has Arizona fourth-year coach Mike Stoops three minutes into a fiery diatribe.

Why wasn't Arizona invited to a bowl game last season? It's hard to debate that the Wildcats weren't among the top-64 teams in the country. They were the only team in the coun-try to beat BYU in regulation, defeating the Cougars, 16-13, in the season-opener. They ended Cal's eight-game winning streak with a 24-20 victory on Nov. 11. The Bears were ranked No. 8 nationally entering the contest. And a week after that, Arizona absolutely manhandled Oregon, 37-10. "We were bowl eligible," Stoops said of his team's 6-6 finish. "Iowa was 2-6 in its last eight games and they got an invite. That ****** me off. BYU was a **** good football team last season. We also played LSU, who I think was the best team in the country. We got no credit for that. Who else beat Cal in the Pac-10? USC, that's it."

We could fill the next few pages with the complete collection of Stoops' thoughts on the bowl-selection process and some of the teams that earned invites that Stoops thought had inferior seasons, but the point has been made. For the record, the Billingsley rankings that Blue Ribbon uses had Arizona ranked 42nd in the nation last season. Iowa was 60th.

Kansas State, which lost in the Texas Bowl to Rutgers, was 58th.

Despite his firm belief that the Wildcats were bowl eligible, by no means is Stoops declaring 2006 a monumental success. With a chance to secure the program's first bowl invite since 1998 in the finale against Arizona State, the Wildcats fell flat, losing 28-14. Arizona entered the game on a three-game winning streak and winners of four of its last five.

"We just didn't react well to success," Stoops said. "We beat ASU and we would've played in a bowl game regardless, but they took it to us."

Two seasons ago, Arizona stunned the college football world by routing an undefeated UCLA team. A week later last-place Washington earned its first Pac-10 victory of the year by routing Arizona. It appears that the Wildcats have a difficult time avoiding that emotional letdown after a huge win.

"I don't know what happens, we just can't get over that hump," Stoops said. "We can't be satisfied with mediocrity, and that's the final step with this program. We can't be satis-fied with a few wins. We're working on how to avoid those letdowns. "As a team, we need to find consistency in our attitude in terms of being able to deal with a big win and coming back the following week with equal intensity."

The No. 1 change for Arizona this season, at least in personnel, won't be on the field, as 19 of the 22 offensive and defense starters return.

His name is Sonny Dykes, and at least for 2007, he might be the most influential person involved with the Arizona football program. Yes, including Stoops or any of the players.

Mention the Wildcats the last two or three seasons to any ardent college football observer and the reply is simple, "Great defense, sick defense, but they can't score. That offense (insert negative comment of choice here)."

If successful, Dykes won't be at Arizona, perhaps only a season. Many already consider him among the upper tier of assistants in the nation, and he's by no means one-dimensional. The 37-year-old is both an offensive guru and a strong recruiter. But Arizona didn't hire him to recruit; Stoops and company have shown the last three years that they can recruit with anyone in the country not located in Los Angeles. Dykes was hired for one reason and only one reason, and he knows that if successful in that mission, he'll be a head coach inside of two years, if not half that time.

His mission is simply to score points. Not like his offenses did at Texas Tech mind you, just 20-24 points a game. Consider last season's team averaged just 16.6 (9th in the Pac-10, ahead of only Stanford) while the defense allowed 19.6 (third-best in the Pac-10) and it's frightening for the rest of the Pac-10 to comprehend what this team is capable of if it averages a mere three touchdowns per game.

"We have to simplify; it took the Tech players a long time and we're starting new," Dykes said. "We're going to preach the base concepts and build off those. We also need to teach the fundamentals, too."

Overall, the program is in phenomenal shape, with home attendance selling out and Stoops bringing in some of the nation's top recruits. This is the most excitement the program has generated since 1998, when the Wildcats finished No. 3 in the final polls after defeating Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl.

However, there isn't an infinite window. The fan base is ready to win now, and there's no reason the team shouldn't be ready to respond. This is a make or break season for Stoops and the program.

And make no mistake, that's a challenge Stoops is more than willing to accept. In fact, he's so confident, he's looking forward to it.

QUARTERBACKS

In Arizona's six defeats in 2006, its offense produced three field goals and zero touchdowns in the fourth quarter. But that might not even be the most glaring statistic that represents this team's offensive ineptness in 2006.

The Wildcats threw nine touchdown passes the entire season. That ranked last in the conference, with five Pac-10 teams throwing at least 20 and USC connecting on 30.

It has been reported with Arizona's hiring of Dykes that the Wildcats are promising 50 passes per game in their new spread offense. That simply isn't the case, although it sounds nice and has the fan base anticipating the opener like a six-year old anticipates Christmas.

"If the defense takes away the run, sure, we could pass 40-50 times some games," Dykes said. "But this offense is all about taking what the defense gives you. The quarterback doesn't have to throw, and ideally you want both, running and passing. But this isn't a passing offense per se, it's an offense that can adjust accordingly on any given play based on the defense."

At Texas Tech, Dykes combined with head coach Mike Leach to produce some gaudy passing numbers. A year ago, the Red Raiders were third in the nation in passing offense (369.5), sixth in total offense (447.8) and 13th in scoring offense (32.5). The Wildcats scored more than 30 points only once all season.

That isn't to suggest Stoops has lost confidence in junior Willie Tuitama (6-3, 225). After impressing as a freshman in the latter stages of 2005, last season was mostly a dud as he completed 55.9 percent of his 211 pass attempts for 1,335 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions. His 114.33 passer efficiency rated seventh in the Pac-10.

Tuitama was healthy this spring after missing three starts and the majority of five games after a series of hard hits to the helmet.

"Willie is healthy and I still feel he has a chance to be a great player for us," Stoops said.

As for how he grasped the new offense this

spring, Dykes -- who is also the quarterbacks coach -- was impressed.

"Believe or not, this is an option-football offense, if this guy does this, you do this," Dykes said. "It's like the old wishbone, it's process football. The No. 1 concept of this is get-ting rid of the ball quickly. The quarterback needs to get rid of the ball fast.

"I thought Willie's decision making was faster each day this spring; he really did well with the offense. But the summer is critical for us in terms of becoming familiar with this of-fense."

Injuries aside there is no reason to believe Tuitama doesn't have the physical tools to succeed in this system. He's as talented, if not more so, than any quarterback to come through the Texas Tech program.

The offensive line should be improved this season, but even still, Tuitama has to avoid taking sacks, and not just for the sake of the offense. One or two more blows to the head and his career will be in serious jeopardy.

Behind him is talented redshirt freshman Tyler Lyon (6-5, 220) and senior Kris Heavner (6-3, 220), who has actually started more games at Arizona than Tuitama, 15-13. How-ever, Lyon is without debate No. 2 on the depth chart.

RUNNING BACKS

Last season's leading rusher, Chris Henry, stunned the coaching staff by forgoing his senior year of eligibility and declaring for the NFL draft. Before the NFL scouting combine, he wasn't expected to be drafted. But after he ran the fastest 40-yard dash time of any running back and despite rushing for 581 yards at just 3.5 yards-per-carry last season, the Ten-nessee Titans selected him in the second round with the 50th overall pick. He hopes to find success similar to former Wildcats back Mike Bell, who wasn't selected in the 2006 draft but ended up starting several games for the Denver Broncos as one of the league's top rookie tailbacks.

However, despite Henry being a second-rounder, his loss to Arizona is minimal. He struggled to find holes and started only six games.

Senior Chris Jennings (5-10, 225) started the six games Henry didn't, rushing for 451 yards and three touchdowns at 4.3 yards per carry. He'll contend with sophomore Xavier Smith (5-11, 196) for work this season. Smith rushed for 120 yards in 2006 on 23 carries (5.2 per carry).

As for how many carries the duo will be contending for is another story. Texas Tech averaged 17 runs and 50 passes per game last season. Arizona was almost 50-50, at 32 runs and 30 passes. Chances are with the influence of Dykes and offensive line coach/running game coordinator Bill Bedenbaugh, who also came over from Tech, Arizona will fall somewhere in the middle of those numbers, somewhere in the ballpark of 25-40.

"We're going to be physical on offense, and that's going to involve the running game," Stoops said. "We will not become a soft team because we're going to throw the ball, that's not who we are."

The running backs had a solid spring and more than likely, whoever shows the greater skill in catching the ball out of the backfield will see the majority of the time. Tech's fea-tured back last season, Shannon Woods, had 75 receptions.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

Two of the team's three leading receivers from a season ago return, along with the leading pass-catching tight end. However, the No. 1 wideout from 2006, Syndric Steptoe, will be missed, especially with some of the things the offense will be doing this fall. He was selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft, primarily as a return specialist, by Cleveland.

In this spread offense, a lot of players are going to catch passes. In one spring scrimmage, 14 different players at seven different positions (including four wideouts, a.k.a. slot, flanker, etc.) caught 39 passes.

Few teams in the conference return a 1-2 combo like junior Mike Thomas (5-10, 178) and senior Anthony Johnson (6-2, 215). Last season Thomas caught 50 passes for 597 yards (11.9) and two scores while Johnson was third on the team with 26 grabs for 312 yards (12.0) and a team-high three touchdown receptions.

In this system, both players could easily double their yardage totals. Also, neither will be pressured to stretch the field, which often led to problems in seasons past. In this offense, a quick 10-yard route is more than acceptable. If the receiver breaks one, great, but you'll rarely see a pass thrown more than 20 yards from the line of scrimmage.

None of the other wideouts on the roster caught more than a pass last season. That group includes juniors B.J. Dennard (5-11, 194) and Bobby McCoy (6-1, 185), sophomore Terrell Turner (6-2, 175) and redshirt freshmen Terrell Reese (6-4, 201) and Delashaun Dean (6-4, 198).

Senior tight end Brandyn McCall (6-5, 245) caught 11 balls for 99 yards in 2006. He's back along with junior Travis Bell (6-6, 245) and redshirt freshman A.J. Simmons (6-3, 255).

OFFENSIVE LINE

This isn't the perfect analogy in the case of Arizona's five returning starting linemen but it's always bizarre when a basketball team that finished in last place the previous season touts the fact that it returns four or five starters. How much better are they going to be than the previous season? Is returning the starters actually a good thing?

The Wildcats allowed 31 sacks for 249 yards. Only Stanford lost more yards on sacks. A few of those sacks were such clean hits that Tuitama was taken to the sideline for weeks at a time. Also, the running game mustered just 1,010 yards and 2.7 yards per carry, each of which ranked ninth in the Pac-10, ahead of only Stanford.

However, in some regard, the team took that hit in 2006 with one of the youngest starting groups in the country in the hope that it pays off this year and beyond. The spread offense should help, too, as it's all about making quick decisions and the quarterback getting rid of the football.

"We've matured up front, anytime you have three freshmen starting up front, there's going to be inconsistency," Stoops said. "We were decent in pass protection but need to im-prove physically."

The lone senior among the group is left tackle Peter Graniello (6-5, 296), who has 33 career starts. His bookend is sophomore Eben Britton (6-6, 290), who landed on several second-team freshman All-American teams in 2006. Stoops said that's just the beginning for this kid, too, "He can be an All-American someday. He's as good a young lineman as I've seen."

The guards are sophomore Daniel Borg (6-5, 270) and junior Joe Longacre (6-3, 303), while center is manned by sophomore Blake Kerley (6-2, 275), who took every snap of the season as a redshirt in 2006.

The Wildcats didn't sign a single offensive lineman this past year, but there's some depth there from previous classes including junior guard Bill Wacholz (6-6, 294) and sopho-more Adam Grant (6-6, 285).

KICKERS

This is a definite area of concern entering fall camp. And at some point this season, it could become much more than an area of concern.

Then again, perhaps junior Jason Bondzio (5-9, 168) or freshman Alex Zendejas (5-11, 175) of Ironwood High School in Glendale, Ariz., can somehow replace three-year starter Nick Folk (15-of-20 last season on field goals including a 52-yarder and 31-of-49 kickoffs for touchbacks).

Bondzio has been in the program for three seasons but doesn't have the leg of Folk. Stoops said he's solid from 40-45 yards, but again, there's a huge difference between the prac-tice field and the Rose Bowl. Kickoffs, in which Arizona ranked third in the Pac-10 last season in terms of yards allowed, could also suffer.

As for Zendejas, he's from the first family of placekicking as the son of UA alumnus Max, who booted several game winners in his college career and is well remembered in Tuc-son. He's a heavy favorite to win this job from the onset.

Zendejas has a solid resume. He kicked a 59-yarder as a high school senior with 80 percent of kickoffs going for touchbacks.

DEFENSIVE LINE

If Arizona's offense had even been average the last two years, the Wildcats would be looking for a third straight bowl invitation. That's how strong the defense has been under former Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops and his younger brother, Mark, who is entering his fourth season as Arizona's defensive coordinator.

This season, though, is different, as Arizona is no longer an upper tier defensive unit in the Pac-10. This group -- with 10 returning starters -- has a legitimate chance to rank among the top defenses in the country. And that starts, as with any defense, up front.

Three of the four returning starting linemen are seniors, led by second-team All-Pac-10 end Louis Holmes (6-6, 270). A JUCO transfer, perhaps the top defensive player in the junior college ranks in 2005, Holmes wasn't declared eligible until days before fall camp began. He finished with 36 tackles (25 solo), four sacks, four quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles, and he compiled those numbers with more or less no clue of the majority of Arizona's defensive schemes.

"There's no doubt he's a big time talent and this year will be totally different for him," Mark Stoops said. "The learning curve & last season was pure instinct. He's going to be moving around the field so much faster because he'll know what we're running.

"No doubt at all, any defense starts up front and this is as solid as we've been there, we have the intensity, the size, the depth and the confidence. We feel good."

Opposite Holmes is junior Jonathan Turner (6-3, 260). He had 18 tackles, two for loss in 2006.

The tackles are seniors Lionel Dotson (6-4, 278) and Yaniv Barnett (6-2, 285). The duo is strong in run defense and plugs well in pass rush. Jason Parker (6-3, 260) leads the depth at tackle while coaches believe redshirt freshman D'Aundre Reed (6-4, 220) is ready to contribute at end.

LINEBACKERS

This is the weakest of the three defensive positions for Arizona, but it still ranks in the upper third of the conference.

The leader of the unit is senior weak-side linebacker Spencer Larsen (6-1, 236), a second-team All-Pac-10 selection last season. He led the team in total tackles (89), solo tackles (63), tackles for loss (10.5) and fumble recoveries (three). He also had two sacks and an interception.

A four-year starter, he's arguably the best linebacker in the conference not playing at USC.

In the middle is junior Ronnie Palmer (6-3, 239). He was second on the team in tackles in 2006 with 69, including 41 solo. He also had five tackles for loss and two inter-ceptions. The Sam is senior Dane Krogstad (6-2, 236). Not that this trio is likely to leave the field outside of injury, but the depth includes sophomore Xavier Kelley (6-0, 200) and junior James Alford (6-1, 220).

"This is a solid group; you'd be hard-pressed to find more passion, all the starters have strong passion and work ethic," Mark Stoops said. "Ronnie Palmer has played a lot of foot-ball and is a great leader. Xavier Kelly is really athletic but needs to be a little stronger."

redshirt freshman Cole Graybill (6-3, 236) is another candidate for playing time.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

There is zero debate on what position is this team's strongest, and that's the secondary. If the defensive line can put some pressure on opposing backfields, watch out. This unit can really make some plays.

Both Mike and Mark Stoops said the defense will be so comfortable this season within the system and with the schemes that they'll be able to play much quicker than last year. And while that's inclusive of the front seven, the three returning secondary starters are at the point of reading each other's mind while the play is taking place.

It starts with senior Antoine Cason (6-0, 182), who quite simply might be the best shut down corner in the nation this fall. A Jim Thorpe Award finalist and candidate for the Ronnie Lott Trophy a year ago, he could win both of those honors in 2007. Few, if any, preseason All-American teams won't have Cason as one of the two corners.

"It's a real credit to Antoine that he came back for his senior season," Mark Stoops said. "Definitely, he could be the best corner in the country this season. He has the ability, the flexibility with our different packages; we have a lot of confidence in him."

Last season Cason's vitals included 62 tackles (48 solo), seven pass-breakups and three interceptions. There will be several games this season when a pass doesn't come within 10 yards of him, almost like teams did with Deion Sanders at Florida State.

Over the last three years, outside of five snaps in 2006, Cason and senior cornerback Wilrey Fontenot (5-9, 175), haven't left the field on defense. And while Fontenot isn't in the same class as Cason -- who is? -- he's more than solid. The free safety is senior Dominic Patrick (6-1, 207) -- he racked up 59 tackles in 2006 -- while the favorite at strong safety is redshirt freshman Cam Nelson (6-1, 180).

"Nelson is the frontrunner coming out of spring, if nothing else he'll be our nickel guy," Mark Stoops said. "He's a natural player and a lot like Antoine, from the minute he stepped on campus, he listens to everything we say. That coachability factor is huge."

Others in contention with Nelson include sophomore Brandon Tatum (6-1, 190), junior Michael Klyce (6-0, 193) and sophomore Corey Hall (5-10, 190).

PUNTERS

When he wasn't booting field goals and handling kickoff duties, Folk led the Pac-10 in punting average last season (44.0). It marked the second straight season an Arizona punter led the conference.

His replacement is redshirt freshman Keenyn Crier (6-1, 180).

"I believe Keenyn has as good a leg as I've ever seen on a freshman kicker," Stoops said.

Crier had a solid spring and isn't competing with anyone else entering fall camp.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Last season, not unlike seasons previous, punts and kicks were handled by Steptoe. He averaged 25.6 yards a kick return and 13.1 on punts, including a 67-yard touchdown.

This fall, it's anyone guess who takes his place on both units. The candidates include receivers Thomas and Dennard or defensive backs Ross, Nelson or Turner.

The kick and punt coverage should again be solid with several returnees on both squads, while senior Garon McHone (6-4, 269) is back for his third year as the long snapper. More than likely Crier, the first-year punter, will hold on the kicks.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

When told that Blue Ribbon was predicting Arizona to win nine regular-season games and finish third in the Pac-10, Stoops said, "I'll tell you this: We're capable of that. I wouldn't have said that the last three seasons, either. We're capable of that this year."

Last season, while we liked Arizona's potential, we wrote in this very space that the Wildcats would suffer from inconsistency and finish 4-5 in the Pac-10 and 6-6 overall. Sure enough, those were the team's final numbers on both accounts.

A year later, though, it feels like this program is ready for the next step. The defense should rank second to only USC in the conference and perhaps top-10 nationally, but that isn't a surprise to anyone who follows the sport. This team's success will be determined by its offense.

The hire of Dykes may well go down as the most-important decision Stoops makes at Arizona. The offense was in second gear for two years running, and perhaps it's the players. But after this season, that answer will be determined one way or another. It says here Dykes was the perfect hire and the Wildcats will finally score some points.

"Yes, definitely, he was my first and really only choice," Stoops said. "There wasn't even a list, or a short list. Halfway through last season, I thought we didn't have the best fit personnel wise; we wanted to spread things out. I realized we couldn't run the West Coast system, we had a hard time getting anything going."

Despite three straight top-20 recruiting classes, Arizona still isn't in the zip code of USC in terms of athletes. But don't be surprised to see this squad ranked come Novem-ber. The schedule certainly could've been kind. Of four toughest games, USC, Cal, BYU and Oregon State, each is on the road. But the Wildcats need only win one of those four and take care of business at home to finish the regular season at 9-3 and 7-2 in the conference. The home slate isn't difficult, either, with UCLA being far and away the toughest opponent. Outside of the Bruins, visitors include Northern Arizona, New Mexico, Washington State, Stanford and Oregon.

This is the year for Arizona. Anything less than eight wins would be disappointing. It's not there with USC and Cal, but on paper, the Wildcats are better than any other Pac-10 program. At this point, it's no longer about lack of talent or depth; it's about being mentally strong enough.

This season is also about Mike Stoops. Over the last three seasons he has spoken with confidence about his ability to produce results. In terms of fellow Football Bowl Subdivision coaches, he's perhaps the most honest in dealing with the press. It's a commendable quality, not only with the media but with Joe Fan, who appreciates the lack of Coachspeak and clichés.

However, the curtain is rising in Tucson, outside of a handful of fifth-year seniors, the roster was recruited and signed by Stoops. Three seasons is more than enough time in the Pac-10 to turn a program around, just look at Pete Carroll and Jeff Tedford.

Final word: Arizona is among the surprise teams in the country and including a New Year's Day bowl game, the Wildcats win 10 games and place third in the conference.

Grading the Wildcats
Unit
Grade
Offense B
Special teams B
Defense A-
Intangibles A

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 119 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college football, the

Unlike KK '04 I'm confident that we'll be a pretty solid squad this year. Getting 9 wins isn't unrealistic when you consider we were really 2 quarters away from winning 8 last year. We gave up those two big plays against UW in that devastating second quarter that cost us the game and then the same thing happened with ASU, I don't want to get into detail. If we can turn those games around and then swapping LSU for New Mexico thats 9.

Tuitama I think is going to be fine our O-Line did get better as the season went on and Lyon should be a lot better than "Heave it Up" Heavner ever was or will be so our team will be a lot better suited than last year, should an injury occur.

Also while Henry was a workout warrior with the exception of the Oregon game when he ran for 200+ yards he wasn't that good. There's a reason he wasn't a starter until after 6 games. Tennessee also drafted Lyndale White so there eye for good tailbacks isn't world renowned. Stoops didn't do well with his running backs but when our passing attack is non existent it allowed defenses to stack up against the run which negated our tailbacks. Dykes' new system will go a long ways to helping us out with the zone blocking a quick patterns/release schemes giving our guys more running lanes and ensuring Willie stays on the field more.

I'm not saying that we will win 9 games but we can and it isn't unrealistic to think it could happen. Our toughest games are on the road and if we can get an upset win or two we could be sitting pretty. The BYU game is going to be huge but after that we should have a good idea of where our season is headed.

I think the assessment isn't too far off. Arizona will struggle some for a while with that new offense. But it's a fun offense to learn and when timing gets down, is hard to stop.

Out of the gate, I think the prediction vs BYU may be a bit optimistic. That game last year was an odd one. Arizona which later in the year LOST a win on some bad PAC-10 officiating, probably benefited greatly in it's game against BYU from similarly bad officiating that went their way. BYU was probably one of the top 10 teams in the nation by year end. They did lose talented front line players. But the fact is, they lost far less than in 1983 going into the season in which they won a National title. They reloaded.

The rest of Arizona's OOC schedule is manageable and should get them 2 wins, leaving them 9 conference games. Win five and Arizona goes bowling. The PAC-10 is so equal top to bottom that any team theoretically can defeat any other team except perhaps USC which really should be the best again. Win the home games, pick up an upset on the road and Arizona goes bowling.

Just remember, Willie Tuitama is streaky to begin with and will be in a new system that ultimately I think will help him, but not immediately. He'll be facing at BYU for example a defense that faces the same system far more polished every day in practice.
Defensively, I doubt BYU will be intimidated by anyone, they never have been. That isn't to say that great defense can't shut BYU down, but it's rare and in a first game in Provo as opposed to on-the-road, BYU has to like it's chances to come out confident.

I think Arizona is one of three or four teams in the PAC-10 that COULD have either huge break-out or total-bust years. Others include WSU, UW and Oregon. Cal and UCLA should be just a notch below USC. Oregon State is a tweener just below them. But any team there except Stanford could have one of those good bounce years where they win a lot of 1-3 point last minute games. The team that holds the ball best and last, will take second in the PAC-10 and Aizona has as good a chance by the third game of playing into that position as playing down to 9th.

That's my take. I do however think BYU will defeat Arizona in Provo.

The BYU game is going to be tuff just because everyone on their team is 25-30. We'll know a lot about our season after that game but I think we can pull it out. They lost a lot of players at key positions so while they may be reloading they'll go through growing pains just as our offense will. I would put this to a vote of who thinks we're going to win but I'm sure you're 12 wives would vote in your favor.

Also Spencer Larson hates BYU he's the only Mormon on the team and they didn't recruit him.

barret, you got talent as a writer, not much else, but as a writer you got talent. i wish you could write stories about akron soccer.

The "Big Love" game on September 1st will set the tone for the entire year. A win will be the difference between 7-5 vs. 6-6 record. The new offense will make a big difference this year, but the PAC-10 is improving accross the board. Quality programs like Stanford, WSU, Oregon,and Washington will improve over last year. Can Sonny make something out of our average skill players? His ability to make something happen on offensive will be the key to our year. Go cats!