As sports fans around the world get ready to watch college football again, one conference stands out as particularly unpredictable and intriguing. The Pac-10 is wide open for the taking this year, and there are several teams for whom the a Rose Bowl berth is a very real possibility.
For the first time since 2001, USC failed to finish atop the Pac-10 conference in 2009, supplanted by the Oregon Ducks, led by Jeremiah Masoli and a proficient offense. The Trojans' young and inexperienced squad struggled to keep up with the rest of the conference down the stretch, finishing in fifth with a 5-4 conference record. Of course, those who watch college football know that a Pac-10 title is always within the realm of possibility for the Trojans, but this year, USC football is faced with a very different set of problems. NCAA sanctions have been handed down as a result of infractions by former running back Reggie Bush, including a two year bowl ban. This means that USC will not be headed back to the Rose Bowl as the PAC-10 representative anytime soon, opening fresh opportunities for other Pac-10 teams to make their presence felt during bowl season.
Further complicating matters atop the Pac-10 is the sudden dismissal of Oregon's star quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, from the team. Masoli was suspended for the 2010 season after pleading guilty to misdemeanor burglary, and dismissed from the squad after being cited for drug possession. The Ducks still retain much of their talent from last year's championship campaign, but it remains to be seen how much Masoli's absence will be felt. A team that at one point looked to be a lock for a repeat title run will now be hard pressed to defend their title.
The diehard enthusiasts of other Pac-10 teams also have much to anticipate, but for those fans who don't live near their schools, seeing beloved teams play can be rendered difficult, if not impossible. Fortunately, websites like college-football-tv.com/ offer software that allows anyone to watch collge football live, wherever there is an internet connection. Streaming games is a great way for fans to watch college football wherever they are, without worrying about bloated cable plans or the like. Now, anyone can watch Washington, with phenom quarterback and NFL prospect Jake Locker, gear up for a title run, or young, up-and-coming teams like UCLA and Arizona play spoiler more than a few times this season.
Rounding out the Pac-10, Stanford and Cal might struggle to replicate the successes of 2009, as they try to find a way to replace their respective standout running backs, Toby Gerhart and Jahvid Best. Oregon State and Arizona State will feature strong defenses stocked with returning veteran talent. Oregon State's dangerous running game, led by the Rodgers siblings, James and Jacquizz, could work in tandem with that suffocating defense to sneak into the title conversation late in the season. It remains to be seen if Washington State, with a glut of holdovers from a disastrous one-win 2009 season, can improve to make it into the Pac-10 title discussion. With so much talent elsewhere in the conference, the road ahead will not be easy for the Cougars.
It's hard to pick a favorite in the Pac-10 this year, which represents a stark contrast with the very predictable, USC-dominated conference of the previous decade. Perhaps Oregon will use this season as a jumping-off point for a dynasty of their own, but it is not going to be easy with dark horses lurking around every corner. One thing is predictable: fans everywhere will be tuning in to watch college football live across the country to see how everything plays out in the 2010 season.
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