No conference has made more headlines in the past week than the Pac-10, rumored to turn Pac-16, now appearing to settle in at Pac-12.  With superconference dreams coming up short, Larry Scott and his manifest destiny did manage to add two teams from the eastern side of the region, annexing both Colorado and Utah.   Once you throw in the violations and penalties at flagship school USC, no one knows exactly what the changing face of the conference will look like in the 2010 season, but hey, it can’t hurt to take a guess at how the top of the standings might play out.

  1. Oregon State – With the NCAA’s dethroning of conference king USC, the Beavers find themselves in rare position atop the Pac-10 projections.  Led by Junior RB Jacquizz Rodgers and an overload of talent at skill positions, youngster QB Ryan Katz should be able to adjust to the spotlight with relative ease in his second year.
  2. Oregon – After a Rose Bowl appearance just a year ago, the Ducks return more starters than any other team in the conference.  Senior QB Jeremiah Masoli’s long list of legal problems and subsequent dismissal is the only reason Oregon isn’t the favorite grab the automatic BCS bid.  The team should still be competitive, even without the would-be Heisman candidate, as they are stocked with so much experienced talent on both sides of the ball.
  3. Washington – It’s been a long time since the Huskies were relevant in the college football landscape but after Senior QB Jake Locker’s decision to return for a final season, Washington finds itself in surprisingly good position.  This isn’t the most talented team top to bottom, but it what might be a down year conference (with USC’s NCAA backlash and before the new members begin Pac-10 play), look for Locker and company to surprise a few people out west.