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2015 College Football Preview: Pac-12
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 8/13/2015  at  7:20:00 AM
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2015 College Football Preview: Pac-12

To get you prepared for the upcoming college football season, we begin our run of all FBS conference previews over the next several weeks. In our next preview, we’ll be looking at the Pac-12 Conference:

ARIZONA WILDCATS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 10-4
ATS Record: 5-9
Over/Under: 5-9
Points Scored: 34.5 PPG (30th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 28.2 PPG (80th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 200/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
The Wildcats are loaded with young and talented skill players, namely junior WR Cayleb Jones (1,019 rec yds) and sophomores QB Anu Solomon (28 TD, 9 INT) and RB Nick Wilson (1,375 rush yds, 16 TD). The defense took its lumps last year, but stud LB Scooby Wright (6 FF, 14 sacks, 29 TFL) returns.

ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS

BetDSI Sportsbook preview for this school:

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 10-3
ATS Record: 6-7
Over/Under: 7-6
Points Scored: 36.9 PPG (16th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 27.9 PPG (76th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 200/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 9
With a stacked backfield, former RB D.J. Foster (1,081 rush yds, 9 TD; 688 rec yds, 3 TD) will now wreak havoc as a slot receiver catching passes from senior QB Mike Bercovici (7.8 YPA, 12 TD, 4 INT). ASU lost its two best defensive players, but still have LB Antonio Longino (94 tackles) and CB Kweishi Brown (3 INT).

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 5-7
ATS Record: 7-5
Over/Under: 6-5
Points Scored: 38.3 PPG (11th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 39.8 PPG (123rd in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 500/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 8
Defense: Starters Returning: 9
Cal may improve its 38.3 PPG (10th in FBS) with QB Jared Goff (35 TD, 7 INT), WR Kenny Lawler (9 rec TD), TE Stephen Anderson (661 rec yds) and RB Daniel Lasco (1,115 rush yds). The front seven is serviceable, but the secondary allowed an FBS-worst 367.2 passing YPG and 42 passing TD last year.

COLORADO BUFFALOES

BetDSI Sportsbook preview for this school:

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 2-10
ATS Record: 6-6
Over/Under: 7-5
Points Scored: 28.5 PPG (67th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 39.0 PPG (119th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 9
Colorado’s offense is on the rise with QB Sefo Liufau (28 TD, 15 INT), WR Nelson Spruce (106 rec, 1,198 yds, 12 TD) and a slew of capable ball carriers. New DC Jim Leavitt (49ers) has a complex defense that will blitz early and often to take pressure off a weak Buffs secondary.

OREGON DUCKS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 13-2
ATS Record: 10-5
Over/Under: 7-8
Points Scored: 45.4 PPG (4th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 23.6 PPG (31st in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 22/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 6
Heisman QB Marcus Mariota is gone, but the Ducks are loaded with talent like RB Royce Freeman (1,365 rush yds, 18 TD) and WRs Byron Marshall (1,003 rec yds, 6 TD) and Devin Allen (684 rec yds, 7 TD). DE DeForest Buckner (4 sacks, 12.5 TFL), OLB Christian French (6.5 sacks) and S Reggie Daniels (83 tackles, 9 PBU) are the heart and soul of an above-average defense.

OREGON STATE BEAVERS

BetDSI Sportsbook preview for this school:

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 5-7
ATS Record: 3-9
Over/Under: 5-7
Points Scored: 25.7 PPG (89th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 31.6 PPG (98th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 500/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 9
Defense: Starters Returning: 2
New head coach Gary Andersen will run a spread, and often utilize RB Storm Woods (766 rush yds) and WR Victor Bolden (798 rec yds). It’s not clear which freshman QB (Nick Mitchell or Seth Collins) will replace Sean Mannion. New DC Kalani Sitake’s 3-4 set will break in nine new starters.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TROJANS

BetDSI Sportsbook preview for this school:

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 9-4
ATS Record: 7-6
Over/Under: 6-7
Points Scored: 35.8 PPG (23rd in FBS)
Points Allowed: 25.2 PPG (46th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 18/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
Star QB Cody Kessler (3,826 pass yds, 39 TD, 5 INT) has playmakers like WR JuJu Smith (724 rec yds), RB Justin Davis (595 rush yds) and now-healthy RB Tre Madden (703 rush yds in 2013). The ultra-talented defense is strongest in the back seven with OLB Su’a Cravens (5 sacks) and CB Kevon Seymour (13 PBU).

STANFORD CARDINAL

BetDSI Sportsbook preview for this school:

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 8-5
ATS Record: 7-6
Over/Under: 3-9
Points Scored: 27.2 PPG (79th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 16.4 PPG (2nd in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 40/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 9
Defense: Starters Returning: 3
The Cardinal will continue to pound the football with a gaggle of backs, including RB Remound Wright (601 rush yds, 11 TD) and Barry Sanders (315 rush yds). QB Kevin Hogan (19 TD, 8 INT) rarely makes mistakes. Other than ILB Blake Martinez (102 tackles), not much remains from this elite defense.

UCLA BRUINS

BetDSI Sportsbook preview for this school:

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 10-3
ATS Record: 5-8
Over/Under: 5-8
Points Scored: 33.5 PPG (36th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 28.1 PPG (77th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 35/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 10
Defense: Starters Returning: 8
Brett Hundley’s replacement -- QBs Jerry Neuheisel (5.0 YPA) or freshman Josh Rosen -- will work with 10 returning starters, including RB Paul Perkins (1,575 rush yds) and WR Jordan Payton (954 rec yds). New DC Tom Bradley inherits a talent-rich unit with LBs Deon Hollins (9 sacks) and Myles Jack (88 tackles).

UTAH UTES

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 9-4
ATS Record: 9-4
Over/Under: 4-9
Points Scored: 31.3 PPG (52nd in FBS)
Points Allowed: 24.9 PPG (44th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 300/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
The offense revolves around senior RB Devontae Booker (1,512 rush yds, 10 TD), especially due to a subpar air attack with QB Travis Wilson (18 TD, 5 INT). New DC John Pease will need DE Hunter Dimick (10 sacks), NT Lowe Lotulelei (4 sacks) and LB Jared Norris (116 tackles) to seriously help a weak secondary.

WASHINGTON HUSKIES

BetDSI Sportsbook preview for this school:

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 8-6
ATS Record: 7-7
Over/Under: 3-10
Points Scored: 30.2 PPG (57th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 24.8 PPG (40th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 500/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 4
The Huskies need to find a starter between junior QB Jeff Lindquist (5.4 YPA) and freshman K.J. Carta-Samuels, but still have WR Jaydon Mickens (617 rec yds) and RBs Dwayne Washington (697 rush yds, 9 TD) and Lavon Coleman (565 rush yds). The defense lost 43 senior sacks, and returns little experience around LB Travis Feeney (60 tackles) and S Budda Baker (80 tackles).

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS

BetDSI Sportsbook preview for this school:

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 3-9
ATS Record: 4-8
Over/Under: 6-6
Points Scored: 31.8 PPG (46th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 38.6 PPG (117th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
Either sophomore QB Luke Falk (7.7 YPA) or freshman Peyton Bender will run the Air Raid offense with a deep receiving corps led by WR River Cracraft (771 rec yds in 9 G). The defense (38.6 PPG allowed) can only improve with LB Jeremiah Allison (78 tackles) and CB Charleston White (13 PBU) back.


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