If you turn on the highlight tapes you will see a vicious, punishing linebacker and start to salivate over the kinds of enforcement skills that he can bring to a defense. However, those plays were few and far between this past season at Arizona State. In reality, Burfict played undisciplined, racked up numerous personal foul penalties, missed a ton of tackles, looked disinterested at times and turned out to be the most overrated and overhyped player in the conference. Those problems along with his awful performance at the scouting combine and the perception that he has a poor work ethic and doesn’t respond well to coaching has turned Burfict into the most polarizing player in this year’s NFL Draft.

Vontaze Burfict joined WNST in Baltimore with Glenn Clark to talk about how tough this pre-draft process has been for him, what he would like teams to know about him that they may not already, if the criticism that he has received bothers him, how frustrating last season was at Arizona State, how he responds to the criticism that he is not coachable, what he says to people that question his work ethic, if he has thought about what he will do if he goes undrafted.

How tough this pre-draft process has been for him:

“It’s been a hard preparation. I’ve just been working out, toning down my body, lifting weights, running miles every day, and just trying to keep up with conditioning so I can come into camp the best I can.”

What he would like teams to know about him that they may not already:

“Just hope that they know I’m a soft-spoken guy. The guy I am on the field, I’m not the same guy off the field. When I’m off the field, I’m more sitting down, more of a chill guy, don’t do too much partying, and when I’m on the field I’m just angrier, don’t like to lose, have a passion for the game and love to hit. Me and off the field are just two different things and people have it mixed up. They think I’m the same people off the field and it’s totally different.”

Whether the criticism he has gotten bothers him:

“No because I know who I am as a person and I know how my mom raised me. I just know whatever team picks me, they’ll get a great linebacker. Once they see me on the field and see me off the field they’ll be like ‘man the media had this guy totally wrong. He’s just such a great guy’ and stuff like that so there will be a lot of good words after this draft about me.”

How frustrating last season was at Arizona State:

“Yes sir. At the beginning of the season we went like 5-1 and then we ended up losing like five games straight. It was very frustrating for me because we had too many athletes on that team and for us to lose close games it was just very frustrating for me. Some of my immaturity kind of showed with getting personal fouls and stuff like that. I’ve learned from my past and I’m growing as a man, just looking past that, focusing on next year, and getting whatever team I play for to the Super Bowl.”

How he responds to people that say he doesn’t like to be coached:

“I think that’s totally wrong.  I love being coached because I’m not the greatest athlete but I loved being coached. You get better at every little thing that you do so by me being coached I love to listen to what a coach has to say because obviously they’ve been there and done that so I think I’m very coachable, especially coming out of Arizona State because I had Trent Bray as my coach and he knew a lot about the game. I learned a lot from him but I also think I can learn more from somebody else in the NFL that knows what an offense will run before they come out and do it. I think that’s something that I already have and becoming a professional at it I think that would be amazing.”

How he responds to people that believe his work ethic is poor:

“Actually I think I work very hard. Like I said I weighed like 257 last season and right now I’m about 245. My work ethic this offseason has been amazing. Every morning I wake up and run a mile, I’m eating right, doing two workouts per day, running half a mile before I go to sleep so I think my work ethic, a lot of people don’t know what my work ethic is, because they’re not with me 24/7 but a lot of my stuff is pretty much what I do and I know what I do by myself.”

Whether he is worried about going undrafted:

“Not really because I have been working so hard and God knows how hard I’ve been working. I’m truly blessed just to be in the position that I’m in right now. If I don’t get drafted then I will have to go back to school, but I love football so much that I won’t give up on football. But I will go back to school and finish up my schooling and stuff like that and probably go somewhere else like Arena football or something but hopefully I make it to the NFL sir.”

Listen to Vontaze Burfict on WNST in Baltimore here

If you turn on the highlight tapes you will see a vicious, punishing linebacker and start to salivate over the kinds of enforcement skills that he can bring to a defense. However, those plays were few and far between this past season at Arizona State. In reality, Burfict played undisciplined, racked up numerous personal foul penalties, missed a ton of tackles, looked disinterested at times and turned out to be the most overrated and overhyped player in the conference. Those problems along with his awful performance at the scouting combine and the perception that he has a poor work ethic and doesn’t respond well to coaching has turned Burfict into the most polarizing player in this year’s NFL Draft.

Vontaze Burfict joined WNST in Baltimore with Glenn Clark to talk about how tough this pre-draft process has been for him, what he would like teams to know about him that they may not already, if the criticism that he has received bothers him, how frustrating last season was at Arizona State, how he responds to the criticism that he is not coachable, what he says to people that question his work ethic, if he has thought about what he will do if he goes undrafted.

How tough this pre-draft process has been for him:

“It’s been a hard preparation. I’ve just been working out, toning down my body, lifting weights, running miles every day, and just trying to keep up with conditioning so I can come into camp the best I can.”

What he would like teams to know about him that they may not already:

“Just hope that they know I’m a soft-spoken guy. The guy I am on the field, I’m not the same guy off the field. When I’m off the field, I’m more sitting down, more of a chill guy, don’t do too much partying, and when I’m on the field I’m just angrier, don’t like to lose, have a passion for the game and love to hit. Me and off the field are just two different things and people have it mixed up. They think I’m the same people off the field and it’s totally different.”

Whether the criticism he has gotten bothers him:

“No because I know who I am as a person and I know how my mom raised me. I just know whatever team picks me, they’ll get a great linebacker. Once they see me on the field and see me off the field they’ll be like ‘man the media had this guy totally wrong. He’s just such a great guy’ and stuff like that so there will be a lot of good words after this draft about me.”

How frustrating last season was at Arizona State:

“Yes sir. At the beginning of the season we went like 5-1 and then we ended up losing like five games straight. It was very frustrating for me because we had too many athletes on that team and for us to lose close games it was just very frustrating for me. Some of my immaturity kind of showed with getting personal fouls and stuff like that. I’ve learned from my past and I’m growing as a man, just looking past that, focusing on next year, and getting whatever team I play for to the Super Bowl.”

How he responds to people that say he doesn’t like to be coached:

“I think that’s totally wrong.  I love being coached because I’m not the greatest athlete but I loved being coached. You get better at every little thing that you do so by me being coached I love to listen to what a coach has to say because obviously they’ve been there and done that so I think I’m very coachable, especially coming out of Arizona State because I had Trent Bray as my coach and he knew a lot about the game. I learned a lot from him but I also think I can learn more from somebody else in the NFL that knows what an offense will run before they come out and do it. I think that’s something that I already have and becoming a professional at it I think that would be amazing.”

How he responds to people that believe his work ethic is poor:

“Actually I think I work very hard. Like I said I weighed like 257 last season and right now I’m about 245. My work ethic this offseason has been amazing. Every morning I wake up and run a mile, I’m eating right, doing two workouts per day, running half a mile before I go to sleep so I think my work ethic, a lot of people don’t know what my work ethic is, because they’re not with me 24/7 but a lot of my stuff is pretty much what I do and I know what I do by myself.”

Whether he is worried about going undrafted:

“Not really because I have been working so hard and God knows how hard I’ve been working. I’m truly blessed just to be in the position that I’m in right now. If I don’t get drafted then I will have to go back to school, but I love football so much that I won’t give up on football. But I will go back to school and finish up my schooling and stuff like that and probably go somewhere else like Arena football or something but hopefully I make it to the NFL sir.”

Listen to Vontaze Burfict on WNST in Baltimore here

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Well, thats what the advertising campaign promotes. But unfortunately for the Arizona State Sun Devils, the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas was nationally televised. In a bowl game that featured two teams going in totally opposite directions, tonights outcome was rather predictable. A one loss Boise State team feeling very slighted by the BCS versus an Arizona State team who has lost four in a row to finish the season 6-6. A 14 point spread was very generous.

ASU deferred the opening kick to Boise St, which in turn returned it 100 yards courtesy of one Doug Martin. Boise St 7- ASU 0. Arizona State’s first two drives were a total of nine plays and 24 yards. In the mean time Boise St put up another score on a 14 yard pass from Kellen Moore to Tyler Shoemaker and a 14-0 lead. Arizona States first quarter was more of the same we’ve seen the last month of the season. Multiple penalties (3 in a row at one point) and what I call ‘November tackling”. Reaching and slapping at the ball carrier. The quarter ended on an ASU drive that went five plays for 0 yards and took 2:27 off the clock.

The second quarter started with a Boise St 8 play 80 yard drive and Moore to Matt Miller touchdown pass. Followed directly by a Vontaze Burfict unsportsmanlike personal foul. The two teams exchanged punts before ASU found its offense. A 12 play 66 yard drive resulted in an Alex Garoutte 32 yard field goal. Many in the press box as well as stands thought a first down try would have been more prudent, but the ASU lame duck coaching staff opted for three. Boise ST 21 – ASU 3. On Boise’s very next drive quarterback Kellen Moore let loose a guaranteed pick six beach ball to DB Deveron Carr only to have him trip on the Sam Boyd field turf and drop the ball. A costly drop, as the Broncos scored another touchdown five plays later on a vintage Bronco trick play as wide out Matt Miller hit TE Kyle Efaw to go up 28-3.The quarter mercifully ended with that score.

The second half started the same as the first half. In something I have never seen before, both halves began with kick-off returns for scores. ASU’s Rashard Ross took the second half kick 98 yards to pull ASU to within 18. On the next two Boise drives ASU’s defense manned up and picked off Moore and recovered a Moore fumble. The Sun Devil offense? A four and out and then a 100 yard Boise St pick six. The quarter ended Boise St 35- ASU 10. All told ASU’s offense went 0-3 on third downs, 0-2 on fourth downs, a minus 12 yards rushing and one interception in the quarter.

The 4th quarter was an exhibition of two teams that knew the game was over and forgot to play defense. While Boise scored the first two touchdowns with one coming on a fumble return ASU managed to fight for a touchdown on a Gerrell Robinson 21 yard pass. The game MVP Doug Martin, scored Boise’s final points while Osweiler actually found seldom used wide out George Bell for a 30 yard score almost as time was expiring. The final gun mercifully went off with the final score Boise St 56 – ASU 24.

The outcome of this game was not surprising and actually was a relief for this Sun Devil season to finish. Although ASU QB Brock Osweiler secured a few Sun Devil passing records during this game, they were lost in a teary post game press conference as he said goodbye to the coach who brought him to Tempe. Besides an opponent who arguably got screwed by the BCS, this ASU squad had to deal with a 4 game losing streak, and exiting coach and a new coach who came in and started wrecking havoc inside the athletic department. Next up? The Todd Graham era…..

2011 Las Vegas Bowl Post Game Sound

2011 Las Vegas Bowl Post Game by sparkyfan

It’s hard for folks around the Arizona State program not to wonder if this is just his next short stop on the coaching ladder, but Graham says that’s not the case. He states his side of things in this interview and tells people that this is a destination job, one that he won’t leave unless he’s fired or retired.

Todd Graham joined KTAR in Phoenix with Doug and Wolf to discuss his side of things on his departure from Pitt, why he left there, how he changed the environment in one season there, not being the first choice of Arizona State, his coaching strengths, those questioning his character publicly and how long he plans on being at Arizona State.

What’s your side of the story with how you left things at Pitt?:

“Obviously the timing on these things are very, very difficult. From the time you’re offered a job to when you accept it is very rapid. It was probably a 12-hour period from when I was offered the job to the time I had to be on a plane leaving. … It didn’t allow for me to have a chance to call a meeting, to have a meeting with the players. I used the only means I had at my disposal. I certainly didn’t want those guys to find out on the news. … It makes you sick to your stomach, because it’s not the way you want to do things.”

Why did you leave Pitt?:

“I had other people call me about jobs around the country and I didn’t even blink at them. This is a place where my wife’s mother and father is. We come every year to vacation here. … It was a dream destination for us. … It was really more of a family deal.”

Did you feel like the environment had changed at Pitt during your one season?:

“I think so. I think we made great progress. … I think they had 26 arrests the year before I got there and we had zero. So, I think we made a lot of progress with the young men. I’m very, very proud of that growth. … Obviously you don’t ever want to be in a situation where you’re only at a place one year. At the end of the day, it was gut-wrenching to make that decision, but it was one that was the best for my family.”

Did you care how Arizona State handled its search, seemingly going after other candidates before arriving at your hiring?:

“Oh no. If you’re asking me about being the first choice, I wasn’t my wife’s first choice. But I’m glad that I was the one that ended up with it.”

What are you strengths?:

“My whole deal, my strengths, are building relationships with coaches and players. That’s my whole foundation of what we do. I think that’s the key to building discipline. I want guys that are great teachers. … I don’t believe there’s good and bad people, it’s what we choose to bring out in each other.”

You talk about being a man of character and being genuine, but given recent reports, the media is saying the opposite. How do you address that?:

“I would point to the players and things that I’ve done as a football coach. I’m extremely proud of the things we’ve accomplished on the field and off the field. I can tell you that obviously you never want to be put in a situation like that and it was tough. I’m human. I made the best decision for my family. … I know the people that know me know what I’m all about and all’s I can do is work hard to prove that and work hard to earn people’s respect and trust.”

If you win, how long will you be at Arizona State?:

“You can say, ‘Look at his track record. He was at Rice one year.’ If I describe the circumstances from which I left there and, really, if everybody knew all the circumstances that I just left, but I’m not going to go into that. … You look around the country, they’re firing coaches after two years and it’s unfair. But I can tell you this, that I come here because I think this is a destination. It’s where my wife and family wanted to be. … I’ll prove that I’m going to be here. Unless I’m fired or retired, I plan on being here.”

Listen to Todd Graham on KTAR in Phoenix here

Pitt wide receiver Cam Saddler, one of the team’s leaders, spoke out on the situation, describing how Graham spoke often of his money and the shock that the players were experiencing. At the mention of Graham possibly returning to meet with the team after leaving so hastily, Saddle said Graham better not dare come back.

Cam Saddler joined 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on The Morning Show to discuss Graham not being genuine, the shock of the coaching change, what it will take to trust the next guy, talking to incoming recruits, the team coming together in a tough time, Graham talking about his money and what he would think if Graham wanted to come back and meet with the team.

When did you start to see this guy as not genuine?:

“I guess I got bamboozled. It just started to unravel slowly but surely, probably the first couple months he was there in the offseason. … Everybody wants to impress the new coach. But after a while, you cannot repeat the same stuff over and over. You’ve got to actually show us something.”

Have you learned more in the past 24 hours in the locker room or in the past four years in the classroom?:

“The last 24 hours, man. This has been rough, man. This is happening again? The first time it happened last year, we were all in shock, like no way this is going down. … Then, it’s happening now. … We’re kind of just like, again? How’s this happening again? We know what to expect, what we’re getting ourselves into, and it’s like, ‘Why us?’”

What do you think it’ll take for you to trust the next guy?:

“We don’t nobody to tell us nothing. We want somebody to show us. We’re tired of hearing speeches of how everything’s going to be OK and everything’s going to get better. … Show us. We’re done talking. I don’t want no one coming in here and talking to us, trying to sell us.”

You’ve been known as a guy who helped guys decide to come here. What do you say now?:

“I’m going to do some justice on this class, I promise. I think people are a little bit too worried about recruiting. I think, as a team, we’ll handle that. I talked to a couple recruits yesterday and I just wanted to tell the guys, ‘You’re coming to join the team.’”

Do you think you guys have come together as a team because of this?:

“Definitely. This is making us closer and closer. Everyone’s texting everybody and calling everybody just so we can all be on the same page. This situation is wild man. This doesn’t happen every day. … You don’t switch bosses this often. … We’ve got each other, though. I know it’s kind of cliche to say, but who else do you have?”

Give us an example of when Graham spoke about his money:

“He told us at a team meeting that … ‘I’ll lose game with guys with integrity. It doesn’t matter to me if I get fired. I make $2 million a year, I can move to the Caribbean and me and my wife can be better off for the rest of our lives.’ Like, what kind of nonsense is that? I don’t care about that. You’re my coach. I understand that; you get paid lots of money. … You have a nice haircut and all, but why would you tell us that you and your wife would be OK.”

More on the situation:

“I had to let them know that, I understand this is a business, but this is personal. This hurt. It was a business last year, but now this is personal, man. We’re young men, and we deserve the same respect that everyone else deserves.”

Todd Graham said he would like to come back and meet with you guys. What do you think about that?:

“No, no, no. He better not dare try to come over here. He better not dare. I mean that with a passion. When the situation first happened, I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I sat down with a couple guys and told them if the plan was for Coach Graham to coach us in the bowl game, we are not going to play.”

Listen to Cam Saddler on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh here

So on a beautiful holiday weekend late (8:21pm kickoff) friday evening with a student section looking like a Florida Marlins game, the Arizona State Sun Devils took the field on Senior Night. And immediately after kick-off the Cal Bears took the ball downfield and put up a 48 yard field goal to take the lead 3-0. Not to be out done, ASU proceeded to march down field and in 11 plays and covering 80 yards Cameron Marshall punched the ball in from the one to take a 7-3 lead. After a weak 59 yard kickoff the Bears started their next drive on their own 29. They then rattle off a six play 71 yard scoring drive with none of the plays going for less than 11 yards. The score coming on an Isi Sofele 18 yard run. Cal 10- ASU 7.

The ensuing kickoff saw Jamal Miles return the ball 51 yards to the Cal 45. And in the ‘we continue to show how we’ve lost three games in a row to lesser talented teams’ category, seldom used and disappointing tailback Kyle Middlebrooks fumbled the ball away. First play for Cal resulted in an ASU pass interference penalty and then a 16 yard run by quarterback Zach Maynard for a touchdown. The 1st quarter ended with ASU having the ball over 10 minutes but trailing the Golden Bears 17-7. The first play of the second quarter saw Osweiler find fan favorite Aaron Pflugrad for 16 yards to bring the score 17-14. The second drive in the quarter ASU had the Bears stopped on third down but committed another pass interference penalty which kept the drive going. Five plays later CJ Anderson punched it in from the one to extend CAL’s lead back to 10 points. Before Sun Devil fans could reseat themselves after the kick-off, on ASU’s first play Osweiler was picked off with CAL getting the ball back on the Devil 16 yard line. Despite another ASU penalty, they still only allowed a field goal to keep the Bears within a two score range. Just as quick as they fell behind, ASU took the next drive in for a touchdown and on the following kick-off, turned a fumble recovery into another score. Halftime score, ASU 28- Cal 27.

The scoring continued into the 3rd quarter as ASU put up 10 points and Cal 14. A more important storyline of the third wasn’t so much the score but three more ASU penalties. The big one coming from Vontaze Burfict in what might be his final personal foul he ever commits as a Sun Devil. Burfict sat on the bench through the entire fourth quarter dis-interested and dis-connected. A sad ending for what was suppose to be a spectacular season for the junior linebacker. Cal mustered only two field goals in the fourth quarter but it was more than enough as ASU couldn’t get any offense going. Final score CAL 47- ASU 38.

The disappointment of this game was muffled by the previous three weeks worth of losses. To go from #18 ranked in the country with a record of 6-2 and the ‘easy’ part of the schedule ahead, to 6-6 is a numbing experience. A numbness the Devils will have to take into a second tier bowl game. Two questions remain for the ASU 2011 season, what bowl will they attend and will Coach Erickson be coaching them. The only highlight of the night for me was having one of my Pac-12 fantasy team players apologize to me for a sub-par season. Hey, its something….

A dejected Brock Osweiler watches the final stages of the ASU defeat to UCLA.

Despite the constant national media attention given to UCLA every week and their chances to secure the Pac-12 South title, all the Arizona State Sun Devils had to do in Pasadena was basically win, and they’re in. (Pac-12 Championship game)  It simply amazes this reporter how a mediocre Bruin team can be hyped as a challenger for the south title.  On paper anything is possible, but I live in the real world and after watching the debacle UCLA exhibited in Tucson against Arizona two weeks ago, this Bruin team should be happy with a New Mexico Bowl berth.  But like most things ASU football, nothing comes easy and somebody forgot to tell the Bruins they had no chance.

After a quick six plays and punt possession for ASU to start the game, the UCLA Bruins started on their own own 11 yard line and proceeded to march down field in eight plays (six rushing) to put up the games first points.  A missed extra point made it 6-0 UCLA.  Like most games this year, ASU needs a kick in the mouth to get started and that they did.  The Sun Devils responded to the UCLA score with an eight play 81 yard drive featuring a 35 yard touchdown pass from Brock Osweiler to AJ Pickens to go up 7-6.   The end of the first quarter had ASU with the ball and early in the 2nd quarter Cameron Marshall rumbled into the end zone to put ASU up 14-6.  ASU’s offense started half time early as the Bruins put up 10 points to finish the half up 16-14.

The 3rd quarter started with a nice ASU run stop on Jonathan Franklin for a two yard loss.  The very next play featured Kevin Prince to a wide open Nelson Rosario for a 76 yard touchdown pass to put the Bruins up 23-14.  Early 3rd quarter, gut check time, Sun Devils.  A quick four and out for UCLA gave the ball back to the Sun Devils on the Bruin 45 yard line.  Five plays later Osweiler hit Jamal Miles for a nine yard touchdown pass.  The quarter ended with the score UCLA 23 ASU 21.

The fourth quarter was a battle of field position until with a little less than four minutes on the clock ASU put together a monster drive of 10 plays and 93 yards to take the lead 28-23 on a Brock Osweiler one yard run.  A two point conversion was nullified on a holding penalty by Dan Knapp.  The ensuing kick-off resulted in a Bruin turnover but the ASU offense was stymied and settled for a 36 yard field goal attempt, which went left to leave the score 28-23 and the door open for the Bruins.  Kevin Prince then took his Bruin teammates down-field for a last ditch effort for a victory.  With a drive that featured nine running plays the one pass completion was the proverbial straw that broke ASU’s back.  Facing a third and 29 on the ASU 39, Prince hit a wide open Nelson Rosario for 33 yards and first and goal.  Three plays later Derrick Coleman punched in what would be the game winner from one yard out.  A failed two point conversion left the score UCLA 29 ASU 28.  With just 42 seconds left, Brock Osweiler would move the ball down-field to the UCLA 29 with the assistance of a penalty reversal and a UCLA pass interference call.  With just a mere four seconds left, ASU kicker Alex Garoutte missed his third field goal of the day to send the exuberant Bruin team onto the field for a big upset celebration.

In post game interviews, linebacker Colin Parker summed up the game perfectly.  ASU failed in all three aspects of the game.  The kicking game was brutal, the defense couldn’t stop anyone on the ground and the offense missed on several opportunities.  Cameron Marshall’s 168 yards rushing were the lone bright spot in a very disappointing afternoon in Pasadena.  He now also ranks sixth all-time in ASU history with 24 rushing touchdowns.  All stats he would gladly give back to get the win as he stated in the post game interview. Now, without control of their conference finish in their hands, ASU must bounce back from this loss to travel to Pullman, WA and take on the much improved Washington State Cougars.  Win out and a loss by UCLA will put the Devils back into the Pac-12 South front.  But to look past an opponent at this point in the season, will bite you in the ass every time.

ASU UCLA Postgame Sound

ASU UCLA Postgame Interviews by sparkyfan

ASU scored early and often in its first-ever Pac-12 meeting with Colorado (Photo: Fanster.com)

In a distinct change to how they normally start a game, ASU marched down the field with their first possession and scored a touchdown on a 25 yard Brock Osweiler to Jamal Miles pass.  A four and out for the Buffaloes and then six plays later, another ASU score with a 16 yard Cameron Marshall run.  If there was any trepidation in the Homecoming crowd, it was long gone.  It wasn’t a matter of if ASU would win, but just by how much.  The first quarter ended ASU 21 Colorado 0 with Cameron Marshall fresh from the bye week galloping for 53 yards and Brock Osweiler lofting 153 yards.

The second quarter was more of the same  as ASU put another 10 points on the board to go into the half with 31-7.  The only blemish on the ASU scorecard was a Brock Osweiler fumble that lead directly to a Colorado recovery and 16 yard Josh Moten run for a touchdown. The defense put up the first half shut out while the offense amassed 350 yards.  Despite the awesome offensive display, the team still couldn’t escape the penalty bug.  Seven penalties for 80 yards in any other game would have been a huge impact, but today it was barely noticed among the yards the offensive put up.

Although the Sun Devils put up another 10 points in the third quarter the highlight of the 15 minutes was the goal line stand on Colorado’s second drive. With a first and goal from the ASU three, the Sun Devils held the Buffaloes to two yards o the first down and then stopped them cold on the next three downs.  A flashback of ASU defense from days of old, Vontaze Burfict was in on three of the four plays on the goal line.  Including the fourth down stop where he removed his helmet in celebratory fashion only to quickly put it back on, but it was to late and he was flagged for the shortest personal foul penalty in football history.  Estimated at 3 inches.

As expected the fourth quarter was left for the back-ups to get in some game time experience.  It was nice to finally see quarterbacks Mike Bercovici and Taylor Kelly get some experience outside of practice.  Often injured running back James Morrison even had a few nice runs to accumulate 30 yards on the ground and a late touchdown run.  10 different Sun Devils caught passes with wide out Kevin Ozier getting his first collegiate touchdown.  Josh Hubner averaged 40 yards a punt while place kicker Alex Garoutte made both his field goals in what has been a kicking roller coaster all season.  The 522 total offensive yards was impressive but has to tempered with the fact this Colorado Buffalo team is really not very good.  Especially with the inexperience coach Embree has to field week in and week out.

So with a firm grip on the Pac-12 South, the Sun Devils must head to Pasadena to take on the only team with a legitimate shot at catching them in the division, UCLA.  Will the same team mentality show up in the Rose Bowl as they did on this fall afternoon, or will complacency set in and allow a battered Bruin squad a fighters chance at the upset.  We keep hearing week in and week out from Coach Erickson and quarterback Osweiler the one game at a time thought process and learning from all their mistakes, next Saturday will be the true test. The other test will be how fast we can find the Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles for our post game meal!

ASU POSTGAME AUDIO FOLLOWING 48-14 WIN OVER COLORADO

ASU Postgame Audio – Colorado game by sparkyfan

The Sun Devils gave the Utes a continued rude welcome to the Pac-12 (Photo: Michael Kossett/Fanster.com)

With game time temperature around 48 degrees, the Devils looked like they just got off the plane .  The Utes were fired up and ready to hit.  The highlight early was TE Trevor Kohl’s first two catches of the year including a great one-hander for a first down.  Utah’s first possession featured junior college transfer John White and a 30-yard touchdown scamper.  Another slow start for the 22nd-ranked Devils. ASU’s only score in the first quarter came a few drives later, with the benefit of a Utah personal foul during a failed third down attempt during the drive.  ASU’s defense settled down nicely to end the quarter with the score 7-7.

The second quarter was a battle in the trenches as neither team could muster much offense.  That was until late in the quarter.  The Sun Devils managed to drive to the Ute 12 but were unable to punch it in and settled for a 27 yard field goal from Alex Garoutte.  With only 1:22 on the clock Utah freshman quarterback Jon Hays found his stride and pushed the ball down field in  a hurry to the ASU 16 yard line. Eddie Elder’s interception in the end zone put the kibosh on the Ute drive and the stymied offense of the Sun Devils went to the half leading 10-7.

It was obvious Utah had studied extensive film in preparation for this ASU offense.  Cameron Marshall was only able to muster 34 yards on 12 carries and the few swing passes the Sun Devils have become known for were all stopped for a loss or little gain.  Most of the half Osweiler was hurried and hit with little time to look past his 3rd option.  It was similar to watching a little chick breaking through its egg, pecking and punching with little gain but so close to a break out.

The 3rd quarter started just like the end of the second quarter for the Utes with frosh Hays leading his offense down the field to take the lead 14-10 on a Dallin rogers 2-yard touchdown pass.  The early 3rd quarter deficit seemed to be the kick in the pants the Sun Devils needed as the rest of the 3rd quarter and 4th quarters left the 45,089 in attendance amazed.  ASU took the kickoff and marched down to the Ute 17 were Alex Garoutte connected on his 2nd field goal of the day to pull ASU within one at 14-13.  Utah running back John  White fumbled on the first play of next Ute drive and ASU recovered and then quickly struck for 14-yard Mike Willie touchdown and then a Pflugrad 2-point conversion.  ASU 21 Utah 14.  In almost a mirror of the previous drive the Utes went 1 play and done as Clint Floyd picked off Hays for ASU’s third interception of the game.  Three plays later Cameron Marshall scored to put the Devils up 28-14, which the quarter ended with the same score.  With his 19th career touchdown Marshall moved into 11th place on the ASU all-time touchdown list.

In what appeared to be a little life coming back to the Ute offense was quickly extinguished as they turned the ball over for the third straight drive on the ASU 39 early in the 4th quarter.  Not wasting anymore time, Osweiler led his now unbridled offense down-field and connected with wide out Mike Willie for a 12-yard td pass and his second score of the game.  ASU 35 Utah 14.  This would be the final score as the energy from the crowd had dissipated in addition to what became a lifeless Utah squad, demoralized from the hurricane of a ASU defense.

Despite the ongoing depletion of players from the defensive side of the ball (Brooks, Bolden, Magee, Onyeali to name a few) the group seems to relish in the challenge.  Bending but not breaking and keeping games close until the offense finds it’s stride. The maturation of quarterback Brock Osweiler continues including his leadership amongst his teammates.  Overall this was a great win for the Devils.

Next up will be the biggest test of the year and the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Oregon.  But before I start thinking about the battle between what possible could be a preview of the Pac-12 Championship game I’m going to enjoy the rest of the culinary treasures that Salt Lake/Park City and  SnowBird have to offer.

ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler gets a hug from receiver Aaron Pflugrad as time runs out in the Sun Devils' 35-20 win over Oregon State (Photo: Fanster.com)

There might be a plethora of reasons, or there might just be one, but to say the Sun Devils came out flat Saturday night is perhaps one of the biggest underestimations of 2011.  Brock Osweiler looked lost and vulnerable.  5 of 9 with two interceptions, one sack and one knocked down pass.  46 total yards in the first quarter.  The only redeeming value from quarter one, the defense held the Beavers to only two field goals instead of touchdowns.  The quarter mercifully ended OSU 6 -ASU 0.

Quarter two started with an OSU drive continuation from the first quarter but this time it ended in a touchdown.  ASU was now down 13 and a crowd of 57,437 were sitting on their hands.  Now this is the part of the game where a director or producer would walk out on stage and yell, “Cut!!!”

Whether ASU found the de-fibrillator, a case of Red Bull or they figured out they should be beating this Beaver team soundly, the offense erupted.  Two touchdown drives and a 78-yard punt return by Jamal Miles made this game ASU 21, OSU 13 at the half.

The 3rd quarter started with an exchange of punts before Osweiler gave up his 3rd interception of the game.  Two plays later James Rodgers caught a 5-yard pass to cut the lead to 21-20.  Although the temperature in Tempe was dropping, the stress level in Sun Devil Stadium was rising as ASU continued to struggle to put away this pesky Beaver squad.  But just like great football teams do, ASU quickly marched back downfield on the back of running backs Jamal Miles and Cameron Marshall.  The 37-yard touchdown rumble by Marshall to cap the 6-play drive in spectacular fashion was one for the highlight reels.  No less than 6 Beaver defensive players had a hand on Marshall as he shed all of them to put ASU up by eight.

Another Marshall run early in the 4th quarter put ASU up 35-20.  The Sun Devil defense tightened up the rest of the quarter twice picking off OSU quarterback Sean Mannion and the game ended with a battered Osweiler taking a knee.  ASU 35-OSU 20.  A look at the stats and or box score doesn’t give really tell the story of what a struggle this game turned out to be.  But 20 years from now, it’ll still be a victory with no one caring how it was won.   The idea that the Sun Devils would take the Beavers lightly was well discussed leading up to this game, and it was apparent through-out the contest, but ASU prevailed.  A glimpse of what great teams do under duress, win anyway possible and move on.  The defense continues to amaze as they continue to play great football with a severely depleted squad.  The offense has its moments (USC) and it has its struggles (OSU) but as Osweiler continues to mature, so will the consistency of the offensive unit.  As for the kicking game?  I’ve resolved myself that this will be a Tums moment every time a kicker takes the field the rest of the season.

Next up for ASU, a trip to the Beehive State and a game against Pac-12 newcomer Utah.  And with a victory in Salt Lake City, the Devils would be in a prime position to capture the Pac-12 South crown.  But I hesitate to talk about title games this early in the season.  I’d prefer to talk about the great nachos at Squatters Brewery or the flatbread at Red Rocks Brewery I’ll be enjoying  Friday night before the game.

Brock Osweiler awaits a snap from Garth Gerhart during ASU's 17-14 loss to Illinois on Saturday in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo: Michael Kossett)

It’s been a long time since I sat in a press box and looked out over a horizon and basically saw miles of endless miles of a flat level plane of green.  So this is where the Arizona State Sun Devils have landed to to take on the Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois.  The corn fields and vast areas of trees are a distinct contrast from the mountainous region of the Pac-12, and so was the 72 degree game time temperature.  And with the pleasant temperatures in Central Illinois, the Sun Devils came into this game with a quiet confidence, a slow but deliberate swagger.  A wry grin on most of them as they stretched pre-game.  But it didn’t take long to get that grin smacked off their faces, and smacked hard.

After ASU elected to receive the ball on the coin toss, they promptly went three and out with only one of the plays gaining yardage.  A 25 yard punt set the Illini up with a short field, which then led to a five play 38 yard drive for seven points.  Four and a half minutes into the game ASU had officially been kicked in the mouth on both sides of the ball.  Not the way the 22nd ranked team was suppose to start.  To make things worse on defense, sophomore defensive end standout Junior Onyeali was assisted off the field the first play Illinois had the ball.  A more settled Brock Osweiler took the Devils on their second possession down for a score to tie the game up at seven.  Let the track meet begin.  Once both teams got their ya-ya’s out and stabilized their emotions, the rest of the first and second quarter was entertaining but unattractive football, with turnovers, penalties and bad play calling.  The half ended, 10-7 Illinois.

As with most of my travels to ASU road games, I enjoy the different traditions, crowds and atmospheres of opposing stadiums.  With a plaque honoring Illinois alum, the great Red ‘Galloping Ghost’ Grange, overlooking a beautiful field turf surface, Memorial Stadium is as beautiful a Big Ten stadium you’ll find.  The student section clad entirely in orange filled the whole north end-zone stands and had all the usual hi-jinx of college students.  The hundreds of tailgates spewed palate tempting aromas from their grills sizzling with corn fed mid west beef, brats and burgers.    Also in attendance was a very large ASU contigent.  With Illinois having the largest ASU alum population of any state in America, it was expected Sun Devil fans would invade Champaign.  As a matter of fact, most even caught the Cubs game against the Astros in Wrigley Friday afternoon.  The southeast corner of Memorial Stadium had a strip of maroon and gold from field to upper deck amidst a sea of orange.

For the Sun Devils to get any kind of traction offensively in the second half, the protection of quarterback Brock Osweiler had to improve.  Sacked twice, harassed more times than I could count and at least two Illini in his face on every play, Osweiler ‘survived’ the first half.  When given a few moments to himself in the pocket, he was able to pick apart the defensive backfield of Illinois.  The couple of third quarter possessions ASU attempted were no different than the first half.  No protection for Brock.  Even when they got the ball back after a Jose Canseco-ish muffed punt by Illinois, the Devils weren’t able to do anything due penalties and lack of QB protection.  The third quarter was a game of field position with ASU winning the battle as they took the ball into the Illinois’s red zone to end the quarter.  Resulting in a 14 yard scamper into the orange Illinois end-zone by Brock Osweiler.  ASU’s first lead of the game 14-10.

With momentum finally on the side of Sparky and his Sun Devils, the defensive unit stepped up to stop the offense of Illinois. With a little more than 12 minutes left on the clock and momentum finally on their side, ASU had the game in their own hands.  But just when you thought the Devils had shaken their demons from the 2010 season, another ill fated play emerged for ASU.  With the combination of weak line play and holding onto the ball too long, Osweiler suffered his third turnover of the game when he was sacked and fumbled on his own 41 yard line.  Moments later the Illini punched it in to take a 17-14 lead with 10 minutes left.  Although they had two more attempts to score, the Sun Devils couldn’t come up with any kind of consistency to get close for a game tying field goal or game winning touchdown.  Final score, Illinois 17, ASU 14.

Besides a loss that should have been a realistic victory for the Sun Devils, my concern about the kicking game and penalty issues continues to grow.  Regression from week one to now is atrocious.  Missed field goals, short kick-offs, short and shanked punts are all brow curling moments.  And for the penalties?  Most of them are ill -timed and demonstrate lack of discipline.  The expectations put on QB Brock Osweiler are high, but the realization should be he’s still in his infancy when it comes to tight close game situations.  Growing pains are never comfortable.

Next up is the start of Pac-12 play and Pac-12 championship ineligible USC Trojans in Tempe. Every player interviewed post Illinois game echoed the same opinion, they will learn from their mistakes and build on them.  A win over the men from Troy would be a great cornerstone to build on for the rest of the season.

Photo: Michael Kossett/Fanster.com

Following the game, head coach Dennis Erickson spoke to the media about the loss.

Brock Osweiler was impressive for the Sun Devils during Friday's Blackout in Tempe.

My concerns with the Sun Devils last week have a shelf life of one more week. The kicking game, penalties, the defense and how the offense moves the ball.  You can only take so much from a game against a smaller and weaker opponent like UC Davis.  It’s a tune-up and a game to shake off any summer cobwebs.  But with the 21st-ranked Tigers of Missouri coming to Tempe,  the stakes get rapidly higher with little room for any error.

As much as I praised the kicking game last week, Friday’s effort was less than stellar.  Josh Hubner’s punt in the first half was perfect, a pooch punt to pin back the Tigers. The second half was a mixed bag, so we’ll just refrain from any solid conclusion for a few more weeks.  Alex Garoutte, well, showed he still is a freshman.  In the first half alone he missed a 42-yard field goal, had an extra point blocked and had kickoffs landing around the 10-yard line.  He is a redshirt freshman, so he’s got miles of leeway before I get too critical.

As for the penalties?  Unfortunately a flashback of last year.  Including one from enigmatic linebacker Vontaze Burfict.  You can say both teams had their penalty issues (Missouri had 11), but ASU led the country last year in penalties per game, and this was something that had to be addressed in the off season.  The 12 penalties ASU incurred were all over the board, facemask, pass interference, false start, roughing the passer…you get the picture. 2010 saw the Sun Devils lose a lot of close games and in order to win those close games this year, discipline on both sides of the ball must be attained.

I’m going to jump my defensive comments to discuss how well the offense moved the ball.  For only his fourth start, Brock Osweiler is truly becoming a star in the making.  Beautiful touch passes, laser throws when needed and a great knack to escape the pocket to pick up rushing yards.  37 points and 492 total yards are numbers that have been promised from this offense. And to be honest? The way the defense played, those numbers are a must.

Before spring ball, the ASU defense was being touted as one of the best in the Pac-12 and possibly the country.  With key loses of Omar Bolden, James Brooks and Brandon Magee over the summer, the defense must almost re-invent itself.  How players step up and prove themselves will determine how far this Sun Devil team will go.  Missouri quarterback James Franklin gashed the Devils defense for 109 yards on the ground, partially due to the fact the Tigers were down to their third string running back.  He also threw for 319 yards and spread the ball around to multiple receivers.  So despite the points (30), monster yards (501) given up and giving up the 14-point fourth quarter lead, the defense stepped up and took over the game in OT.  An endeavor they couldn’t do last year.

So with this close win, over a ranked team, this Sun Devil squad will make their first road trip of the season.  The confidence gained from this victory has to be immeasurable.  Last year’s debacle of  snatching defeat from the hands of victory obviously wore on the team and almost made up ways to lose.  On a night when the Pac-12 commish was in attendance and Sun Devil Stadium experienced its first blackout during a lightning filled sky, the ASU Sun Devils finally broke through.  

Next,  a visit to Champaign-Urbana to face the Fighting Illini.

Colin Parker, Brock Osweiler and Cameron Marshall all played big roles in ASU's season opening win over UC-Davis (Photo: Michael Kossett/Fanster.com)

The inaugural Pac-12 football season started Thursday night for the Arizona State Sun Devils in the usual early September triple digit temperatures of Sun Devil Stadium.  Tonight’s sacrificial lamb on Sparky’s rotisserie were the Aggies of University of California-Davis.  One of only three schools in the UC system to field a football team. (Cal & UCLA others).  In direct competition for fans with the Arizona Cardinals who were playing cross town in an air conditioned dome against the Denver Broncos, the less than capacity crowd braved the heat for the first of seven home games in the 2011 season.

Tonight’s game is basically a no-win situation for ASU.  Win big and it’s something you’re supposed to do.  Play a close game, and you should be worried.  Lose, well, let’s not go there for Sun Devil fans.  But for this reporter, a veteran of almost 30 seasons of Sun Devil football, I had specific areas to look at and address.

First and foremost, the kicking game.  For any team  to lose one of their special team specialists is tough enough, but to lose both your punter and kicker in the same year can make the most veteran of coaching staffs grow a little more gray.  Especially after all the close and last minute losses they suffered last year.  Of course one game can’t determine a season, but the production of junior punter Josh Hubner and red-shirt freshman kicker Alex Garoutte should ease the stress of a new kicking game.  Hubner’s first quarter punt of 54 yards was a bomb which was fumbled and led to seven ASU points.  All Garoutte did was drill every extra point, stick a beautiful 49-yard field goal and place all his kickoffs inside the Aggies’ five-yard line.  As for punt and kick-off returns? The duo of Jamal Miles and Kyle Middlebrooks have this area well in control.  The 98 yard return for a score by Miles was a great example of that.

Next up was the brutal penalties the Sun Devils seem to take last year.  During off season workouts and the summer camp the team has specifically worked on playing hard and aggressively, but still maintaining control.  All three penalties tonight were from the offense.  Which leads me to how the enigmatic pre-season All America linebacker Vontaze Burfict played.  Stat line, three sacks, no penalties.  Hopefully this is just a start to a great final season for the young man.  I still maintain he has Suggs-type talent, but he must control himself to be the great weapon that T-Sizzle developed into.

On the topic of Burfict, there was a lot of blitzing thrown into the defensive scheme against the Aggies which disrupted Davis’ game plan.  The one troubling defensive issue I took note on was the inability to stop the run and manhandle the offensive line.  There were several times during the game (1st half mainly) when the starters were still playing that the Aggie runners had gaping holes to scamper through.  Its obvious the loss of Brooks and Magee hurts the Devils in this area.  Don’t doubt for a second that Missouri won’t try to put helmet on helmet on that line, focus on Burfict and try to grind on ASU next week.  Hopefully it was just a ‘first game’ thing that will get rectified by next week.

The offense almost did whatever it wanted tonight.  Osweiler looked crisp and its obvious his game has matured greatly in the last 8 months.  Although Cameron Marshall only had a few touches, his runs, receptions and blocking surely put him in the top-10 of running backs for 2011.  If ASU continues to throw the ball all over the field.  Marshall will find huge holes to run through every game.  And back-up Middlebrooks could be a starter for numerous other programs.  What the offense still can’t get away from is the fake hand off then quick throw into the flat, with the ball sometimes being a lateral.  Until the intended backs can get every ball thrown, this play continues to baffle me on its effectiveness.

Game one is in the books.  A dominating victory over a sacrificial lamb brought into Tempe for that specific purpose.  Next up, the #21 ranked Tigers of Missouri.  As Coach Erickson said during his post game comments, “We’ve got a lot of things to fix if we want to beat Missouri next week”.  Lets hope the first ever Sun Devil Stadium Black Out helps the cause.

The Devils have one of the best defensive players in the country with Vontaze Burfict and they are returning loads of starters off a team that was better than their 6-6 record from a year ago. If ASU can learn from their mistakes in 2010 and they can get anything out of their starting quarterback Brock Osweiler, they will have a great shot of challenging for the first ever Pac-12 Championship.

Dennis Erickson joined KTAR in Phoenix with Burns and Gambo to talk about how excited he is that it is game week, whether or not he thinks the team learned from the close losses, if he considers his team a veteran team now after being so inexperienced last year, if he thinks Brock Osweiler is ready to be the Devils starting quarterback, on his injured running back Deantre Lewis, and if he thinks a playoff is on the horizon in college football with all of these super-conferences.

On the excitement of game week:

“Without question. It’s really been a long camp. We’ve been in for about five weeks, which is about four or five days longer than I have ever been in a camp. We’re anxious to get going and have some sort of idea of where we are at after our game on Thursday.”

Whether or not he thinks the team learned from the close losses:

“Yeah. I really believe you do. Why did we lose them? Obviously the kicking game cost us a couple. You look at them and say why did we lose them? Obviously the kicking game cost us a couple particularly P.A.T. situation against Wisconsin and then against USC with the guy returning it all the way. Just being undisciplined, having stupid penalties, turning the football over in critical situations, so the bottom line is we talked about it a lot. Obviously our players understand it. In the heat of the game things are going to happen, but you have to understand what it takes to win. I guess by losing some of those close ones you find out what it takes.”

Whether or not he considers his team a veteran team now after being so inexperienced last year:

“I guess. We have a lot of starters coming back that have played, but we have a lot of young guys playing too. We have guys that have been through it, guys that have won and know what it takes to win on both sides of the football. The bottom line with us is we have to come together as a team which I really believe we have in camp, last summer and winter, we’re all working to try and accomplish the same thing and it’s about Arizona State, the Sun Devils, and not about the individual. If we can do that, we can come together as a football team, regardless of how many seniors, juniors, or whatever, then we have a chance to win football games.”

Whether or not he feels like his quarterback Osweiler is ready for the challenge:

“I believe he’s ready there’s no question about that. He’s been a real leader on this team ever since he’s been here and he’s really taken over since last season as far as winter workouts, this spring, and this summer. The biggest thing with Brock is he hasn’t started a lot of football games. That’s where it’s at. I really believe you will see him get better and better every week. He’s very talented, he does some things extremely well, he’s a leader, and he’s just gotta find a way to win. I’m excited about watching him play myself. To see him start the season as a starter and see where we go. He does have a lot of talent.”

On Deantre Lewis’ recovery:

“Physically he is getting better all the time. He was in pads yesterday running around with the trainers telling me about 80 percent. I watch him and he looks like he is getting better all the time. The trainers make that decision and we’ll see where he’s at. I personally believe he will be back. I’m not sure exactly when. I know he wants to play this year and like I said he’s getting better physically. The mental aspect like I said before, think about it you were shot and almost killed. Those are mental hurdles that people have to get over. Deantre is working hard and I believe you will see him play this fall.”

On the possibility of a playoff after all these super-conferences have been formed:

“It looks like to me we’re trying to get all these conferences together for reason and that’s to have a playoff in my opinion. Am I for it? Not necessarily. I’d like to see a playoff somehow but I also don’t want to lose the bowl system. It looks like that’s the direction. Obviously money drives everything. Obviously you saw the difference in what Arizona State will make in a year when we get into the TV deal with the Pac-12 and that’s a lot of it. I hope they find a way to keep the bowls and I hope they can find a way that the schools that aren’t in the super conferences can still play and be competitive financially.”

Listen to Dennis Erickson on KTAR in Phoenix here

The injuries? Those are real. Wide receiver T.J. Simpson, cornerback Omar Bolden and linebacker Brandon Magee are all for the season.

The fighting? According to those at and around ASU, those stories are hogwash. Most of the hogwash has been directed toward junior linebacker Vontaze Burfict, known for his emotional and aggressive style of play. Let’s not forget in the midst of all the talk about #7 that he’s pretty good. Rivals.com hasn’t forgotten.

They’ve ranked Burfict as the third best linebacker in the country heading into 2011 and they’ve got him pegged as the #13 overall player in college football.

Their take on Burfict:

Burfict has all the qualities of a great linebacker — speed, range, toughness, enthusiasm and a nasty disposition. He’s too nasty at times, with too many personal fouls. But he has promised he will overcome those undisciplined tendencies. He also was cited by coaches for his offseason work in the weight room — the first time that’s happened. As good as he has been (90 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss in ’10), he’s getting better.

They’ve also got U of A receiver Juron Criner ranked high–#11 overall.

Brooks again made headlines when he announced earlier this summer when he announced he was leaving the Arizona State football program for personal reasons.

Now, Brooks is resurfacing, in Florence, Alabama of all places. Brooks has enrolled at the University of North Alabama, a Division II program that finished 9-4 and advanced to the 2nd round of the Division II Playoffs. Yes, in Division II, they determine a champion through actually playing games on the field. Weird, I know.

Brooks will play for former Auburn head coach Terry Bowden, who also spent a decade as a college football analyst for ESPN and ABC.

“He’s a big, physical defensive end. That’s a position where we were looking for someone, so we’re anxious to get him started,” Bowden told TimesDaily.com.

The Lions’ roster features no less than 24 players that transferred from Division I FCS programs, so Brooks won’t be alone in acclimating to a new surrounding.

North Alabama opens their 2011 season September 1 against Central Oklahoma.

Gas prices under $2.00 per gallon.

The cancellation of Jersey Shore.

These are all things that would make me very, very happy. But nothing would make me happier than if we finally got a playoff system in college football to legitimately determine a national champion. OK, world peace would make me way happier.

But you get the point. Hope for a playoff system seems bleak at best, but at least there’s a slight movement in that direction.

According to Bud Withers of The Seattle Times, athletic directors of the Big Ten and Pac-12 recently discussed the possibility of a plus-one system, which at least shows there’s some dissatisfaction with the current system

Here’s the way Withers lays it out…

The proposed format the ADs favored in a straw vote calls for adding a BCS bowl, probably the Cotton, and seeding the top four teams, which would play semifinals in two BCS bowls on a rotating basis. Presumably, the current BCS formula still would be used to rank teams. Winners would advance to a title game in what has become known as a “plus-one” format.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock basically shot down any talk of a 16-team playoff system (the right way to do it).

At Arizona State’s annual Media Day in Tempe on Saturday, Osweiler kept his confidence at a high level when answering questions about his team’s 2011 outlook.

“If you guys had been in this building since we started our winter workouts from day one until the end of summer conditioning, you would all understand why we’re saying what we are,” Osweiler said. “The mindset of this team is unbelievable right now. The confidence we have, the energy, the family atmosphere that we’ve created around the building–there’s a lot of really special things going on around here. We’re not destined for a 6-6 bowl game. We’re not destined for a 7-5 bowl game. We know this team can do bigger things.”

Senior wide receiver Gerell Robinson was on the same page as Osweiler in the confidence department when making his comments to the media. “The only talk we’ve had is about working hard and getting to New Orleans,” Robinson said. “As much as everybody wants us to go to the Rose Bowl, I’ve been to California. I haven’t been to New Orleans yet.”

Confidence is a must for any football team striving for greatness, and the Sun Devils aren’t the only ones feeling that confidence heading into 2011. Experts around the country have made ASU a sexy sleeper pick to vastly improve and possibly contend for a BCS spot this season.

SI’s Stewart Mandel cited the Devils in that very category in an article written in May, pointing out that their 6-6 record in 2010 was not indicative of how well Dennis Erickson’s team played, and that their 2011 slate of opponents is, as he calls it, “manageable”.

ESPN Radio college football analyst Trevor Matich, on a show that aired just this Friday, also pointed to Arizona State as a team that very well could be in the mix to be one of the two teams left standing on January 9th in The Big Easy.

So, could it actually happen? History says that it could.

Four times during the Bowl Championship Series era (1998 to present), a team that lost 5 games one season went on to hoist the AFCA National Championship the very next season. Bob Stoops’ 2000 Oklahoma team that rolled to a 13-0 record and a BCS title were a 7-5 team just a year before. The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes won a championship by going 14-0 and beating Miami in a thrilling Fiesta Bowl in Tempe. A year earlier, they were 7-5. The 2003 LSU Tigers of Nick Saban that celebrated a title in New Orleans after beating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl did that a season after going 8-5. And last season, the Auburn Tigers rose to the pinnacle of college football a season after going 8-5.

Another interesting note on those four teams who rocketed to championships after mediocre seasons–three of them had new full-time starting quarterbacks, just as ASU will have this fall with Osweiler.

The last two times ASU finished in the top 5 in the nation were 1986, when the Sun Devils won the Pac-10, went on to beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and finish 4th in the polls. The year before, ASU was just 8-4. In 1996, Bruce Snyder’s ASU team was on the verge of winning a national championship after a perfect regular season. The year before, the Devils were 6-5 and didn’t play in a bowl game.

So am I telling Pitchfork Nation to start making travel plans to get to Louisiana in early January?

No.

The Sun Devils will contend for the Pac-12 South crown, although if you’ve read my conference preview, you know that I don’t think they’ll win it. What I think will happen in 2011 for Arizona State is vast improvement in several areas. They’ll get solid leadership from the quarterback position in Osweiler, who showed a lot of moxy in season-ending wins over UCLA and Arizona a year ago. And they’ll improve in the area of learning how to win close games. Four of their six losses last season (Wisconsin, Oregon State, USC and Stanford) came by a combined total of 9 points. Being that close to big wins only to fall short can rip the heart right out of a team’s chest. But such repeated “close but no cigar” moments can also serve as a powerful learning tool.

Head coach Dennis Erickson was much more understated when talking about his team’s goals in 2011–the first one being a Pac-12 South championship and a berth in the inaugural conference championship game and, as he put it, a chance to go to the Rose Bowl.

Although not as brash as his players, Erickson did speak highly of his squad. “I like this football team a lot,” he said. “I feel like we can win a lot of football games, but we’ve got to go out and do it. Talk is cheap.”

Screw that.

After this tumultuous and seemingly endless football offseason punctuated by labor strife in the pro ranks and scandal and punishment in college, I can’t wait much longer for football to get here.

So with the first-ever Pac-12 Media Day behind us, football season is (un)officially here.. And hell, it’s only 35 days until the first action on the field anyway, so let’s get started.

Here’s my predictions for the 2011 Pac-12 football campaign. Let’s get it on!

Pac-12 NORTH

1. Stanford Cardinal (12-0, 9-0) – Yes kids, you read that right. The smart guys from Palo Alto will go undefeated this season, putting them in prime position to play for the BCS National Championship in New Orleans on January 9th. The Cardinal weren’t that far off from turning the BCS trick last season, finishing 12-1 and completely dismantling a red-hot Virginia Tech team in the Orange Bowl by 28 points. Stanford’s only loss came at Oregon, and the Cardinal 21-3 after one quarter and 31-24 at halftime before the high-octane Ducks reeled off a 28-0 2nd half en route to a 52-31 win.
Strengths: Hey, they’ve got the best quarterback in the nation. Andrew Luck may not post sexy enough numbers to win a Heisman in ’11, but make no mistake, there’s nobody better in college football. They also boast a deep RB corps, led by Stepfan Taylor. All Pac-10 performers Shane Skov and Delano Howell are back to anchor the defense.
Weaknesses:A new head coach (Shaw) and new coordinators on both sides of the ball, and they’ve got to replace three starters on their offensive line. Luckily the two returnees (David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin) were both first team All-Pac-10 picks last year.
Schedule: The slate is manageable…they get Oregon at home in what should be the conference game of the year on November 12th, and they miss the two leading Southern Division contenders in Utah and Arizona State altogether. Non-conference games vs. San Jose State and Notre Dame and at Duke are all infinitely winnable.

2. Oregon Ducks (10-2, 8-1) – It’s hard to pick a team that was three points away from a national title a year ago second in their own division, but that’s what I’m doing with Oregon this year. The main question with this team is how can they possibly continue to play under a cloud of controversy. Chip Kelly’s been doing that basically since he took over the program from Mike Bellotti two years ago, and all he’s done is guide the Ducks to a 22-4 record and two BCS bowl bids. And now, there’s a new problem in that cloud–namely the recruiting investigation going on centering around Kelly’s involvement with “street agent” Willie Lyles. It’s gotta catch up sometime. Doesn’t it?
Strengths: The Ducks still have a ton of playmakers in RB LaMichael James, QB Darron Thomas, WR Josh Huff, and CB/KR Cliff Harris.
Weaknesses: Oregon has to replace a lot of talent on defense. DE Kenny Rowe, who was responsible for 16.5 TFL last year is gone, as are LB Casey Matthews, DL Brandon Bair and CB Talmadge Jackson.
Schedule: It starts out rough with a date against LSU in Arlington, Texas, and that alone might be enough to derail Oregon’s hopes of returning to the BCS Championship. A trip to Stanford isn’t going to be easy either.

3. Oregon State Beavers (7-5, 5-4) – It’ll be weird to see the Beavers take the field in September without Jacquizz Rodgers. The diminutive back gained 3,877 yards rushing and scored a total of 51 touchdowns in his three years in Corvallis. But he moved on to the NFL, where he became a 5th round pick of the Atlanta Falcons. But his brother James, a senior receiver, returns after suffering an ugly knee injury in a win over Arizona last season. Head coach Mike Riley saw a true decline in his product for the first time in a while in 2010 as his Beavs won only 5 games and missed a bowl for the first time since the 2005 season.
Strengths: I really like QB Ryan Katz. I may be alone in that assessment even though Katz was decent in his first year as a starter, completing 60% of his passes for 18 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. And he’ll have a very deep receiving corps featuring budding star Markus Wheaton along with Jordan Bishop. If James Rodgers is anywhere close to his pre-injury form, look out.
Weaknesses: Who will replace Jacquizz? The leading contender is senior Ryan McCants, who at 6-1, 237 pounds, is just a completely different type of player than Rodgers. Oh, and who will replace Stephen Paea while we’re asking those questions. All Paea did was win the Pat Tillman Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Schedule: Pretty tough non-conference games at Wisconsin and home against BYU and tough in-conference trips to Arizona State, Utah and Oregon.

4. Washington Huskies (7-5, 5-4) – Steve Sarkisian has got the Huskies back on the right track after years of ineptitude in Seattle. The Huskies improbably won a bowl game against Nebraska–a team that had humbled them by 35 points in the regular season. It was their first bowl appearance since the 2002 Sun Bowl.
Strengths: Chris Polk. The junior running back is a stud, running for over 1,400 yards on the year, including a Pac-10 high 284 against Washington State. The receiving corps is deep with Jermaine Kearse, Devin Aguilar, James Johnson (who had 2 td catches in the Spring Game) and Cody Bruns.
Weaknesses: Questions at QB, where it should be sophomore Keith Price’s job to lose. Nick Montana, the son of the legendary Joe Montana, is also in the running for playing time. The defense of coordinator Nick Holt also has to find a way to replace two of the top leading tacklers in the conference from last season in Mason Foster and Nate Williams.
Schedule: Another date with Nebraska, in Lincoln on September 17th. This one’s the rubber match. Other non-cons are winnable (vs. Eastern Washington and Hawaii) and they miss out on what should be a win by not playing UCLA this season.

5. California Golden Bears (4-8, 2-7) – Cal was another program that took a step backward in 2010, winning only 5 games and missing a bowl for the first time since 2002. So can Jeff Tedford get the Bears back on track? Not many people believe it will happen this year.
Strengths: Receivers Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones are solid, and Allen has superstar potential. Offensive linemen Mitchell Schwartz, Matt Summers-Gavin and Brian Schwenke all have experience starting up front.
Weaknesses: QB. Cal fans won’t have Kevin Riley to kick around anymore, but they’ll probably wish they did by midseason. It’s a three-headed monster of a QB battle heading into fall camp between junior Zach Maynard, sophomore Allan Bridgford and senior Brock Mansion. Maynard has the most experience, as he started most of the 2009 campaign at Buffalo. There’s also a question mark at RB for the first time in a long time. It’s Isi Sofele’s job to lose, and he’s trying to stretch Cal’s streak of seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher to ten. Ok, actually Shane Vereen and Jahvid Best didn’t reach 4-digits in the rushing column in 2009, but they both ran for over 850, and Best would have reached it if he hadn’t suffered a severe concussion late in the year.
Schedule: Cal’s slate is a little weird, as they play only 2 non-Pac-12 opponents. The Bears already had a non-conference game scheduled against Colorado in Boulder, and it will still count as a non-conference game. They also play Fresno State and Presbyterian out of conference. And they get two rough Pac-12 North trips to Oregon and Stanford.

6. Washington State Cougars (2-10, 0-9) – This sounds weird to say considering that I’m picking the Cougs to win 2 games, but the slow improvement will continue this year in Pullman. In fact, WSU will be 2-0 for the first time since 2005. That’s where the good news ends. But in Paul Wulff’s first year as head coach, the Cougars went 1-8 in Pac-10 play and lost those 8 games by an average of 47.4 points per game. Last season, Wulff’s third year at the helm, the conference record wasn’t any better, but their Pac-10 losses came by an average margin of 18.9 points. I’d say that WSU was taking baby steps, but I think those are too big. What are smaller than baby steps?
Strengths: Quarterback Jeff Tuel is pretty good. In fact, he ranked sixth in the conference in passing efficiency last season ahead of both Ryan Katz and some unnamed Washington QB who became a high first round draft pick. And he’s got good targets to throw to in Marquess Wilson and Jared Karstetter, who combined to catch 117 passes and scored 13 touchdowns in 2010.
Weaknesses: That defense is still, umm…not so good. And neither is their offensive line.
Schedule: Like I said, things start out favorably with home games against Idaho State and woeful UNLV. And there you have it.

Pac-12 SOUTH

1. Utah Utes (10-2, 8-1) – The new kids on the block might be the ones to knock off. I just realized I could have written that same sentence if I was previewing the pop music charts in 1988. But Jordan Knight is nowhere to be found in this preview. Jordan Wynn, however, will figure prominently. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has coached the Utes to 33 wins in the last three seasons and Utah has played in a bowl game in each of the last 8 years, going 7-1. And that includes two BCS wins–over Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and over Alabama in the 2009 Sugar. They may be new to the conference, but this football program knows how to win games. More proof? The Utes are 7-3 vs. Pac-10 foes since 2003.
Strengths: Wynn is back for his junior season, after a 2010 campaign in which he threw for 2,334 yards and 17 touchdowns agains only 10 interceptions. He may not be ready to go for the season opener after missing spring ball with a shoulder injury. He’s solid, if unspectacular. He’s also got three starters back on his offensive line, and receiver DeVonte Christopher should be his main target after hauling in 39 passes and 6 touchdowns a year ago. True freshman running back Harvey Langhi is supposed to the real deal, and the spot is open for him to start. He ran for over 4,000 yards in three seasons as a high schooler in Utah. Utah’s defense has been a top 30-ranked outfit nationally in each of the last two years under coordinator Kalani Sitake.
Weaknesses: If Langhi doesn’t work out, the position is thin as the Utes lost their two top leading rushers from a year ago in Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata.
Schedule: “Welcome to the Pac-12. Oh by the way, here’s the easiest schedule in the conference.” That’s basically what Utah was told upon admission to their new conference. Each team misses two conference foes each year, and as “luck” would have it, the Utes won’t have to play Stanford or Oregon, both teams expected to be preseason top five picks. And they get Arizona State in Salt Lake City. There are two tough non-conference trips to Provo to take on arch-rival BYU and to Pittsburgh.

2. Arizona State Sun Devils (9-3, 7-2) – The heat is on head coach Dennis Erickson as he enters his fifth year in Tempe. The Sun Devils, for the first time under Erickson’s watch showed improvement, but also showed on a regular basis that they don’t know how to win close games. The Devils lost to Wisconsin, Oregon State, USC and Stanford by a combined 9 points. And they gave Oregon everything they could handle, piling up nearly 600 yards of offense against the Ducks while turning the ball over 7 times in an 11-point loss. It’s time to show an ability to win these close games, or Erickson is likely done at ASU.
Strengths: The Sun Devils boast one of the best linebacking units in the entire country, led by the talented and volatile Vontaze Burfict. The junior is the preseason Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and he’s flanked by Brandon Magee, Shelly Lyons, Oliver Aaron and Colin Parker. There’s also a plethora of playmakers on offense including running backs Cameron Marshall, Deantre Lewis and Kyle Middlebrooks and receivers Mike Willie, Gerell Robinson and Jamal Miles.
Weaknesses: Quarterback. Brock Osweiler showed very promising leadership skills in late season wins over UCLA and Arizona, but he’s still green with only two starts to his credit. And behind him, it only gets greener. Freshmen Taylor Kelly, Michael Bercovici and Michael Eubank are backing up Osweiler should anything happen to Osweiler. The secondary is also a concern due to injury. Senior CB Omar Bolden will miss most if not all of the season with a knee injury, and projected starter Deveron Carr is constantly nicked up–he missed the last 7 games last season with a shoulder injury.
Schedule: ASU faces its toughest non-conference slate in years with dates against Missouri and Illinois on the schedule. Back-to-back games at Utah and Oregon in October will likely define the Sun Devils’ season.

3. USC Trojans (8-4, 5-4) – It’s year two of misery in Los Angeles. And misery for the Trojans means no bowl games and another season of reduced scholarships after the NCAA upheld their original ruling against the program. Lane Kiffin actually did a pretty good job in his first year at the helm of USC in keeping the focus with nothing to dangle as a postseason carrot. The Trojans lost 5 games in 2010, the first time they had lost that many since Pete Carroll’s first season in 2002.
Strengths: The Men of Troy feature arguably the best passing combination in the conference with quarterback Matt Barkley (who’s already projected as a top-five selection in next year’s NFL Draft) throwing to sophomore superman Robert Woods, who hauled in 65 catches as a freshman last year. There’s a promising group of linebackers in Marquis Simmons, Devon Kennard and Chris Galippo, and safety T.J. McDonald is back patrolling the secondary. He led USC with 89 tackles last year while picking off three passes.
Weaknesses: This offseason showed that the Trojans’ team needs to work on their interview skills when being grilled by TMZ cameramen. Starting tailback Marc Tyler earned a suspension for his attempts at (drunken) humor. There’s also concern on the offensive line which returns only two-fifths of last season’s starters. And there’s that lingering focus question since the Trojans are again playing for pride.
Schedule: There are two very winnable non-conference home games in September against Minnesota and Syracuse to get the ball rolling. Later on, there are tough trips to Notre Dame and Oregon.

4. Arizona Wildcats (4-8, 2-7) – For those who know me, you may find it difficult to grasp the words you’re about to read. I almost feel sorry for Arizona head coach Mike Stoops. Almost. Arizona had a nightmarish offseason with a rash of crippling injuries suffered by key players in spring practice. Running back Greg Nwoko, safety Adam Hall, linebacker Jake Fischer and defensive tackle Willie Mobley all suffered torn ACLs in the spring. There was good news in July when receiver Juron Criner, who earlier was thought to be lost for the season with personal issues, told coaches that he’d be ready to go in the fall.
Strengths: With quarterback Nick Foles throwing to Criner, there at least is a building block to the offense. Criner is the best receiver in the conference, and he’s been good for 127 catches and 20 touchdowns in the last two years. Personally, I think Foles is a little overrated, but he does offer experience and accuracy at the QB position for Stoops. Even with Hall’s injury, the Wildcats’ secondary looks good with senior CB Trevin Wade and senior safety Robert Golden back this season.
Weaknesses: The ‘Cats are thin at running back, and the productive but fragile Keola Antolin, will be asked to carry much of the load in the running game. Arizona is also starting from scratch on the offensive line, as all five starters from a year ago are gone.
Schedule: Their non-con features a trip to Stillwater to visit Oklahoma State–a team that spanked them by 26 points last year in the Alamo Bowl. In conference, contenders Oregon, Stanford and Utah all visit Tucson, but the Wildcats won’t play Washington State this season, almost assuredly costing them a win. They might need that in the long run if they want to extend their bowl streak to four straigth years.

5. UCLA Bruins (3-9, 2-7) – If you thought the seats Paul Wulff or Dennis Erickson are currently perched upon were hot, check out what Rick Neuheisel is sitting on. Neuheisel is headed into his fourth season as the head man at his alma mater, and the natives have grown impatient. The Bruins may need to earn a bowl bid to save his job.
Strengths: I guess there’s pretty good depth at receiver, with Nelson Rosario, Taylor Embree, Josh Smith, Ricky Marvray and Randall Carroll all back this season. But what good is having a deep receiving corps if you’ve got nobody to get the ball to them? (More on that later). Junior RB Johnathan Franklin is a stud–he ran for 1,127 yards a year ago.
Weaknesses: Quarterback. The Bruins ranked 116th in the nation in passing offense. Did you ever think you’d see that? UCLA managed under 100 yards passing in four games last year and under 130 in 8 contests. Eesh. Things got a little better when Richard Brehaut took over the reins of the offense from Kevin Prince, but there’s still uncertainty as to whom will lead things this year. The defense has to replace stalwarts in LB Akeem Ayers and S Rahim Moore. Good luck with that.
Schedule: It’s tough from the get-go with a road game to Houston (who has record-setting QB Case Keenum back for his 16th year of eligiblity) and two weeks later, a rematch with Texas, who got thumped by UCLA in 2010, so you know revenge will be on their minds. In conference, the Bruins avoid a game beatdown at the hands of Oregon, but have a brutal road schedule with trips to Corvallis, Stanford, Tucson, Salt Lake City and USC.

6. Colorado Buffaloes (2-10, 1-8) – The other new participant in the conference will not have the same early success as Utah. The once-proud Buffs have endured five straight losing seasons, their longest such streak since the late 70?s and early 80?s, when they were under .500 in 6 straight years. All the losing led to a coaching change, so Jon Embree gets a crack at righting the program in his first-ever head coaching gig. Embree was a stud tight end at Colorado in the 1980?s.
Strengths: There are nine starters back on offense from a team that ranked 79th nationally in offense a year ago. Among the returnees, tailback Rodney Stewart who ran for over 1,300 yards in 2010 and offensive guard Ryan Miller, who was named as a third team preseason All-American by Sporting News.
Weaknesses: There are still questions at quarterback, where Tyler Hansen is back after missing a good portion of last year with a ruptured spleen. The defense, under new guidance in coordinator Greg Brown (who returns to CU after coaching under Mike Stoops at Arizona) wasn’t good a year ago, but has a lot of experience back for 2011.
Schedule: Unfortunately for the Buffs, they have seven road games on the schedule. That’s unfortunate because they haven’t won a true road game since 2007 when they beat Texas Tech in Lubbock. That’s a stretch of 17 straight losses. And among their road games this year are Hawaii, Ohio State, Stanford, Washington, Arizona State, UCLA and Utah. That streak could easily reach 24 in a row this year.

Pac-12 Championship Game at Stanford Stadium
Stanford over Utah

Who’s Going to What Bowl?
Stanford – BCS Championship Game – New Orleans, LA
Oregon – Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Utah – Alamo Bowl – San Antonio, TX
Arizona State – Holiday Bowl – San Diego, CA
Oregon State – Sun Bowl – El Paso, TX
Washington – Maaco Bowl – Las Vegas, NV