2011 Pac 12 North Division predictions

The Pac 12 South may be a bit of a mystery, but there is no mistaking the fact that the Pac 12 North has two serious BCS contenders. Just as they were last season, Oregon and Stanford will be the teams to beat, and the fate of the conference could come down to when the two teams meet in November.

Oregon State could surprise some people and Washington looks to continue improving under Steve Sarkisian. Cal cannot be ruled out any given week but Washington State still looks to be far away from being competitive in the conference.

Here are my predictions for the Pac 12 North Division. Click here for the Pac 12 South Division predictions.

1. Oregon Ducks
2010: 12-1 (9-0 Pac 10), Pac 10 champions, lost BCS Championship game vs. Auburn
Podcast: Oregon Ducks Examiner Max Price discusses the recruiting controversy and the upcoming season on the No 2-Minute Warning Podcast.

Oregon fell three points shy of a BCS title last January and things seem to have gotten cloudier by the day ever since. Possible recruiting violations aside, Oregon looks to have a very good shot at returning to the BCS bowl games for a third straight season. The offense will still keep opposing defenses trying to catch their breath. The two major obstacles standing in front of Oregon's return path to the BCS championship will be an season opener in Arlington, Texas against a very good LSU team, and a division match-up with Stanford, Oregon's biggest threat in the division and conference.

Going under the assumption that Oregon will be eligible for postseason play this season and Chip Kelly remains on the sideline, Oregon will be all about running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas. Both players were dynamic players in 2010 and could even improve in 2011. If that doesn't scare you, what will?

Oregon loses some solid defensive players, especially on the defensive line, and that could catch up to them at some point. But with the Ducks it is all about the offense and Oregon will once again be one of the best offensive machines in the nation.

2. Stanford Cardinal
2010: 12-1, won Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech

Losing Jim Harbaugh hurts. Having Andrew Luck back helps. Regardless, how will Stanford continue to play with the same intensity Harbaugh instilled on a weekly basis? Better yet, will the offensive line be able to gel quickly and provide the same kind of protection that has been available for Luck and Toby Gerhart over the past couple of years? Three starters on the offensive line are gone so the line will start the season as a bit of a question mark.

Luck may be good enough to hide some of the woes on a retooled offensive line. What should not be overlooked on Stanford is their defense, which ranked tenth in the nation last year by allowing 17.4 points per game. The schedule also plays out very well for Stanford with the two toughest games coming in the final three weeks of the season (before a possible Pac 12 championship game). Stanford gets both of those games, against Oregon and Notre Dame, on their home field as well. Avoid a loss at USC and Stanford could work their way in to managing their own BCS championship game fate in November.

Podcast: Scott Prather from Coaches By The Numbers breaks down the Pac 12 coaches on the No 2-Minute Warning Podcast.

3. Oregon State Beavers
2010: 5-7 (4-5)

If there is any team capable of making a surprise run in the Pac 12 North, it is Oregon State. Mike Riley and the Beavers got off to a tough start in 2010, losing two of their first three games against TCU and Boise State. The non-conference schedule this season starts with FCS Sacramento State and a road trip (and early kickoff) at Big Ten favorite Wisconsin. Later in the season the Beavers take on BYU.

Getting James Rodgers back for a rare sixth year of eligibility is good news for Oregon State but his health remains a concern as we move closer to the start of the season due to slow rehab. The Beavers also lost Jacquizz Rodgers to the NFL, which means the offense will be in dire need of someone who can come up with some big plays. Oregon State's offense ranked 71st in passing and 97th in rushing, and finished ranked 82nd in scoring. That means there is plenty of work to do for the offense, but the defense loses some help on the defensive line and they finished the season ranked 64th in scoring defense with 26.8 points allowed per game.

4.Washington Huskies
2010: 7-6 (5-4), won Holiday Bowl vs. Nebraska

Steve Sarkisian may have the Huskies on the right path, coming off a bowl victory against new Big Ten member Nebraska, but now he will have to find someone else to put the bulk of the offensive load in the hands of after losing Jake Locker. That could mean more carries for running back Chris Polk, who rushed for 1,415 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Washington will get a little bit of everything this season, playing Oregon and Stanford in division play, USC in a cross-over match-up, each of the new conference members (Colorado and Utah) and making a road trip to Nebraska for what will be the third meeting between the two programs in a year. Nebraska defeated Washington in the regular season last season.

The season starts against defending FCS champion Eastern Washington, and that could be a tougher game than initially expected.

5. California Golden Bears
2010: 5-7 (3-6)

Jeff Tedford was not happy about a losing record last season, but Cal may not be that far from being a winning team again. Last season Cal lost at Arizona and at home against Oregon and Washington by a combined six points. Cal held Oregon's offense to just 15 points toward the end of the season, proving that Cal has the ability to hang with the best of them (Stanford smacked Cal 48-14 the next week).

A coaching shakeup on the offense will hope to improve an offense that ranked 73rd in scoring and 94th in passing (52nd in rushing. Cal needs to settle on a quarterback for the upcoming season. Zach Maynard, a transfer form Buffalo could make a run for the job in an open competition. The Bears also need to find someone to replace stud running back Shane Vereen, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010.

6. Washington State Cougars
2010: 2-10 (1-8)

Washington State head coach Paul Wulff should be very concerned about his job security if Washington State is looking for something to change. Reaching a bowl game would require winning more games in one season than Wulff has accumulated in the past three years (5-32 at Washington State). It would seem obvious that Wulff is at risk of not surviving the regular season.

Washington State's passing game will lead the offense with quarterback Jeff Tuel having the luxury of throwing to wide receivers Marquess Wilson and Jared Karstetter, but the running game is among the worst in the nation. Last year the Cougars rushed for 91 yards per game (117th in the nation). The Cougars scored 19.6 points per game (106th) and allowed 35.8 points per game (110th).

Washington State will have some new uniforms to suit up in this season, but that may be the biggest thing to look forward to this season in Pullman.