The 2012 PAC 12 sleeper team and new coach is …
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MAXIMIZE YOUR EDGE
I agree with you, Conan. I don’t really see their question to success being with the offensive side though, I wonder how the defense will do. I actually think that the offense will catch on pretty well because they have already been running a spread type offense. But the real test to this team’s success will be in how well the defense adjusts to a new 3-3-5 scheme.
I like Oregon State as the sleeper in the Pac 12 this season. The Beavers don’t seem to be on anyone’s radar, which I think is a massive oversight by many media publications/outlets.
Riley is an outstanding HC who consistently does more with less. He falls into a progression driven system, unlike to the elite powers who simply reload and an incredibly fast rate, Oregon State must build their cohesion over multiple years. This approach typically will lead to a down year every so often, as the stock pile of talent simply is not there and younger, inexperienced players must be used to build towards future seasons.
2011 was that down year and I expect the tides to turn in Corvallis this season. The Beavers are loaded at the skill positions and I expect the offensive line to show vast improvement from the 2011 version. Riley and staff have had a knack for molding offensive line units in the past and this group should be a surprise this season.
The defensive line was horrendous last season, but should improve. One of the main question marks this season will how much does this unit improve? The linebacker corps is stacked and should be one of the stronger units in the conference. My other main are of concern is the secondary, which should struggle, especially with the high power passing attacks within the conference. Lastly, I like the looks of the special teams unit and expect them to be at the top of the conference even with the loss of their outstanding punter.
I’m big on the “flow” of the schedule and I really like how the Beavers schedule flows in 2012. They catch UCLA (following Nebraska and Houston back to back) and Arizona (following the fast paced frenzied Ducks) early, both on the road, but winnable, as these are teams I would expect to be stronger later in the season. The Beavers have five conference home games and face three comparable teams at home in Washington State (also following Oregon), Utah (HC) and California (also following Oregon).
The other two conference road games are difficult at Washington and Stanford. These games are later in the season and I’ll be curious to see how both the Huskies and Cardinal respond if their seasons aren’t going as planned, which is more than possible based on the incredibly difficult Washington schedule and the lofty recent history Stanford had under Luck and Harbaugh. They also avoid the mighty Trojans this season, while divisional foes Oregon, Stanford, California and Washington don’t have that luxury.
The non conference slate features two difficult games in Wisconsin and at BYU. I’m not sure how far Wisconsin will fall and I suspect catching them early in the season is preferable, but it may be a daunting task to ask the Beavers to slow down the Badger rushing attack. The BYU game is homecoming for the Cougars, but is a lead into consecutive road trips at Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.
Look for the Beavers to be the cardiac kids of the conference and far exceed expectations with a possible second place finish in the North. Call me crazy, but I think 8-9 win season is within reach and the finale versus Oregon could be for the North title. I don’t think the Beavers can get by the Ducks, but this type of season would be a huge accomplishment for Riley and the Beavers if things unfold this way. I think those Ducks just might find their way into another title game appearance, but that’s another story.
Perhaps Arizona improves this season, but I dont think they have much talent to work with. I would be more inclined to select UCLA.Mora has more to work with then RichRod, especially on defense.