The Jeff Tedford award for “We would never ask anyone on our team to fake something! Oh that, well, I didn’t know. Talk to my assistant.”

And the winner is: Whoever is responsible at Oregon for releasing documents provided by Willie Lyles that were, uh, thoroughly researched and totally worth the money. They paid me to say that. Stacks and stacks of money. On a company check no less.

The Dennis Erickson award for “Remember the early 90s? Remember that? Those were good times”

And the winner is: The Washington Huskies, because it’s never too early in a season to throw your first jab.

The David Shaw award for “All I need to be a good coach is a little Luck. Yeah, see what I did there?”

And the winner is: Headline writers and copy editors everywhere. We get it. The last name of the Heisman-contending quarterback at Stanford is Luck and it’s a most versatile word indeed.

The Mike Stoops award for “This is the year. I just know it!”

And the winner is: Cal Bears fans who are sure they’ve performed the proper rituals to rid themselves of the curse of Rilayooshore and are hyped on Buffalo transfer Zach Maynard to finally deliver the team a consistent season at quarterback.

The Rick Neuheisel award for “It’ll all be better if we just hire an alum to run our program”

And the winner is: Jon Embree, new head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. Good luck to you, sir. These types of hires always work out. Note to Mr. Embree: That was really a shot at Neuheisel because, well, he’ll always deserve it.

The Jon Embree award for “This blog doesn’t know the first thing about this guy so let’s just give the award to a random dude”

And the winner is: Michael Kirby, Utah defensive back. Have you heard of him? I didn’t think so.

The Chip Kelly award for “We’re damn good. We’ll smoke ‘em all”

And the winner is: Well, duh. Cliff Harris, the Oregon cornerback who relied upon the ol’ “we smoked all the weed” defense when pulled over by Oregon state police in June.

The Steve Sarkisian award for “While you might think it’s still questionable, we’re back!”

And the winner is: James Rodgers, Oregon State wide receiver. It looks like the Beaver standout receiver is going to make it back from the gruesome knee injury suffered early on in the 2010 season. But still, we’re going to need to see some proof.

The Kyle Wittingham award for “We’re good enough, we’re smart enough and gosh darnit, people are gonna like us”

And the winner is: Aaron Pflugrad, Arizona State wide receiver, mostly because I still can’t believe that guy is a starting wide receiver in the Pac-12, and a good one at that.

The Mike Riley award for “I’ve been here a long time and I’ll probably never leave”

And the winner is: Senior Chris Owusu, Stanford wide receiver. Maybe it’s just me but I’m fairly certain he enrolled in 2002.

The Paul Wulff award for “Yeah, this looks better, but is it really going to be any different?”

And the winner is: UCLA freshman quarterback Brett Hundley, the highly-touted savior of Rick Neuheisel’s uninspired group of quarterbacks, who ended up having knee surgery and postponing his inevitable ascension to starter status.

The Lane Kiffin award for “See, no major violation, I’m totally clean”

And the winner is: Nobody. They’re all guilty, rotten-to-the-core human beings who’s only real talent is the ability to stick a hand out and expect giant stacks of gold bricks to magically appear. Either that or hookers, but regardless, everyone’s a dirty cheater.

This award is sponsored by Sports by Brooks. When you want only the best in rumor-mongering and half-baked truths, choose SbB!

• otp rating (Google Search in Zagreb)

OTP was recently rated a “Best Bang For Your Buck” among sports blogs devoted to public institutions.

• vote for the duck (Google Search in Keizer, OR)

This is what I’ve been saying all along! Thank you. Now go vote! He’s winning again, but we cannot lose this.

• unrich (AOL Search in New York, NY)

I hardly think you need to rub that in. Click an ad you snob.

• is mike stoops a jerk (Ask Search in Palm Desert, CA)

Does a bear shit in the woods? Hey-oh! He’s probably not a jerk. But watching him on the sidelines doesn’t exactly argue otherwise. Are you not entertained, though? We’re all better for it.

• washington state cougar football wheel of fortune (Google Search in Seattle, WA)

• jes side by side pictures (Google Search in St. Paul, MN)

Hey, that’s my wife you’re talking about! WOTB may say some crazy things, but she is not for your viewing pleasure, you sicko.

• websites dedicated to hating huskies (Google Search in Pullman, WA)

Who’s got a dot net domain and hates the Huskies? THIS GUY.

• i’d rather get my o from a beaver than a duck (Google Search in Portland, OR)

Well, uh, haha, um, hmmm. You know, I’m very uncomfortable right now and I’m blushing like crazy.

• matt barkley virgin until marriage (Google Search in Camarillo, CA)

Whew, is it hot in here or is it me? Talk to Portland up above. He can probably give you some pointers.

• have the mythbusters come to oregon (Google Search in Turner, OR)

Absolutely. Before this year, everyone thought Oregon State was some kind of Rose Bowl contender. They pretty much had it figured out after one game, but just to be sure, ran the study on all 11. Results were pretty conclusive. MYTH!

• i’m so sad boise state lost (Google Search in Meredian, ID)

This actually seems sad. Think about it for a moment. This person went onto Google and typed their sadness into the search engine. And for what? The first result is my post tearing apart that student newspaper sports editor. Now I just feel like a jerk.

• anti duck football (Google Search in Portland, OR)

What’s your problem bro’? You got a problem? Ain’t no problem, here. We can do somethin’ about it. Wanna’ step outside? Let’s go bro’. Yeah, I didn’t think so. Anti Duck football, my ass.

• gameday sign ideas for oregon at oregon state (Google Search in Seattle, WA)

I’m looking forward to this during GameDay tomorrow. I didn’t come up with any this time around. Off the top of my head, it’s weak, but here:

Enjoy
Spending holidays
Playing
Nowhere

• developing offensive game plan (Google Search in Kennewick, WA)

Hey, look everyone! Rick Neuheisel’s using Google. I always took him for an AOL guy myself.

• chip kelly actual play call (Google Search in Wichita, KS)

Oh hi Chris Harper. Not enjoying your offensive role at Kansas State?

• contenders for alamo bowl (Google Search in Marion, WI)

This is gonna’ hurt you. Leader in the clubhouse is Washington so long as they win on Saturday. Oregon State’s in the mix, too, though I think we all know that’s about as likely as Corso donning the Beaver headgear.

• anti oregon state beaver pics (Google Search in Portland, OR)

Don’t remember where I originally saw this so I can’t credit appropriately, but this was a good one from a few years back.

• oregon duck hugging oregon state beaver (Google Search in Portland, OR)

Ah, see we can be Civil. Except, I couldn’t actually find a picture of a Duck and Beaver hugging. Maybe there is no love, after all.

Thomas and Burfict: "Where's our media attention?"

Vontaze Burfict and Chase Thomas just called. They want to know why no one cares about their ouchies. Said Burfict: “Man, I faked seven injuries on my own! Do you hear me? On my own!”

• Injury faking is all the rage after Tuesday’s weekly Pac-10 coaches’ call yielded answers from Mike Stoops, Jeff Tedford and Chip Kelly on the topic. The Oregonian has an unnamed Cal source stating that it was part of the game plan which goes contrary to Tedford’s claim that they didn’t try the tactic. Kelly defended Oregon fans for booing and even though he says it’s not a big deal, his answers reveal at least some level of perturbance. Of course, EDSBS has the story from an Italian soccer player’s perspective and it’s all completely true made up.
• I’m certain this is the year of the Duck. Why else would Puddles be included in a Wall Street Journal video featuring “The Dougie?”
• Mike Bellotti does not want the Colorado job. That’s not what he’s actually saying, but we’ve seen him do this dance before. It’s just leverage for a better job at a more well-funded program.
• Oregon makes the list at No. 3 in the worst BCS snubs of all time (ESPN Insider). As bad as you might feel for TCU and Boise State, if there are two teams that are owed a BCS title shot, it’s Oregon and Auburn. The Tigers 2004 snub after an undefeated season is the second biggest snub of all time.
• ESPN Stats and Info puts Auburn’s defense next to Oregon’s and it’s not even close.
• Oregon-Cal set a record on Versus for most watched program in network history. It broke a record previously held by…Oregon. Three million people watched at its peak.
• The Oregon Daily Emerald has a Q&A with Cliff Harris. I find him best digested in carefully selected sound bites. Otherwise, you might catch him being humble and thoughtful. Who wants that? Either that or whoever told him to tone it down needs to reverse course. Free Cliff’s swagger!

• oregon football twitter (Google Search in Eugene, OR)

Haha, oh you know me too well. But I’m off that train now. @OregonFootball died and on the 12th day resurrected as @Duck_Feed. Go ahead and follow. Just don’t forget me along the way.

• “scott woodward” forum (Google Search in Gaithersburg, MD)

Are you looking for this guy? He’s an Australian and probably resents all the shame the UW version is bringing to his name.

And when I say “shame,” that has nothing to do with the comments Woodward recently made about Oregon. His football program is the real embarrassment.

• i hate the huskies (Google Search in Portland, OR)

Thank you, Scott Woodward, for reminding us all.

• what happened to the oregon duck modern mascot? (Google Search in Stockton, CA)

You mean this abomination? —————————— >

Like with everything Oregon does, I gave it a try. But in the end, it was like trying to appreciate McDonald’s for its contributions to the hamburger. Just doesn’t add up.

As for what happened, I can only speculate, but I believe the suit was placed in a furnace where it will be burned for the rest of eternity.

• herbstreit moving to eugene oregon (Google Search in Eugene, OR)

This is true. Well, actually, he probably already did. It was in 2007 that he said, “If my wife and kids are watching, pack your bags – we’re moving to Eugene, Oregon. This is heaven.”

So unless Kirk’s a liar, you’d think three years would be plenty of time to follow through. You weren’t just pandering to us, right Kirk?

• offthepond.net loves rachel bachman but won’t admit it (Google Search in Beaverton, OR)

I see what you’re doing here, but I won’t be baited into a kerfuffle. For the record, I appreciate investigative journalism. It keeps people and organizations honest (or at least tries to). Have I been satisfied with the way The Oregonian went after Oregon? Not so much. But that’s all you’ll get out of me, you rabble-rouser.

• “matt barkley is an idiot” and “matt barkley smokin hot” (Google Search in Portland, OR and Yahoo Search in Portland, OR)

Sigh, it’s always the pretty ones, huh?

• oregon puddles andy (Google Search in Medford, OR)

At first, this search confused me. So I thought reeeeallly hard about what it could be.

[INSERT JOKE ABOUT ME THINKING HARD HERE]

It popped in my head that you could see the name Andy written on the bottom of Puddles’ webfoot in this video (skip to about 1:15).

What does it mean? I don’t know. Not everything in SearchBag gets answers. Sometimes, the mystery endures.

• “bellotti linked to sun devils”, “cougars bellotti”, “bellotti hearts Colorado”, “Mike Bellotti can say yes to UCLA this time”, “wait no, bellotti to Minnesota” (Google Searches in Scottsdale, AZ, Vancouver, WA and San Diego, CA)

Okay, so the last three are my searches, but Scottsdale and Vancouver only did 2/5 the job. Someone needed to fill in the blanks.

One thing I’ve become certain of is that Mike Bellotti will coach somewhere soon. ASU feels like the right fit, especially now that it’s in a different division and Oregon would only be on the schedule twice in four years.

• pac-10 on fsn terrible coverage (Google Search in Raleigh, NC)

Given that I have cable in San Diego, it’s 99% impossible to watch Pac-10 football on FSN. If the actual coverage is terrible, I have no idea. I guess the best thing I can say about FSN is that I can’t watch it. So there’s a ringing endorsement.

• cliff harris lock shit down (Google Search in Newberg, OR)

Just in case you forgot…

• mike stoops facial expressions (Google Search in Roswell, NM)

It's a small sample size, but I hope this helps.

• kindcop@nate.com (Google Search in Gwachon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)

Congratulations. That is officially the first search I have no idea how to answer. Not even my creative side can access a response.

• oregon california pick (Google Search in Savannah, GA)

I think Cal’s defense is going to be a little stingy and will lead to Oregon’s lowest offensive output of the year. However, what Cal does with the ball can hardly be called offense. The Ducks should still get a healthy number on the board while limiting the Bears to a couple field goals.

Oregon 38, Cal 6.

If you don’t mind, the blog has a plane to catch and football to watch. You can and should follow Off The Pond on Twitter. Why? Just because. Happy football everyone!

Just give it time. She'll come around.

1. Oregon Ducks. Chip says pressure is something you feel when you don’t prepare. Coach, I’m reading the hell out of the internet for this USC game and I’m still feeling the pressure. What else can I do?!?

2. Stanford Cardinal. The Cardinal are the latest team to feel the almost-wrath of Washington State. A big game with Arizona looms in two weeks.

In other news, Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck should do great with the San Francisco 49ers next year.

3. Arizona Wildcats. Saturday night was a treat to viewers. Coach Mike Stoops and brother Bob simultaneously on my TV? Yes! Bob had plenty to scream about. Mike’s team, on the other hand, played Washington.

4. USC Trojans. USC made use of a bye week by mimicking the time and way Oregon practices. I like the move and for that alone, keep them ranked fourth. Well, that and no one else deserves it.

5. Oregon State Beavers. It’s no time to panic. The next three are all games they should win. As usual, it’s best to reserve judgment for a later date.

6. Cal Bears. Seriously?!? Come on, Cal. Home and away should not mean 60+ point swings. How can you hold a scoring advantage of 189-34 at home but a deficit of 110-54 on the road? It’s senseless. I don’t know why I’m so worked up about it. Perhaps I just don’t like having to feel nervous about Oregon playing at Cal.

7. Washington Huskies. Er, uh, eek! With Stanford and Oregon left, the schedule virtually guarantees six losses. Can they sweep the final three winnable games to end the losing season streak? Not looking good.

8. Arizona State Sun Devils. Mike Bellotti is starting to circle around the wounded animal that is Dennis Erickson. This conference is full of wild changes from week-to-week so I’m not calling it yet, but have the Sun Devils given up? We’ll see.

9. UCLA Bruins. Whoa, Bellotti’s everywhere. He’s circling Rick Neuheisel, too. It’s really just a matter of time with both embattled coaches. Just depends on which one Bellotti finds tastier.

10. Washington State Cougars. I’m pretty much rooting for these guys every week now. How can you not? They’re playing hard and not getting blown out by anybody. They have played Oregon, Stanford, USC and Arizona. Outside of USC, there hasn’t been a bad performance in those games. With the bottom half of the conference left, there’s a win left on the schedule. I just know it.

Image courtesy of http://www.marktoon.co.uk/people.htm (with an obvious personal alteration).

He’s the guru. Now on to the 2010 Coaches’ Awards.

The Rick Neuheisel award for “Tell Your Men They Work For Me Now. This is My City.”

And the winner is: No, not The Joker. New Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott. Like a man possessed, he is quickly remaking the Pac-10 into the brand he foresees.

The Dennis Erickson award for “Most Jokes About Me are Played Out Because I’m So Old Now. What Else Can You Really Say?”

And the winner is: Erickson’s entire Arizona State Sun Devils team. We’ve been saying the same thing about these guys for a long time now. Sleeping giant. Perfect weather, party school, what more can a kid with talent want in a college? It’s just a matter of time and ASU will dominate. And so it goes. 9th place ASU. That’s where you’re headed this year. Again.

The Steve Sarkisian award for “No Matter What, I’ll Always Look Good Because I’m Not Lane Kiffin”

And the winner is: Cal’s 2011 quarterback. Joe Ayoob to Nate Longshore to Kevin Riley? What happened to Tedford’s magical touch?

The Chip Kelly award for “Is There Anyone On This Team That didn’t Get In Trouble This Year? Seriously, One Guy is All I Need.”

And the winner is: Brandon Bair, Oregon defensive tackle. Nice move by the Ducks sending a Mormon to Pac-10 media day. Can’t go wrong there.

The Jim Harbaugh award for “What’s Your Deal?“

And the winner is: Coaches’ poll voters. Ok, we get that USC is ineligible, but still, just two teams in the top 25? Here’s hoping the AP can do a little better.

The Mike Stoops award for “Is it Me or Am I Less Crazy Than I Used to Be? It’s Just Me, Isn’t It?”

And the winner is: Vontaze Burfict, ASU linebacker. He plays crazy. He acts crazy. And he won’t think twice about destroying you.

The Lane Kiffin award for “If I Fail at Just One More Job, I May Get Promoted to President of The Whole Damn World”

And the winner is: Jake Locker, UW quarterback. Results and stats matter little to NFL teams that just can’t wait to reach high and overpay a quarterback that has accomplished….what?

The Pete Carroll award for “No, We Did Nothing Wrong. Everything Was by The Book. We Were Just the Victims of Circumstance. Now, Excuse Me, I Have a Practice to Attend to With My New Team”

And the winner is: Jeremiah Masoli, former UO quarterback. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Three times.

OTP Infractions Committee

Whoa, timeout people. The OTP Infractions Committee has just discovered a major USC violation. Use of an ineligible coach for an award! All past awards are to be vacated and they’re now banned from receiving any awards for two years (pending appeal, of course). Now let’s get back to it with the teams that don’t cheat.

The Mike Riley award for “2+2=4, The Sky is Blue, Water is Wet and September Will Be a Bad Month”

And the winner is: UCLA, a team that could get demoralized in September with away games at Kansas State and Texas sandwiching two home games against Stanford and Houston.

The Paul Wulff award for “Can I Please Leave? It’s Not Me, It’s the Job”

And the winner is: USC players Jordan Campbell, Malik Jackson, Byron Moore, DJ Shoemate, Seantrel Henderson, Jarvis Jones, and Travon Patterson. All have left USC. Other than Henderson, no one will be greatly missed.

The Jeff Tedford award for “Andy Ludwig is My Offensive Coordinator. This is Not a Good Thing”

And the winner is: In a retroactively awarded landslide, former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti and Utah coach Kyle Wittingham take home the hardware.

1. Oregon. Reading last year’s prediction post, I feel kind of smart. I’d like to be right again, but that will pretty much entirely depend on who’s running the offense and how well they’re doing it. Every aspect of this team is a sure thing (kickers aside) except for the most important position, quarterback. That’s a strange dynamic that’s hard to predict. I like to think back to Tennessee in 1998. They had a great team returning but had lost Peyton Manning. The Volunteers went on to win a national title with first year starter and senior Tee Martin at quarterback. So there’s the blue print Nate Costa.

2. Oregon State. I’m going all Oregon this year. I rarely – if ever – predict the Beavers correctly so take that for what it’s worth. I’m looking forward to their 1-4 start followed by a hot streak that ends with a Civil War loss to deny them a Rose Bowl. It’s more predictable than 2 + 2 and it’s a pattern I can live with.

3. Arizona. Not comfortable with this at all and it’s awkward leaving USC so far down the list. But for once, I think I actually like what Mike Stoops has going. Mind you, not a fan of the guy…just sayin’ it could be a good year.

4. USC. Ok, ok, let’s throw the Trojans in here, huh? You didn’t think I’d completely bury them, did you? I don’t know why everyone is so certain the Trojans will bounce back and dominate again. On what basis? A new coach that gets worse with every promotion he gets? Fewer scholarship players? Incredible turmoil throughout the entire program? What about that screams championship season? Frankly, I want to put them about 6th, but I’m not that dumb.

5. Washington. Is Off The Pond saying they’re back? No. But middle of the pack suits them well this year. They still have a running back taking the snaps and the talent level still isn’t on par with the elite teams in the conference. I cringe to say it, but I do think this could be a good year for the Huskies with a few breaks. As much as I dislike Jake Locker, I’ll bet he has a good year.

6. Stanford. Teams 2-6 I feel are going to get real jumbled up. So having Stanford here isn’t necessarily saying they’ll have a bad year, but just that it’s too competitive at the top and without Toby Gerhart, I need to see some proof.

7. Cal. Oh, Tedford, remember when Oregon fans wanted you as their coach? Remember when Cal was a top 10 team going blow for blow with USC? Yeah, that’s not happening anymore.

8. UCLA. The Bruins just feel so nondescript these days. This is a school that should have amazing, name-brand athletes, but little seems to ever pan out from their recruiting classes. I think they’ll be better, but there’s just not much room for them to move up in the conference this year.

9. Arizona State. Another team that seems devoid of any significant names on the roster. They just don’t scare you at all. They should, but there’s eight better teams in this conference.

10. Washington State. Mom always said if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Well, actually, I do have something nice to say. Thank you Cougs for guaranteeing I’ll always get at least 10% of my picks right.

Oregon @ Washington
The Huskies have been competitive but that doesn’t make them good. Oregon, unfortunately, gets Washington on the road where they have been significantly better. Still, I’d be surprised if the Huskies have enough to win this game. Crowds and passion are great, but in the end, one team’s better than the other and in this case, it’s Oregon by a mile.

The Pick…Oregon with a Jeremiah Masoli caveat. If he doesn’t play, I reserve the right to have this pick annulled.

Washington State @ California
In a league where any team could lose to eight other squads, everyone loves a date with Washington State. Cal’s rehabilitation will look even brighter after Saturday.

The Pick…California with absolutely no caveats whatsoever.

UCLA @ Arizona
Could it be? Are the Mike Stoops-led Wildcats for real? We’ve been promised this for years and I’ll be damned if Arizona doesn’t actually have something brewing finally. This one should be a breeze as UCLA is reeling.

The Pick…Arizona

Oregon State @ USC
Growing up in a Beaver household, I had an atypical upbringing for a Duck fan. I actually find it cool to see OSU in the spotlight like this against USC. Sure, they’ve been winning for 10 years now, but they’ve come a loooooooong way. Still, I have ulterior motives here, so mom, dad, you’ll have to excuse me while I root for the Trojans.

The Pick…USC, but not in a blowout. I don’t think the Trojans really have it in them this year to demolish teams like they have in the past.

Arizona State @ Stanford
I still love you Stanford!! I feel like a jilted lover that can’t let go at this point. We had some good times and I have no idea how it all fell apart. You can still do this guys. You’re back at home where you don’t lose and it’s just Arizona State. Take care of business, dammit.

The Pick…Stanford. Oh, my sweet Stanford.

1. Cal
Why: Dismantled Maryland
The Cal fanbase says: “Oh my God, we KILLED Maryland. We’ll probably roll over USC and everyone else. Why aren’t we getting votes for #1? Jahvid Best is the Heisman Trophy. We’re sooo goooooood!!!”

2. USC
Why: For the moment, they have to yield to Cal. Win at Ohio State and the top spot is rightfully theirs.
USC fans retort to Cal: “Hahahahahaha. Hahaha. Ha. Haha.”

3. Stanford
Why: They beat a glorified Pac-10 team while nobody else won a game that even remotely mattered.
Stanford fans: “We played a football game on Saturday?”

4. Arizona
Why: Week 1 competition in the Pac-10 was mostly terrible. Central Michigan was at least respectable and holding a team with a quality quarterback to six points is impressive.
Coach Mike Stoops: “Well, I thought when I ran 50 yards onto the field to yell at the ref, it was a real turning point. Our guys really responded.”

5. UCLA
Why: The rest of the teams either beat an FCS team or didn’t win, so it’s only by default for now.
L.A. Times Columnist TJ Simers: “Rick Neuheisel is a lying liar who lies. He told me they beat SDSU, but I don’t believe him.”

6. Oregon State:
Why: They get a penalty for playing Portland State, but deserve a bump for being better than ASU.
Moral, Righteous and Sanctimonious Oregon State fans: “Oregon is so classless and Blount is such a thug and Chip Kelly is a born loser. I’m sooo happy!”

7. Arizona State
Why: The last of the Pac-10 winners in week 1, but over lowly Idaho State.
Everyone: “We’ll check in at the end of September when your season actually starts.”

8. Oregon
Why: Worst played game this decade by the Ducks.
New coach Chip Kelly: “Why are those headlights so bright? I feel stuck. I can’t move! Will someone turn off those damn headlights?!?”

9. WSU
Why: They’re terrible.
Conversation between two Duck fans: Fan 1: “When do we play Washington State?” Fan 2: “Why?” Fan 1: “I want to know when we’ll get our first win.” Fan 2: “Oh, looks like Oct. 3.”

10. Washington
Why: Uh, they’re on the verge of a Pac-10 football record for most consecutive losses. Until that gets fixed, they’re #10.
Savior of Husky football coach Steve Sarkisian: “We try really hard now! We only lost by eight at home to such a powerful program. We feel really good about us. This is U-Dub football!

The Dennis Erickson Award for “What, I’m Still in the Same Place? Why?”
…And the Winner Is: Taylor Mays, USC Safety. It’s shocking that he came back. Everyone assumed he would enter the NFL draft as a surefire first round pick. Instead, he’s at USC for his senior year and figures to anchor a raw, but talented USC defense.

The Chip Kelly Award for “I’m Destined For Greatness, So Why is Everyone a Little Unsure?”
…And the winner is: Whichever quarterback starts for USC in its opening game. Two Trojan quarterbacks have won Heisman Trophies under Pete Carroll and every time they break in someone new, the doubters quickly subside. Still, until Aaron Corp or Matt Barkley prove it, it’s all guesswork.

The Pete Carroll Award for “How Many Times Do I Have to Say It? This is Where I Want To Be”
…And the winner is: Markus Wheaton, OSU WR. Yep, Wheaton is a Beaver. Duck fans probably still can’t believe the cousin of Kenny Wheaton would do such a thing. We’re still waiting to hear it was a joke. The Ducks now just have to hope Oregon State doesn’t get a program-defining moment from Kenny’s cousin.

The Steve Sarkisian Award for “We’re Going to Be Awesome Because I Said So”
…And the winner is: The Arizona Wildcats. Anyone else feel like Mike Stoops’ bunch has been the next coming of greatness in the conference for the last five years? All they have is a 6-6 regular season and a Las Vegas Bowl trophy to show for it. Sure, the honor could have been given to Washington, but it was ineligible to win its coach’s own award.

The Paul Wulff Award for “Hi, We’re Still Up Here. Hey, over here! Watch for us, We’re Going to Be Better. Ah, Screw It, We’re Terrible.”
…And the Winner Is: Kevin Prince, UCLA QB. Okay, that’s not fair to the redshirt freshman Prince and “terrible” is too strong of a word, but the point is that even though UCLA is moving on from a disastrous year at the quarterback position, they undoubtedly have more growing pains ahead.

The Mike Stoops Award for “I’m a Star. No, Really, Ignore the Mediocrity Because I’m a Star!”
…And the Winner Is: Jake Locker. Sorry, Saint Locker of the Seattleites. It’s not that I want to give you this award, it’s just that you’ve never done anything to justify all the hype your fans are heaping on you. Feel free to prove us wrong.

The Rick Neuheisel Award for “We’re Coming For You No Matter How Ridiculous That Sounds”
…And the Winner Is: The Stanford Cardinal. Believe it or not, Stanford might be good this year. It’s even possible they creep into the top four teams in the conference. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cardinal make a leap to a bowl game for this first time since 2001.

The Mike Riley Award for “What Else Do We Have to Do to Prove We’re Good?”
…And the Winner Is: The whole gosh-darned (tribute to Riley-speak) Pac-10. A 5-0 bowl record in 2008 and stellar records this decade against fellow BCS teams just isn’t enough. Distribution of your product to the masses matters and the Pac-10 is lacking a national audience. Just keep on winning, I guess.

The Jeff Tedford Award for “How Did We Go From Underdog to Overrated?”
…And the Winner Is: Jeremiah Masoli. As a fan of the Duck’s quarterback, it hurts to put him here, but it’s a natural fit. Masoli still has a lot to prove as his hype is riding on the back of a three game stretch to end 2008. He’ll need to put together a full season of strong play.

The Jim Harbaugh Award for “We’re Borderline Geniuses and Oh, Yeah, We Can Play Too”
…And the Winner Is: Mike Nixon, ASU LB. Let’s see, Nixon carries a 4.05 GPA in Political Science and was an Honorable Mention All-Conference player in 2008. And this year, he’s tabbed as a preseason first team player by many. Yeah, he kind of owns this category.

View past Coach’s Awards: 2008