5 Thoughts on the 2017 College Football Season

1. Low-Value Information: There is limited value in the preseason hype and talk; most of it simply exists to fill the hunger of fans during the dog days of summer. All of the publications come out with their analyses and predictions within two months of the end of spring practice which leaves a lot of holes in their understanding of how teams will look when they take the field in late August/September. The Coaches Poll came out last week, but it's doubtful that any of the coaches paid attention to other teams' fall camp videos. At least until fall camp, no one knows how the incoming freshmen will fare at the next level. It's not until after the first scrimmage in fall camp, can pundits properly assess the status of each program.
2. Ranking the PAC-12:
1. USC -- They're practicing at a higher level of intensity and speed than anyone else in the PAC-12 and it sounds like the defense is comfortable in year two under Clancy Pendergast -- a defense that was night and day compared to Justin Wilcox. Also, they return a lot of guys while plugging holes with a ton of new talent -- Adoree Jackson and Juju Smith won't be missed as much as many people think. The one and only question heading into the season is at d-line, specifically, whether Kenny Bigelow's return means Stevie Tu'ikolovatu won't be missed and if Rasheem Green steps up to be a difference maker. If they can't plug the middle, Stanford and Washington will run right through them.
2. Washington -- They really look sharp in fall camp videos, playing at a fast pace, but the big emphasis appears to be physical power and tackling. Also, these guys are big. They're not as talented as USC, so if a couple of their starters go down there will be a drop-off in performance and outcomes.
3. Stanford -- There aren't any fall camp videos to review, but one suspects they'll be physical and disciplined and therefore good, but the offense has two big holes: QB and RB. There is going to be a drop-off between Christian McCaffrey and anybody else, while it's not clear whether Keller Chryst's confidence will allow him to return just 7 months after ACL surgery. If Chryst isn't ready to go, they might fall to #4. If he's ready to go from day 1, they'll be fighting for #2 or even #1.
4. WSU -- Yeah, really. It comes down to the Luke Falk. He's in his third year as a starter, but also, in fall camp videos they look like they're bigger and faster than previous years, especially on defense. They could very well beat up Stanford and take the second spot in the PAC-12 North. They're no longer in the basement.
5. Colorado -- The core of their explosive offense returns, but alas, no fall camp videos to really show how the rest of the team is doing, otherwise I'd possibly have them higher.
6. UCLA -- Another school where a lot of top talent returns, but there aren't many fall camp videos and while they'll be good on offense with Josh Rosen at the helm, the team seemed to have issues with motivation and effort last year.
7. Oregon -- I want to rank them higher because of all the talent but the fall camp videos show a team that isn't working at full speed. They look like half of the team is just going through the motions. The focus appears to be on physical power and team game but both are a bit lacking right now. I see why Willie Taggart is quick to kick players off the team. I was skeptical at first, but Taggart seems like the right fit for the Ducks. Now, if only they'd raise their effort in practice by 100%.
8. Utah -- Well, you know they'll be great on defense, particularly up front -- possibly the best front-four in the PAC-12. After that, however, everything sort of falls off quickly. I think they're overrated by everyone this year; you can't have the losses of key starters and not suspect that they'll have an off year. The problem here is that we won't know anything about Utah until they host Stanford in October, at which point they'll likely be 4-0 and surrounded by lots of hype, and then they hit the wall of Stanford and USC back to back. In comparison to Oregon, they have much lower quality players.
9. ASU / Arizona / Oregon State / Cal -- This is sort of a toss-up. I really doubt that Cal's move to Justin Wilcox as a head coach will make their team better; in fact, I think it's a huge step backward. ASU and Arizona do not inspire confidence and Oregon State is, well, they're probably on the upswing but it's hard to tell. I'd tend to give OSU and ASU the nod at 9 and 10 respectively, but these four teams just aren't very good at all right now.
3. Hawaii Bows: I get confused whether they're the Bows or Rainbows or Rainbow Warriors or just the Warriors. Larry Tuileta transferred from USC to Hawaii and is now competing for the starting QB job. That's the second time in recent years that a former USC player has transferred to Hawaii. It's not a good sign. Another bad sign is the lack of equipment and facilities -- evident from fall camp videos. The program is just absolutely falling by the wayside.
4. Speed and Effort: After having watched fall camp videos of multiple teams, there is a separation between those looking to compete in the top echelon and the rest of the FBS. It all comes down to speed and effort. Watching Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, USC, Washington, they're going at a different speed than most everyone else. It's oddly the same thing at the NFL Combine. Some players will not take a second off during the drills while others slack off or lose focus.
5. USC Trojans - LA Rams Pipeline?: With their move to Los Angeles, the Rams feel an awful lot like the future home of many USC Trojans. Right now, the preseason roster has three former Trojans -- Robert Woods, Nickell Robey-Coleman, and Justin Davis. One imagines the staff and players will pop their head in, both ways, to see what's going on. Since the Rams' stadium has been delayed for a year, that means they'll be sharing the Coliseum for three years -- a situation that presents a wealth of opportunities for both teams.