NCAA Football Betting Futures – 2011 Pac Twelve Season Preview
The Pac-12 Conference has no shortage of interesting football storylines for 2011.
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We have Oregon trying to finish what it started when it reached the national title game and lost last season; USC soldiering on despite being disqualified again from playoff contention; and Utah and Colorado moving over to turn the Pac-10 in the Pac-12.
Should be fun.
Oregon, valued at +125, is expected to repeat as conference champion. The Ducks still have running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas, each of whom will be in the Heisman discussion. They’ll run James into the ground again and, while that might hurt him in the NFL down the road, it will help Oregon continue to post eye-popping point totals. 
The Ducks have a good secondary, too, and will be right in the thick of the Pac-12 race again.
Stanford (+250) is once again expected to push Oregon hard for the title. It may have the best college player in the country in quarterback Andrew Luck, who likely would’ve been the first overall pick had he declared for the NFL draft. He’s supported by running back Stepfan Taylor and an above-average defense.
But will this team lose its way without coach Jim Harbaugh, who left for the San Francisco 49ers?
Arizona State (+450) is emerging as a popular breakout pick. So many of the Sun Devils return, including their entire offensive line. Stud linebacker Vontaze Burfict leads what should be one of the country’s top defenses this season. While the offense is improved, however, it’s still tough to imagine Arizona State’s offense keeping pace with Oregon’s and Stanford’s.
It’ll be interesting to see if Utah (+500) can live up to the hype after getting its wish: a move from the MWC into a higher-profile conference. The Utes have an emerging dual-threat quarterback in Jordan Wynn and a surprisingly soft schedule, getting to avoid Oregon and Stanford.
Still, bettors should always be wary about a team moving from a historically weak conference.
It’s probably better to take a wait-and-see approach with Utah this season.
Arizona (+1000) has potential to gunsling with the conference’s top dogs thanks to quarterback Nick Foles and his big arm. But the Wildcats have more questions than answers. All their starters are gone from their O-line. This team also lost five straight to end the year after opening their season 7-1. They’re a second-rate contender. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
What will Washington (+1000) do in the post-Jake Locker era? There is plenty to like about a Huskies team that beat Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl last season. Even without Locker, the offense can run on Chris Polk’s legs. Washington’s defense also looks like it’s on the rise.
Still, with Keith Price taking over at quarterback after starting just one game last season, we can’t realistically expect Washington to contend for the Pac-12 title just yet.
Can the Oregon State Beavers (+1200) make any waves? They have an outstanding receiving corps, especially if James Rodgers can bounce back from a knee injury.
However, the Beavers’ departures may outweigh their strengths. James’ brother, Jacquizz, was a standout running back and left for the NFL; the Beavers lost five guys from their defensive front seven, as well.
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It’s tempting to pick Stanford to ride Luck to a Pac-12 championship, as he could build on a season in which he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up. But Oregon has just lost so few pieces from last year’s team.
I think the Ducks will dominate again, flirt with an undefeated season and win the conference.
Pick: Oregon +125
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