NCAA football preseason report: Pacific 12 South most intriguin by The Gaming Today’s Mark Mayer

The Pac 12 South is the newest and most intriguing conference in the nation. This baby is wide open with all the strength (aka Oregon and Stanford) over in the North.

Southern Cal is the glamour team, but no longer feared in the league. Pete Carroll is long gone and multiple violations (thank you Reggie Bush) have made life difficult for Lane Kiffin, who did the same to Tennessee.

Utah (Mountain West) and Colorado (Big 12) are the new kids on the block. The Buffaloes would appear to be in over their heads this year, but the Utes could do some damage in their rookie season.

The Arizona schools are always competitive and UCLA has a shot if the Bruins ever can find a QB.

Read on to see if they have.

UCLA (4-8 ATS): First thing HC Rick Neuheisel must do is find a passer. Second is not go 1-5 ATS on the road. The hope was star recruit Brett Hundley would take the job, but an injury set him back a month. So watch the Bruins the second half of the season. For now, offensive woes.

USC (5-8 ATS): Kiffin’s concern is not going 1-5 ATS at home. TB Marc Tyler implied to TMZ outside a nightclub at USC paid its players. Tyler was suspended for that remark and then reinstated. Hey, it’s USC! The Trojans were voted Division favorites. We wonder if TMZ was consulted.

UTAH (7-5 ATS): The big story could be offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who left UCLA for Utah and knows USC real well. The Utes are now a BCS team after years as a successful party crasher. If QB Jordan Wynn recovers from shoulder surgery, Utah could be a Cinderella. It wouldn’t be the first time.

ARIZONA ST (7-2 ATS): The Sun Devils were voted just behind USC as Division favorite. We’ll make ASU our favorite based on Dennis Erickson’s coaching record compared to Kiffin’s. QB Brock Osweller is an imposing 6-foot-8 and the defense led by LB Vontaze Burfict is downright nasty.

ARIZONA (4-8 ATS): The Wildcats finished last season on a five-game losing streak. HC Mike Stoops is starting his eighth year in Tucson. He’ll be hard-pressed to make it 9 if fortunes don’t change. And, being picked fourth in the Southern Division does not bode well.

COLORADO (5-6 ATS): The Buffaloes were 4-1 ATS in Boulder last year — a key stat in a league not familiar with playing in altitude. So keep that in mind during conference games. Not having much-maligned HC Dan Hawkins any more is also a plus. The Colorado allowed 30 points or more on defense six times last year. That must change.

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