Wizard Weygint's 2017 Pac-12 Preseason Analysis

Overrated

Utah

• Wiz perennial value team no longer fits that bill with nine starters back and the 6th least experienced team in the country.
• 8th new off coordinator in last 9 years transitioning the run first, possession focused offense to an aerial approach which portends pointspread peril.
• Massive off. line losses with only 27 career starts.
• Cuming off a 2016 national ranking of #21 and three straight seasons of 9+ wins including three bowl victories, expectations far exceed reality.

Colorado

• Like clockwork, a team that's the national surprise as were the Buffs last year follow it up with months of player suspensions and assorted chicanery.
• Wiz loves fading teams that are now the hunted after years of being the hunter.
• A meager three starters back on defense with shoddy specs.

Slightly Overrated

Washington

• Now the ultra hunted after years of mediocrity or worse.
• QB Browning among the most overrated players in the country.
• Lost the nations' best CB duo to the NFL, along with run stopper Qualls and all-world WR/KR Ross.
• Petersen is a great coach but has yet to prove he can coach from the mountain top.
• Wiz already pulled the trigger with Rutgers (+32) in the Husky opener. 

USC

• Trojan program famous for wilting under preseason pressure which should come as no surprise given their candy ass, beach boy demographic. 
• Since Wiz's senior year in high school, 21 times the Trojans have been ranked preseason top 10 and 15 times finished lower than their preseason ranking including five times finishing unranked.
• Darnold appears the real deal but he'll have to deal with the monster losses of all 1st team all- Pac 12 LT, RT and WR.

Quack

• Wiz ain't buying the fashionable preseason surprise pick with a new head coach sans Slack-12 pedigree.
• Oregon had a pathetic #70 Phil Steele game grade last year including surrendering a whopping 41.4 ppg, so have a ton of ground to make up.
• Star WR Carrington kicked off the team (DUI) a few days ago which hints at Taggart possibly lacking control.

Underrated

Stanford

• Loss of  McCaffrey ultra overrated with RB Love back (he of the 7.1 ypc and 783 yards in 2016).
• 8 of top 10 tacklers return helps negate loss of AA DE Thomas.
• After injury plagued start to 2016, went 6-1 SU in last 7.
• Under radar after underperforming last year, in addition to USC and UW getting all the Slack-12 preseason hype.

Slightly Underrated

Wazzu

• Leach is an unpredictable genius/nut case so rarely will Wiz pull the trigger on or off the Cougs. That said...
• Nine of top 10 tacklers return from a fairly solid 2016 edition.
• Falk returns with 8 of top 10 OL back and a solid/deep RB corps.
• 0-3 SU and ATS to end last season which may provide some early 2017 value.
• If Leach can temper his insanity and his Cougs avoid couging it, Wiz wouldn't be shocked to see them seriously contend for the Slack-12 north title.

Beavs

• Head coach Anderson in oft magical year #3.
• Much improved 2016 defense returns 8 starters.
• Wiz likes Beavers, so no wonder he annually has his finger deeply on the pointspread pulse of Oregon State.

Arizona State

• With back-to-back underachieving seasons, ASU will be way under the radar.
• Injuries decimated the "D" last year and several of the fallen return this year.

Arizona

• 2-10 ATS last year spells minimal 2017 expectations.
• OL has 89 career starts and QB Dawkins underrated.
• If not for Rich Rod, who has the leadership ability of a potted plant, Wiz would bump the 'Cats into the fully "underrated" category. 

Jibes with Public Perception

Cal

• Preseason pundits justifiably have the Bears scraping the bottom o' the barrel.
• First year head coach and an ultra inexperienced team on the heels of a season with one of the worst defenses in college football history.
• Cal plays among the toughest schedules in the country so there will be some laughable bloodbaths that will delight the Berkeley libs who equate football with the "evil patriarchy".

UCLA

• Another fashionable preseason pick the Wiz ain't buying, although they do return 15 starters from a talented team that underachieved last year.
• Mora is a paper tiger with a spread record to prove it (14-24 last 3 seasons). Bruins threw in the towel last season ending with a 36-10 pummeling by hapless Cal.
• Speaking of hallmarks of bad coaches, UCLA specs were horrific last year and look no better this year.