Offensive line

[ANGCatFan]

Ted Miller at ESPN broke down the offensive line starts for the conference. We are number 3 behind Washington and Oregon.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id ... h-division

Arizona
Returning O-line starts: 104
Notes: The Wildcats have four returning starters from 2013, but this number is big because tackles Mickey Baucus and Fabbians Ebbele will be fourth-year starters -- 38 and 37 career starts apiece. Whoever wins the QB job will have great WRs and a good O-line in front of him.

UCLA
Returning O-line starts: 88
Notes: All that youth forced into action in 2013 becomes a 2014 benefit. Those guys will be older, stronger and more seasoned after playing pretty darn well last fall. The Bruins are led by center Jake Brendel (27 starts), but the wild card is transfer Malcolm Bunche, who made 14 starts at Miami.

Arizona State
Returning O-line starts: 60
Notes: Jamil Douglas will be in the Morris Trophy conversation this fall, though he's a more natural guard than LT, where he finished spring practice. He leads the Sun Devils' three returning starters with 27 starts. The general feeling in Tempe, however, is this could be an A-list O-line with Auburn transfer Christian Westerman, healthy and dominant during spring practice, and Nick Kelly at center.

Colorado
Returning O-line starts: 59
Notes: The Buffaloes welcome back three starters, led by OG Daniel Munyer, who has started 27 games. This unit must improved for the Buffs to take a step up in the South. It will be interesting to see if 6-foot-7, 300-pound right tackle Stephane Nembot breaks through. He looks like an NFL tackle, even if he's yet to consistently play like one.

USC
Returning O-line starts: 53
Notes: Versatile Max Tuerk leads USC with 20 starts, but the story with the Trojans O-line might be youth. A guy like Aundrey Walker, with 18 career starts, isn't guaranteed a starting job with a strong crew of hungry freshmen and redshirt freshmen battling for first-team status. This unit will be talented, but it might be a year or two away from peaking.

Utah
Returning O-line starts: 46
Notes: This spring, LG Jeremiah Poutasi looked like the future NFL draft pick he was projected to be last year. He, with 22 starts, and OG Junior Salt (12 starts) give the Utes two all-conference candidates, at least in terms of pure physical ability. Siaosi Aiono, an eight-game starter, is a much better fit at center than RT. Things are unsettled at the tackle spots.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id ... h-division

Washington
Returning O-line starts: 124
Notes: The Huskies welcome back seven players with starting experience, including five with 20 or more career starts. Three of them -- Dexter Charles, Mike Criste and Micah Hatchie -- earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors last season. The Huskies aren't too worried about things up front.

Oregon
Returning O-line starts: 107
Notes: Ducks center Hroniss Grasu is the only All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 O-lineman returning this fall, which will be his fourth as a starter. He leads the conference with 40 career starts. Tackles Tyler Johnstone and Jake Fisher are two-year starters, but Johnstone is coming back from a knee injury and might not be available early in the season.

California
Returning O-line starts: 51
Notes: The good news is the Golden Bears have eights guys coming back with starting experience. The bad news is the O-line struggled mightily last season, which is one reason why -- other than injuries -- so many guys saw action in 2013. There are high hopes, however, that some of the young guys forced into action, such as then-freshmen Steven Moore, Chris Borrayo, Matt Cochran and Christian Okafor, will take big steps forward.

Oregon State
Returning O-line starts: 42
Notes: The Pac-12 blog doesn't like to confess to surprise, but the Beavers' number here is about 30 less than it would have guessed, even though three starters need to be replaced. The centerpiece, of course, is center Isaac Seumalo, a legitimate All-American candidate after earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors last season. The junior owns 25 career starts. Sophomore Sean Harlow is next with nine starts last season. Still, five guys have started at least one game, which means the shade of green here isn't so light.

Washington State
Returning O-line starts: 33
Notes: OT Gunnar Eklund and OG Joe Dahl started every game last season. Though three starters need to be replaced, including center Elliott Bosch, the unit's unquestioned leader, there's a general feeling of optimism because the line should be much bigger than it was the past two years. Still, this will be a young crew next fall.

Stanford
Returning O-line starts: 15
Notes: Stanford lost four starters from one of the nation's best offensive lines in 2013, two of whom were NFL draft picks. The good news is the return of massive LT Andrus Peat to protect QB Kevin Hogan's blindside. A second-team All-Pac-12 performer in 2013, Peat is an almost certain first-round NFL draft pick if he opts to leave after this season. Further good news is the likely four new starters all saw significant action last season, and not just in mop-up duty. The Cardinal has recruited this position so well, there's not that much worry on The Farm about the lack of starting experience.

[ASUHATER!]

should be one of the better lines we've had in a while. that and the core of our 6-7 quality receivers will help the new qb a lot. only issue is the run game though. if we had a rb we could count on it would take a lot of pressure off the qb. i wonder what the run/pass ratio will be this year.

[CryptoCat]

should be one of the better lines we've had in a while. that and the core of our 6-7 quality receivers will help the new qb a lot. only issue is the run game though. if we had a rb we could count on it would take a lot of pressure off the qb. i wonder what the run/pass ratio will be this year.

UA in 2014 - 2015

Strengths: WR, OL push, sideline to sideline defense, overall speed, coaching.
Weaknesses: RB, interior defense, perimeter defense.

The biggest issue with AZ next season (to me) is that we're soft up the middle, and weak on the edges. If it was either one or the other, you could shift/scheme around it. But with it being both at the same time...kind of pick your poison at that point. If a CB emerges as a legit Pac-12 corner, then our ceiling is probably 9 wins. If the player opposite Holiday is a placeholder, I don't know if we'll go bowling. The Pac is just too good this season.

[azpenguin]

What a difference three years makes. Returning O-line starts in 2011: One.