The Pac 12 may be the strongest conference out there. Here is an early look:

East: Oregon is the odds on favorite to win this Division, and my favorite to win it all. Heisman Front Runner QB Marcus Mariota comes back for what should be his final season, along with at least 4 other starters on offense. 5 starters return on a defense . The schedule has Playoffs written all over it. Home games against Michigan State, Washington, and Stanford and an away game at UCLA is all the SOS they need to advance. If Helfrich can keep this team's attention span up all season long, they should go all the way. I like Washington to finish 2nd. They return 7 starters on both sides of the ball, including everyone on both lines. Chris Peterson takes over this season and hosts Stanford, Arizona State, and UCLA, while going to Oregon. If Petersen can find players to fill the holes in the offensive and defensive backfields, this team can win 9 games again. Stanford returns QB Hogan, WR's Montgomery and Cajuste on offense, and little else. They do return 7 starters on defense, but lose some key pass rushers. Stanford plays at Washington, Notre Danme, Arizona State, Oregon and closes the season at UCLA. Throw in a game against USC and The Cardinal will be doing good if they win 9 games this season. Oregon State and Washington State should battle it out for the #4 spot, with Cal struggling to win 4 games this season.

West: UCLA is the favorite in this very tight Division. They return 7 starters on both sides of the ball, including QB Hundley. The offense will have to shore up it's line play. The defense is strong in the secondary, but must find a way to make up for the loss of pass rusher Barr and his 23 sacks in the past two seasons. The schedule is certainly doable, with home games against Oregon, Arizona, USC and Stanford. Away games at Ariona State and Washington also loom big. UCLA knows that this is the year for them to move on. With USC coming off probation, the Bruins had better get it done now. Speaking of USC, Sarkisian takes over a team that returns 6 starters on offense and 8 on defense. The RB position has plenty of talent. The line is thin, due to probation. The defense looks solid, but again, thin. The schedule is doable, with games at Stanford, Arizona and UCLA, and the year ender at home aainst Notre Dame. USC may be a year away, but can beat any team at any time. Just ask Stanford. The Arzona schools should battle it out for 3rd in the Division. Arizona needs to find a QB, but should be stronger along the offensive line and on defense. Arizona State will score a lot, but return only 2 starters on defense. A big rebuilding job on that front looms. 7-8 wins for both of these teams is certainly doable. Utah has to pick it up this season and win more than 2 conference games. Colorado has 14 starters returning, but still simply does not have the talent to win more than 4 games, though they can improve.