No. 17 Arizona State | No. 19 Wisconsin | Top 25
No. 18: Arizona
Last Season: 10-4 (7-2 Pac-12)
Wildcats hope to grow together
If it's OK with you guys, Rich Rodriguez would like for you to pretend like last November never happened. After starting the season 10-2, including an upset of top-ranked Oregon, the Wildcats were destroyed in a rematch with the Ducks in the Pac-12 title game and embarrassed by Boise State in the first half of their Fiesta Bowl loss. But that "Don't remember November" mantra only applies to those not actually on the roster. He wants the team to absolutely recall every moment of their collapse. "They got a taste of being in the national spotlight for the good things they did," explains Rich Rod, now in his fourth year in Tucson. "You want to get back there? Good. Let's grow up together. We don't lack for motivation to shore up what went wrong." A big part of that maturation process? Actual maturation. In 2014, the team's 1-2 offensive punch of QB Anu Solomon and RB Nick Wilson, a pair that produced 34.5 points per game, were both freshmen. -- Ryan McGee
Last year, thanks to a road win at Oregon and a victory over in-state rival ASU for the Pac-12 South crown, the Wildcats unexpectedly found themselves in the playoff discussion in November. But despite their success, the peripherals were a tad suspect-most notably the fact that they were outgained in conference play during the regular season (minus-4.4 YPG). This year I have the Cats as underdogs in five games-the most of anyone in the Top 25-as the South is so good this year, and this team has five tough Pac-12 road games. Arizona features my fourth-best linebacker unit but overall returns just six senior starters, so although the Cats should earn a bowl berth, a decline from last year should be expected.
Arizona's chances to win each game
09.03 vs. UTSA: 96.5%
09.12 @ Nevada: 83.9%
09.19 vs. Northern Arizona: 99.4%
09.26 vs. UCLA: 37.1%
10.03 @ Stanford: 29.3%
10.10 vs. Oregon State: 86.4%
10.17 @Colorado: 70.1%
10.24 vs. Washington State: 78.8%
10.31 @ Washington 62.2%
11.07 @ USC: 23.9%*
11.14 vs. Utah: 62.6%
11.21 @ Arizona State: 34.8%
*BROCK HUARD, ESPN Analyst: Arizona is 1-4 against USC since 2010, but those losses have come by just 19 points combined. If the Cats' run game (2.7 ypc in last year's 28-26 loss) improves enough so that QB Anu Solomon won't need to throw it 72 times, this game will be close again.
SHARON KATZ, ESPN Stats & Info: Even at the Coliseum, FPI's love for USC might seem high against the South champs. But Arizona has trailed the Trojans in defensive efficiency in four straight years, and its total efficiency was just seventh in the Pac-12 last season.
The nonconference lineup shouldn't pose much of a threat, but they jump right into it with UCLA and at Stanford to open conference play. It doesn't get easier with a brutal stretch to close the year at USC, home to Utah and at ASU for the Territorial Cup. And with no bye week, Rich Rodriguez's team is really going to be pressed physically. An 8-4 or 7-5 seems likely. Anything over that would be impressive the way the schedule shapes up. -- Kevin Gemmell
With such a tough road schedule (the Wildcats face Stanford, USC and Arizona State on the road), expect Arizona to struggle a bit in such a deep conference. Finishing 8-4, especially in the Pac-12 South, is nothing to be ashamed about, but it's not enough to contend for the top spot, either. -- Chantel Jennings
This team won the Pac-12 South title with a redshirt freshman (Anu Solomon) at quarterback and a true freshman (Nick Wilson) at running back. Stat machine Scooby Wright returns at linebacker. The headlining pieces are there, but there's replacement work to do surrounding them. An 8-4 finish sounds about right for the Wildcats - expect a five-way logjam in the division standings. -- David Lombardi
Arizona is set at the skill positions -- Rich Rodriguez has a returning quarterback in Anu Solomon for the first time in his Tucson tenure -- so the offense should function at a high level if the O-line can adequately fill three spots. Coaches are optimistic they can. So the question for whether the Wildcats will repeat in the South Division probably hangs on the defense, which continues to be questionable around all-everything linebacker Scooby Wright. Still, 9-3 is a fair projection when Rich Rod is in the cockpit. -- Ted Miller
No. 17 Arizona State | No. 19 Wisconsin | Top 25
