Prediction: Cougars to finish in fourth in Pac-12 North

After finishing 9-4 last year, it appears the Washington State football team has finally turned the program around under Mike Leach. The Cougars return 14 starters from last year, but Stanford is the favorite to not only win the Pac-12, but is a dark horse candidate to contend for the National Championship. Below is a preview of the Pac-12 North. The Pac-12 South preview will be in Tuesday's paper.

1. Stanford

Christian McCaffrey finished second in the Heisman voting last year, and returns for his junior season. It will be hard to improve upon last year's 2,019 yards rushing and 645 yards receiving (he actually led the team in receptions and yards) but he will still put up big numbers. Quarterback Kevin Hogan is gone, but Keller Chryst was one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school. Blake Martinez, a second-team All American linebacker, departs, but the defense returns six starters and has plenty of highly rated recruits.

2. Washington

The Huskies are the top ranked team in the Pac-12 in multiple preseason magazines, but the hype appears to be unjustified. Although 15 starters return, including running back Myles Gaskin (1,302 yards) and quarterback Jake Browning (2,955 yards), this team went just 7-6 last year. As for the defense, they overwhelmingly surpassed expectations by allowing 18.8 points per game last year, and return all of their best players from the unit. Chris Peterson is now in his third year as UW's coach, so the players will be more comfortable in his system.

3. Oregon

After reaching the National Championship game in 2014, the Ducks took a step back in 2015 with a 9-4 record. This year they lose their quarterback in Vernon Adams, top receiver in Bralon Addison and top three tacklers. However, Royce Freeman comes back after rushing for 1,836 yards last season. The biggest need for improvement will likely come from the secondary, after giving up 35 touchdowns and 307 passing yards per game last year. All four starters return from that unit.

4. Washington State

Last year was a dream come true for the Cougars. They went 9-4, and recorded last minute wins over Rutgers, Oregon and UCLA - all on the road. Luke Falk is a Heisman contender this season after throwing for 4,561 yards and 38 touchdowns last season with just eight interceptions. His primary target returns in Gabe Marks, while all of the running backs return. The biggest concerns will be on the offensive line and the defensive line after losing left tackle Joe Dahl and defensive linemen Darryl Paulo and Destiny Vaeao.

5. Oregon State

Gary Anderson's debut season was a difficult one as the Beavers went just 2-10, scoring just 19 points per game in the process. Quarterback Seth Collins returns, but he only threw for 936 yards and six touchdowns last season. The defense gave up 37 points and 482 yards per game last year, but returns six starters.

6. Cal

It's not easy to replace the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in Jared Goff. Not only do the Bears lose Goff, who threw for 4,719 yards and 43 touchdowns last year, they also lose the top six receivers from last year along with the top six tacklers on defense. To top it off, the Bears have the fourth-most difficult schedule in the country. After going 8-5 last year, they may win as little as three games this season.

Tom Hager can be reached at (208) 883-4633 or by email to thager@dnews.com.