[BostonCard]

Perhaps a candidate for most ridiculous preview of the year, by Pat Forde.

It's one of those annoying click-throughs, so I don't necessarily recommend heading over there, but here is the link:

Foolish comment #4:

Best Offensive Player: Cody Kessler, USC. No returning FBS quarterback can match Kessler's nearly 8-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio of 2014. Operating behind a veteran offensive line that returns intact from last year, Kessler could be every bit as effective in '15. (AP)

Unfortunately, this is the problem with running statistics based on few observations... running a Fisher's exact test on Kessler's 39 to 5 TD/Int ratio compared to Goff's 35/7 ratio gives a p-value of 0.5.    Even compared to Hogan's 19/8 ratio the p-value is 0.07.  Kessler does have one of the highest Pass efficiency ratings among returning players, and certainly within the Pac-12, and he's on top of the Pac-12 returners in yards per attempt (though in neither case have I tested for statistical significance), so a case can be made for best returning QB, but TD/INT ratio is one of the weakest stats to make it on.

Foolish comment #5:

Best Coach: Chris Petersen, Washington. Didn't set the league on fire in his first season in Seattle, and probably won't this year, either. But it will happen. If Petersen can go undefeated at Boise State (twice), he can win a Pac-12 title at Washington. (AP)

I do think that Petersen is a good coach, but his first-year record at UW (with a ton of defensive draft picks on the roster) stunk.  Even if Washington's poor performance is justified, I think it was still a downside surprise last year, and you'd think that you'd want to pick a coach who had surprised on the upside as "best coach".  How about Helfrich, who led his team to the finals, or Shaw (three straight BCS bowls, four bowls in four years), either of the Arizona coaches, or even Mora who brought UCLA back to relevance, even if they are struggling to take the next step.  I think I would want to see Petersen exceed expectations in the Pac-12 a couple times before saying he was the best coach in the conference.  Best coach in the WAC (or wherever Boise State played)?  Sure.  But in the Pac-12... not yet.

BC

[BostonCard]

Perhaps a candidate for most ridiculous preview of the year, by Pat Forde.

It's one of those annoying click-throughs, so I don't necessarily recommend heading over there, but here is the link:

Foolish comment #4:

Best Offensive Player: Cody Kessler, USC. No returning FBS quarterback can match Kessler's nearly 8-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio of 2014. Operating behind a veteran offensive line that returns intact from last year, Kessler could be every bit as effective in '15. (AP)

Unfortunately, this is the problem with running statistics based on few observations... running a Fisher's exact test on Kessler's 39 to 5 TD/Int ratio compared to Goff's 35/7 ratio gives a p-value of 0.5.    Even compared to Hogan's 19/8 ratio the p-value is 0.07.  Kessler does have one of the highest Pass efficiency ratings among returning players, and certainly within the Pac-12, and he's on top of the Pac-12 returners in yards per attempt (though in neither case have I tested for statistical significance), so a case can be made for best returning QB, but TD/INT ratio is one of the weakest stats to make it on.

Foolish comment #5:

Best Coach: Chris Petersen, Washington. Didn't set the league on fire in his first season in Seattle, and probably won't this year, either. But it will happen. If Petersen can go undefeated at Boise State (twice), he can win a Pac-12 title at Washington. (AP)

I do think that Petersen is a good coach, but his first-year record at UW (with a ton of defensive draft picks on the roster) stunk.  Even if Washington's poor performance is justified, I think it was still a downside surprise last year, and you'd think that you'd want to pick a coach who had surprised on the upside as "best coach".  How about Helfrich, who led his team to the finals, or Shaw (three straight BCS bowls, four bowls in four years), either of the Arizona coaches, or even Mora who brought UCLA back to relevance, even if they are struggling to take the next step.  I think I would want to see Petersen exceed expectations in the Pac-12 a couple times before saying he was the best coach in the conference.  Best coach in the WAC (or wherever Boise State played)?  Sure.  But in the Pac-12... not yet.

BC