By Ed Graney

It doesn't take long to get there. Nine pages, is all. The snapshots change. The pose doesn't.

It's a constant reminder of how things used to be with USC football.

This year's team media guide is more an encyclopedia of the letter T, 370

pages of cardinal and gold tradition. And the pictures of four Heisman Trophy winners, of Allen and White and Simpson and Garrett cradling their bronzed statues like they once did a ball crossing the goal line, arrive early for your viewing pleasure.

"We somehow forgot about that kind of excellence," said third-year coach Paul Hackett. "We somehow got away from doing the things that made USC great.

"We want to get back to that mentality, to having a physical, pounding running game with a featured tailback."

It could mean the difference between first and second place, between the Orange and Rose and Holiday bowl games, between playing for a national championship and sitting home on New Year's day.

The Trojans are loaded defensively and have a healthy Carson Palmer at quarterback, none of which will matter if someone from a mix of sophomore Sultan McCullough, junior Malaefou MacKenzie and senior Petros Papadakis doesn't make the running game more threat than token.

How ironic, in a time when the Pac-10 is coming off its worst season in 17 years, when the league's national perception ranks lower than Darva Conger's, the conference looks to its most storied program for guidance out of this seemingly endless tunnel.

"I, for one, am glad we don't have to play USC," said Washington coach Rick Neuheisel, whose team is favored to contend with the Trojans for a title. "I don't see any weaknesses. I really don't. And I also think it's good for the

league to have a program like USC back challenging for the top spot again. We need that as a conference."

The mediocrity of going 1-4 in bowls last season, of having your champion

(Stanford) lose to Texas 69-17 and San Jose State 44-39, of last producing a

consensus national champion (yes, it was USC) in 1972, has Pac-10 officials searching from Los Angeles to Seattle to Eugene for any glimmer of hope.

The brightest one seems to be Hackett's side.

There are obvious holes (some much larger than others) in all 10 teams, but USC appears most capable of disguising its into a break-out season.

Of being more like the USC of past than present.

"I've never been this excited about a season," said senior linebacker Zeke Moreno. "I came here because of what USC stood for in college football. Finally, I think this is the year everyone sees what that is again."

It better include a running game.

Here's a closer look at the Pac-10:

ARIZONA

1999 record: 6-6, 3-5 Pac-10

Coach: Dick Tomey, 14th season, 90-58-4

Starters returning: 7 offense; 4 defense

Outlook: Arizona over the years has developed a tradition of playing excellent defense. "That tradition took a vacation last year," Tomey said. "We were overrated. It was the worst job of coaching we've ever done here. We slipped in our discipline and approach." The task is to regroup after a season that began with a No. 3 national ranking, but plummeted with an embarrassing

41-7 loss to Penn State. Tomey insists the lost defense will find its way home, led by veterans Joe Tafoya (6-4, 255 senior end) and Keoni Fraser (6-1, 282 junior tackle). The two-quarterback system of recent times is gone with Keith Smith's departure, handing complete control to athletic senior Ortege Jenkins. He will stand behind a veteran line (four of five starters return) but no longer has the luxury of handing off to Trung Canidate or tossing middle screens to Dennis Northcutt. Their replacements (Leon Callen at running back, Bobby Wade at receiver) are promising, but the key is Jenkins (3,777 career passing yards, 33 TDs) making correct decisions. Two years ago, the Wildcats went 12-1 and threw 12 interceptions. Last season, they were 6-6 and threw 13 picks. Translation: Consistency must come in the red zone.

Keep an eye on: Wade. He is equally as dangerous at cornerback and receiver. The sophomore (5-11, 180) isn't as explosive as Northcutt yet, but

his spring game numbers (three receptions for 41 yards, interception, 83-yard fumble return for TD) scream of big-time ability. He will also return kicks.

It's a good season if: The Wildcats finish among the league's top five or

six teams and earn a bowl berth. Jenkins is as exciting a player as the conference has, but the odds of Arizona improving enough defensively to challenge for anything more than six wins aren't good. And even six might be a stretch.

ARIZONA STATE

1999 record: 6-6, 5-3 Pac-10

Coach: Bruce Snyder, ninth season, 52-39

Starters returning: 7 offense; 5 defense

Outlook: Talent has never been an issue with Ryan Kealy, who has completed 56 percent of his career passes. Nor is toughness a concern, witnessed by his returning from five knee surgeries since stepping on campus. But the senior quarterback has struggled to control himself off the field and because of it

enters camp suspended indefinitely after an arrest on driving under the influence. "It's a very emotional issue," Snyder said. "We have to do what's best for the young man now." On the field, it means (for now) making redshirt freshman Jeff Krohn the starter. His learning curve is benefited by one of the nation's best tight ends in junior Todd Heap (67 career receptions, 1,041 yards, seven TDs). "A special player," Snyder said. "One of a kind." The

running back spot vacated by J.R. Redmond is filled by senior Delvon Flowers

(5-11, 185), who can be as electric as Redmond on the field and doesn't carry as much baggage off it. The offensive line, an athletic bunch, returns. Strength defensively will come from the linebackers and safeties, positions that need to produce while an inexperienced front and two new cornerbacks mature.

Keep an eye on: Senior linebacker Adam Archuleta (6-0, 213). He is a former walk-on who Snyder says "came from nothing to be a great player." Snyder compares Archuleta most to former ASU star linebacker Pat Tillman. The defense has a chance to be very good late in the season, but only if Archuleta is the major building block.

It's a good season if: The quarterback situation sorts itself out early and ASU challenges for seven wins. The non-conference games (at San Diego State,

Colorado State, Utah State) are tricky but winnable, and ASU gets USC and Washington at home. This isn't a championship team, but could be a third-place one with the proper breaks.

CAL

1999 record: 4-7, 3-5 Pac-10

Coach: Tom Holmoe, fourth season, 12-21

Starters returning: 8 offense; 4 defense

Outlook: Holmoe in 1999: "I like this team. I expect us to be in a bowl game." Holmoe in 2000: "I like our chances. I know I said that last year, but I expect us to be in a bowl game this season." Did someone find an offense hidden in a Berkeley coffee house and not tell everyone else? You can take that cliche about defense winning championships and toss it off the Golden Gate Bridge. Cal has been more stingy than most conference teams the last two years in terms of allowing yards and points. It has earned the Bears just nine wins. The trend will continue if sophomore quarterback Kyle Boller -- "The toughest kid I've ever seen," Holmoe said -- doesn't take the next step in his development. His shaky freshman numbers: 100-of-259, 1,303 yards, nine touchdowns, 15 interceptions. The same goes for sophomore running back Joe Igber, although he impressed with 694 yards before being slowed by a shoulder injury. Few make life more miserable for opposing quarterbacks than all-conference defensive end Andre Carter (6-4, 260) and sophomore tackle Daniel Nwangwu (6-4, 295). Three new linebackers and a re-built secondary could cause for a defensive slip.

Keep an eye on: Holmoe. He is 7-17 in conference and word from the Bay Area is that he won't survive another losing season. Holmoe's reaction: "This is

the team I coach and I don't worry about anything else. I don't look to next

year. It wouldn't be fair to the kids. I'm not going to prepare any different than in past seasons." Uh-oh.

It's a good season if: Boller proves he learned from first-year mistakes,

continues to improve and Cal remains competitive in most league games. You won't find a more pleasant chap than Holmoe in college football, but it's not about being a nice guy. It's about moving the ball and scoring points. Five wins is probably more prayer than reality.

OREGON

1999 record: 9-3, 6-2 Pac-10

Coach: Mike Bellotti, sixth season, 38-20

Starters returning: 5 offense; 4 defense

Outlook: There are more questions here than on any contending roster, but

Bellotti always seems to position his team for a high finish. The obvious answer this time might be handing the ball to transfer Maurice Morris early and often. He was the nation's best JUCO running back a season ago and two-time All-American while setting career records for yards (3,708), carries (593) and all-purpose yards (4,487). There is precedent here -- Saladin McCullough and Reuben Droughns also had successful Oregon careers after arriving from junior college. Who did Oregon beat for Morris? U-S-C. The quarterback duel between junior Joey Harrington and senior A.J. Feeley could

last into the season, but whoever wins it will be throwing to an unproven group of receivers. The offensive line is without a senior and no depth after the first string. It is a defense that feasts off creating opportunity, having totaled 31 takeaways last year. There is some question about Oregon's strength up front, although end Saul Patu has all-conference ability. So too does senior linebacker Matt Smith (6-4, 250). "We've done a pretty good job of overachieving in the minds of others," Bellotti said. "Hopefully, we can do it again."

Keep an eye on: Feeley. He enters camp No. 2 based on how well Harrington

played at the end of last season, but improved in the off-season and took advantage of honing his skills as a counselor at the prestigious Elite 11 camp. Feeley, you might remember, ranked in the top 10 nationally in pass efficiency after eight games last year.

It's a good season if: Oregon puts a scare into the top few teams and goes to its sixth bowl in seven years. The Ducks begin play riding a six-game win

streak and a 14-game home winning streak. Its last three games are at Washington State, against Cal and at Oregon State. It's not out of the question that when January arrives, Bellotti's team is last year's Stanford.

OREGON STATE

1999 record: 7-5, 4-4 Pac-10

Coach: Dennis Erickson, second season, 7-5

Starters returning: 6 offense; 7 defense

Outlook: Twenty-eight years of non-winning seasons and 34 without a bowl appearance ended in `99, when this program's bar was raised considerably under Erickson. The goal now: Never again accept such a miserable drought. Off-season controversy found the Beavers when five players were arrested and

charged with assault, but Erickson still boasts about improved team chemistry. "The players now know we can be successful because they have proof," he said. Ken Simonton as a junior stands only 40 yards from being OSU's all-time leading rusher and will end the season one of just six Pac-10 backs ever to gain 4,000. Holes, however, might be harder to come by. Senior guard Keith DiDomenico, a two-year starter with NFL ability, quit the team citing a lack

of desire. Junior quarterback Jonathan Smith (4,480 career yards, 21 TDs, 12

interceptions) will also feel the sting of DiDomenico's absence, and could see his numbers drop until consistency is found at receiver. OSU defensively the

next several years will be more and more like Erickson's teams at Miami, which means speed over strength. The secondary (all four starters return) is solid, but the front will struggle against physical teams. Senior Tevita Moala gets

the first chance at replacing middle linebacker Jonathan Jackson and his team-leading 87 tackles.

Keep an eye on: True freshmen wide receivers Ron Monteilh and George Gillett. It is a position, despite the team throwing for over 3,000 yards last year, that produced far too many drops and mental breakdowns. Also, the team's leading receiver (senior Robert Prescott) is one of the players suspended for allegedly beating a fellow student. Monteilh and Gillett arrive in Corvallis

with an opportunity to contribute immediately.

It's a good season if: "We win more than we lose and get back to a bowl game," Erickson said. "If you continue to do that, you can eventually raise the bar again." OSU won't surprise the league's better teams this year, but

three non-conference wins are possible (Eastern Washington, at New Mexico, San Diego State) and three more in league gets another post-season game.

STANFORD

1999 record: 8-4, 7-1 Pac-10

Coach: Tyrone Willingham, sixth season, 30-27-1

Starters returning: 7 offense; 5 defense

Outlook: Predictions of doom seem to ignite this team's fire, proven by last year's improbable Rose Bowl appearance in a season that included the blowout loss to Texas and a second straight defeat to San Jose State. Now, being picked to finish seventh or eighth in league, the Cardinal again thinks it can prove skeptics wrong. Randy Fasani is the key, taking over at quarterback now that Joe Borchard has chosen pro baseball as his immediate future. Awaiting his turn is redshirt freshman Chris Lewis, one of the nation's top quarterback recruits two years ago. Stanford can't replace All-American wideout/returner Troy Walters, but it does feature senior DeRonnie Pitts, the league's top returning receiver. Kerry Carter is a powerful running back who gained valuable experience as a true freshman. Kwame Harris (6-7, 320), considered the Pac-10's top recruit, could start at offensive tackle as a true freshman. Willie Howard (6-4, 290) is the league's best defensive lineman, but the senior needs help from an inexperienced secondary. Last season, opponents completed 54 percent of their pass attempts, averaging 15 yards per completion.

Keep an eye on: Fasani. Texas comes to Palo Alto this time and it's the season's third game instead of its opener. Fasani needs to settle into his position the first two weeks against Washington State and San Jose State, establishing himself as a leader before the Longhorns visit. His size (6-4, 235) and athleticism mean nothing if he doesn't make correct decisions.

It's a good season if: The Cardinal makes its fourth bowl under Willingham. This team is a bigger mystery than the high television ratings of "Big Brother." The schedule says five wins might be asking too much, but didn't we hear a similar song last year? Nothing should surprise you about Stanford.

UCLA

1999 record: 4-7, 2-6 Pac-10

Coach: Bob Toledo, 5th season, 29-17

Starters returning: 6 offense; 7 defense

Outlook: Geoff Schaadt is the head trainer, a man UCLA hopes doesn't work

as hard this year. The Bruins started 45 different players last season due mostly to injury. Prior to that, the most starters ever during a Toledo-run season was 31. A return to winning ways will depend largely on whoever emerges at quarterback playing well. Sophomores Ryan McCann and Cory Paus are the candidates, with the former entering camp No. 1. The offensive line returns -- "I'm not so sure if that's good or bad," Toledo said -- to open holes for a super player in junior running back DeShaun Foster. The high ankle sprain that limited him last year is now healed. Returning also is junior wide receiver/kick returner Freddie Mitchell and his 42 career catches. Defense, even when UCLA had 10-2 seasons in 1997 and `98, has remained a crutch. But the Bruins have found consistency in coordinator Bob Field, and Toledo is giddy about this side of the ball. The front has a future NFL pick in senior

end Kenyon Coleman (6-6, 278) and two-year starter in tackle Ken Kocher (6-4, 311). The linebackers, led by junior Robert Thomas in the middle, all return.

Keep an eye on: The secondary. Sophomore cornerback Ricky Manning (who gained freshman All-American status) is the only returning starter and likely won't see many balls thrown his way early. The Bruins need physical safeties

to support the run and someone other than Manning (perhaps senior Jason Bell) to prove they can cover.

It's a good season if: UCLA toughens itself in non-conference (Alabama, Fresno State, Michigan) and earns a post-season berth. The Bruins are slowly

slipping into the middle of league standings, but still have enough individual talent to pull off seven wins and make one of the better mid-tier bowl games.

USC

1999 record: 6-6, 3-5 Pac-10

Coach: Paul Hackett, third season, 14-11

Starters returning: 6 offense; 8 defense

Outlook: Opportunity is knocking and Hackett believes his group of seniors will open the door to embrace it. "They want to make a statement," he said. "They want to make a difference." There is no better defense in the conference and few nationally than the one led by linebackers Zeke Moreno (6-3, 240) and Markus Steele (6-3, 215) and tackle Enis Davis (6-4, 300). Speed defines the

group, which could potentially be bullied up front by the likes of Penn State and Notre Dame. But if this is indeed a team of champions, several must step

up offensively. Sophomore quarterback Carson Palmer has the tools of a pro, but he also missed most of last season with a broken collarbone. He must remain healthy and prove potential is reality. "Carson has been teasing us for two years now," Hackett said. "He now has a new understanding and appreciation for being healthy and working hard. He needs to step up." Wide receiver, even with R. Jay Soward departed, is safe with sophomore burner Kareem Kelly. USC

is trying to return to a time when its offensive line dominated all-comers. It's off to a decent start. Four starters return this season and the Trojans

signed 25 linemen the past two years.

Keep an eye on: Junior cornerback Chris Cash. He was the nation's best JUCO corner last year and his importance sky-rocketed once it became apparent senior Antuan Simmons (who had surgery in May to remove an abdominal tumor) wouldn't play. The 5-11, 170-pound Cash needs to hold his own among so many talented defenders.

It's a good season if: USC wins the conference and returns to the Rose Bowl for the first time in five years. Hackett overhauled his staff in search of correct chemistry, knowing the pressure to produce sits squarely on his shoulders. The Sun or Aloha Bowls won't do for bitter and hungry alums. If USC spends Christmas in a place like El Paso or Hawaii, Hackett might as well not board the flight home.

WASHINGTON

1999 record: 7-5, 6-2 Pac-10

Coach: Rick Neuheisel, second season, 7-5

Starters returning: 6 offense; 7 defense

Outlook: Neuheisel is well aware how the past four preseason favorites to

win the conference fared: "Terrible," he said. Three of them couldn't even

muster winning records. And yet Neuheisel's second team in the Pacific Northwest seems to have everything needed for a title, beginning with an emotional and multi-talented quarterback in senior Marques Tuiasosopo. Problems arise when he tries too hard to make the big play, something he promises will change this year by throwing the ball away or even taking a few more sacks. A few receivers must emerge to dissuade opponents from eight-man

fronts intent on slowing Tuiasosopo's scrambles or the shifty moves of sophomore running back Paul Arnold. Ja'Warren Hooker might have been that receiver, but the junior qualified for the 2000 Olympics. An NFL career awaits senior tackle Chad Ward (6-5, 330). The defense spent far too much time on the field last season, thanks in part to Washington's 27 turnovers. One starter (tackle Larry Tripplett) returns up front and there is hardly the dominating

personnel of past Husky defenses. Linebackers and cornerbacks figure to be under constant pressure until the line develops.

Keep an eye on: Free safety Hakim Akbar. He was slowed by nagging injuries last year and still managed second-team all-conference. As the front seven is rebuilt, the junior Akbar (6-1, 195) can lessen pressure on many with another big season. He has 128 career tackles and added 15 pounds in the off-season.

It's a good season if: The Huskies finish no worse than second. A healthy

Tuiasosopo means Washington is in every game, needing only a handful of youngsters to come through for a huge season. A gut-check stretch (Miami, at

Colorado, at Oregon) arrives early. Survive it unscathed and a Husky team that doesn't play USC could be smelling like a Rose.

WASHINGTON STATE

1999 record: 3-9, 1-7 Pac-10

Coach: Mike Price, 12th season, 59-66

Starters returning: 6 offense; 5 defense

Outlook: Price jokes that he is the only man in history to turn WSU's program around twice, first from bad to good and then vise versa. "Now, I'll try and do it a third time and get us back to being pretty good," he said. Memo to the Cougars faithful: Don't hold your breath. You might explode. WSU

suffered through academic and health woes last season. Those concerns are now solved, but there still isn't enough depth or ability on either side to contend. The secondary has talent, led by all-conference safety Lamont Thompson, but five of the front seven are new faces. Jason Gesser is a sophomore quarterback who's 29-0 as a starter. Problem is, 28 of those wins came in high school. He is not fast. He is not big. Said Price: "He's a rambler and a gambler." The off-season questions about sophomore running back Deon Burnett's work ethic have apparently been answered and he will stand behind what Price says could be his best line ever ... two years from now. How bad is it? You know things are shaky when the head coach spends as much time

on media day talking about his kicking game than anything else. Ouch.

Keep an eye on: Junior strong safety Billy Newman. He is another member of WSU's strongest area, a secondary that could rank among the league's best. Newman (105 tackles, two sacks last season) prepped at Santa Margarita High in Orange County, Calif., where his jersey was retired. USC quarterback Carson Palmer attended the same school. His jersey was never bestowed such an honor.

It's a good season if: The Cougars better last year's win total. There are winnable non-league games against Idaho and Boise State, but finding two more victories might be harder than locating consecutive days of no drizzle in Pullman. Wow, was Ryan Leaf really that good?