First this morning, the game-day links. Nothing will totally absorb the "black-eye" moment the Pacific-10 Conference suffered Thursday night on LeGarrette Blount's post-game punch of a Boise State player, but a few rousing performances could help salvage a good first week:

ARIZONA: Somebody has been drinking the Kool-Aid of Wildcats' football. Oh yeah, it's the coach, who thinks his team has no weakness.

ARIZONA STATE: Dennis Erickson might know the best tonic to get the Sun Devils going in 2009 – playing his former neighbor at Idaho State. Erickson used to coach at Idaho.

CALIFORNIA: If the Bears didn't totally believe before, they do now. They think they've reached the same elite level as Pac-10 counterpart USC. A pretty rosy outlook.

OREGON STATE: New Beavers secondary won't be eased into 2009. Portland State will pass, pass and pass, until the final whistle.

STANFORD: Cardinal hopes to end eight-year bowl skid with a little bit of "Luck" – or a whole lot of it with the true freshman quarterback.

UCLA: As many as 10 new players will take to the Bruins lineup to open the season at The Rose Bowl against San Diego State.

USC: San Jose State plans on bringing the heat at Trojans' touted freshman quarterback Matt Barkley.

WASHINGTON STATE: Like every other coach in America this weekend, Paul Wulff has a clean slate – one he hopes to fill with wins and not losses.