Former Seattle P-I columnist and Huskies beat writer Ted Miller is now covering the Pac-10 for ESPN.com. Miller wrote a thorough piece on the post-spring outlook for all the conference teams. Here is the link to it.

It was Pac-10 Day on ESPN.com Thursday, as Ivan Maisel and Mark Schlabach also pitched in on the "Three Things I Can't Wait to See This Fall in the Pac-10." Interestingly, Maisel can't wait to see how the Huskies fare, predicting an above-.500 record if Brandon Johnson steps up at tailback.

In a rather surprising move, the Oakland Raiders have signed former Huskies WR Marcel Reece to a contract. Here is the AP story in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Reece was originally picked up then waived by the Miami Dolphins. He impressed Raiders coaches in his tryout.

If you didn't get to see the Seattle P-I today you missed out on a large, graphically-driven story I wrote on the Huskies 2008 schedule. The story focused on the quarterbacks of all 12 Huskies opponents next season.

The story was not available online because of the many graphical elements, so here is the text-only versionfor you diehards:

While the Washington spring football game might have revealed an improved – but untested – defense, the images of last year's second-half defensive meltdowns still haunt the Huskies.

How did Todd Boeckman hit Brian Robiskie for a 68-yard touchdown pass to change the tenor of the Huskies' dogfight with Ohio State? How did Oregon's Dennis Dixon mess up the Huskies so much they allowed 465 yards on the ground? How did Arizona's Willie Tuitama transform into a Heisman Trophy contender? And how did Colt Brennan of Hawaii erase a 21-point Huskies lead in the season finale?

The Huskies – and coach Tyrone Willingham, who is on college football's "hottest" seat, according to CBS SportsLine's Dennis Dodd – have to find those answers in a 2008 season that spans five months and, again, presents one of the nation's toughest schedules.

Here is a peek at that schedule, paying special attention to the opposing quarterbacks:

Aug. 30 vs. Oregon at Autzen Stadium in Eugene
The face of coach Mike Bellotti's offense is changing, but the look has yet to be determined. Gone are Dixon and Pac-10 rushing leader Jonathan Stewart, a first-round NFL draft pick.

Strong-armed sophomore quarterback Justin Roper shined in the 2007 Sun Bowl as freshman, but didn't perform well enough in spring practices to win the job outright.

Sophomore Nate Costa missed the spring while recovering from torn knee ligaments, but Costa, the more mobile of Oregon's quarterbacks, may be a better fit in Bellotti's spread offense.

With the Ducks re-tooling without Dixon and Stewart, there may be no better time than the season opener for the Huskies to snap Oregon's four-game winning streak in the series.
QB THUMB: Down
ROPER IN 2007: 32-for-61, .525, 342 yards, 5 TD, 2 interceptions

Sept. 6 vs. BYU at Husky Stadium
The Cougars are 22-4 over the past two seasons and there is no reason to think they are slowing down with Heisman Trophy candidate Max Hall under center. He'll be the first of several big-time quarterbacks to face the Huskies in 2008.

A traditional pocket passer, the junior is accurate (60.1 completion percentage in '07) and efficient (7.76 yards per completion). He throws a lot (496 attempts) and doesn't make many mistakes (12 interceptions compared with 26 touchdowns). He will fumble from time to time, though, and applying pressure will be critical for Washington.

Adding to the challenge: Outland Trophy candidates Ray Feinga and Dallas Reynolds lead a stout BYU offensive line that could overwhelm the UW's inexperienced defensive front. The young pups will have to grow up quickly.
QB THUMB: Up
HALL IN 2007: 298-for-496, .601, 3,848 yards, 26 TD, 12 interceptions

Sept. 13 vs. Oklahoma at Husky Stadium
Sophomore Sam Bradford is another super-accurate passer who is not known for breaking the pocket and showing off his running ability. But at 6 feet 4, 208 pounds, Bradford is about as solid as they come; he led the nation in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman in 2007, throwing just three interceptions in the Sooners' final eight games.

Bradford, who set an NCAA freshman record with 36 touchdown passes, was shaky in Oklahoma's spring game, throwing three interceptions while running a new no-huddle offense, but when he gets the hang of it, though, his Heisman candidacy could flourish.

Coach Bob Stoops' team is a preseason top-10 pick, another major challenge for the Huskies.
QB THUMB: Up
BRADFORD IN 2007: 237-for-341, .695, 3,121 yards, 36 TD, 8 interceptions

Sept. 27 vs. Stanford at Husky Stadium
Tavita Pritchard may forever be known as the Cardinal quarterback who defeated mighty USC. That might not necessarily be a good thing after the junior from Tacoma.

Pritchard couldn't nail down the starting job this spring and coach Jim Harbaugh actually listed him as a co-starter with 2007 backup Alex Loukas after spring practices. Add to the mix Michigan transfer Jason Forcier and this battle is far from over.

The big picture on The Farm is as jumbled as the quarterback battle, though the offensive line should be better with three returning starters.

Stanford looked downright anemic when the Huskies visited last November, and there isn't much reason to think it will have fortified much.
QB THUMB: Down
PRITCHARD IN 2007: 97-for-194, .500, 1,114 yards, 5 TD, 9 interceptions

Oct. 4 vs. Arizona at Arizona Stadium in Tucson
Tuitama had a career game against the Huskies, passing for 510 yards and four touchdowns. That served as the impetus for victories over UCLA and Oregon and a near-upset of archrival Arizona State.

Coach Mike Stoops, like Willingham, is trying to avoid the unemployment roll, and in a role reversal, his offense may be the cure-all.

Tuitama clearly settled into first-year offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes' "Air Zona" attack. Tuitama should only get better in 2008, especially with leading receivers Mike Thomas, Terrell Thomas, tight end Rob Gronkowski and junior college transfer Derick Barkum in the fold.

The Huskies would like to forget the 22-point fourth quarter that doomed them at Husky Stadium last season. Taking advantage of an Arizona defense that returns just three starters appears to be the best way to do that.
QB THUMB: Up
TUITAMA IN 2007: 327-for524, .624, 3,683 yards, 28 TD, 12 interceptions

Oct. 18 vs. Oregon State at Husky Stadium
If left-hander Sean Canfield recovers from off-season surgery on his throwing shoulder, the junior quarterback likely could reclaim the starting job over Lyle Moevao, another junior. But Canfield has had a host of injuries that have opened the door for Moevao, who went 10-for-22 for 109 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Washington and was 4-0 as a starter last season.

There figures to be a lot more pressure on Oregon State's quarterbacks in 2008 without workhorse running back Yvenson Bernard. If coach Mike Riley can find a runner – and he thinks he has one in Ryan McCants – the Beavers' experienced offensive line should let this team continue its pattern of starting slowly and finishing strong.

The Huskies get the Beavers in Seattle right when about the time Oregon State usually starts its run.
QB THUMB: Sideways
CANFIELD IN 2007: 165-for-286, .577, 1,661 yards, 9 TD, 15 interceptions
MOEVAO IN 2007: 77-for-147, .524, 876 yards, 2 TD, 6 interceptions

Oct. 25 vs. Notre Dame at Husky Stadium
Get ready for the Tyrone Willingham-Notre Dame story lines again, but this rematch is a winnable one for the Huskies, and that is the real hook.

The Fighting Irish were terrible in 2007 with true freshman Jimmy Clausen eventually hijacking the quarterback merry-go-round in South Bend. Clausen – and the team – will be better in '08.

To start with, the atrocious offensive line is improved and that should keep Clausen upright a bit more this year. Next, Clausen himself is much improved if you listen to coach Charlie Weis.

"He's made significant progress, significant," Weis said in mid-April. "Everything – mentally, leadership, physically, you name it, every category the arrow has been pointing up."

This game follows Notre Dame's bye week, a potential plus for the Irish. It could be a must-win game for Washington.
QB THUMB: Up
CLAUSEN IN 2007: 138-for-245, .563, 1,254 yards, 7 TD, 6 interceptions

Nov. 1 vs. USC at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles
Imagine, two former top-ranked quarterback prospects battling it out for the starting job. Junior Mark Sanchez got the nod over sophomore Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain this spring, but don't consider this fight over until one of them plants his flag firmly on the summit during real games.

Sanchez didn't exactly light it up last season in place of the injured John David Booty. But with the help of Joe McKnight, an experienced offensive line and another ferocious defense, the Trojans signal-caller should be just fine, thank you.

The Huskies, who figure to be big underdogs, lost 26-20 to USC at the Coliseum in 2006. The Trojans have won six in a row in the series.
QB THUMB: Up
SANCHEZ IN 2007: 69-for-115, .605, 695 yards, 7 TD, 5 interceptions

Nov. 8 vs. Arizona State at Husky Stadium
Doesn't it seem like Rudy Carpenter has been in Tempe forever? He starred as a redshirt freshman in 2005, was at the heart of a quarterback controversy in 2006 that contributed to coach Dirk Koetter's firing, and then shined again under new coach Dennis Erickson in 2007.

With plenty of skill players around him, Carpenter could be considered the preseason front-runner for Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year honors. And, with 16 returning starters from a Holiday Bowl team, the Sun Devils could contend for the conference title. What's more, the Huskies haven't beaten the Sun Devils since 2001.
QB THUMB: Up
CARPENTER IN 2007: 246-for-398, .618, 3,202 yards, 25 TD, 10 interceptions

Nov. 15 vs. UCLA at Husky Stadium
In mid-November, you're going to be reading a lot about former Huskies coach Rick Neuheisel. By this time, the Bruins quarterback conundrum may have sorted itself out, too.

The Bruins went into the spring with two healthy, experienced quarterbacks. They left April with none when Pat Cowan suffered torn knee ligaments and Ben Olson broke his foot – on consecutive plays. Olson, who has been up and down in his career at UCLA, will be back for fall camp and will battle with junior-college transfer Kevin Craft for the starting job.

If you're a Bruins fan, you're thanking the stars vaunted offensive coordinator Norm Chow is on your side. You're also thankful for a physical defense that manhandled Washington last season.
QB THUMB: Down
OLSON IN 2007: 71-for-147, .483, 1,040 yards, 7 TD, 6 interceptions

Nov. 22 at Washington State at Martin Stadium in Pullman
Kamiak High product Gary Rogers is set to take over for four-year starter Alex Brink, the quietest record-setting quarterback in Pac-10 history. Certainly Rogers will have to make some noise in Brink's place.

Rogers is big at 6-6, 235 pounds. He has a strong arm and is respected by his teammates. But he isn't especially mobile, and new coach Paul Wulff wants to run the no-huddle spread.

Rogers is smart, but unproven – especially in Wulff's new offense, and the reserve quarterbacks didn't put on the heat this spring, either. Quarterback will be a concern in Pullman until proven otherwise.
QB THUMB: Down
ROGERS IN 2007: 4-for-16, .250, 18 yards, 0 TD, 1 interception

Dec. 6 at California in Berkeley
Nate Longshore's injury train rolled on this spring when the senior quarterback suffered a torn pectoral muscle. That left the majority of the snaps to Kevin Riley, who played in three games last season, including the Armed Forces Bowl in which he went a 16-for-19 for 269-yard and three touchdowns, with no interceptions.

According to published reports, Riley had a solid spring and showed off his ability to make plays with his legs as well as his arm.

This is shaping up to be one of the best quarterback battles in the conference and could leave coach Jeff Tedford with two good options. But the Bears will need to play a more inspired brand of football than they did in the second half of last season to support whomever ends up throwing the ball.

QB THUMB: UP
LONGSHORE IN 2007: 230-for-384, .599, 2,580 yards, 16 TD, 13 interceptions

Here is my story on the Academic Progress Rate and Washington State's loss of eight scholarships. It also hits on the Washington Huskies' report and how administrators are pleased.

The Cougars will be limited to 79 scholarships next season after having 83 last year. The NCAA grants NCAA Bowl Championship Division teams 85 scholarships. WSU athletic faculty adviser Ken Casavant told me the school was tracking the APR and knew it would be docked a total of eight scholarships for eight players leaving the team while academically ineligible. So, the program took two last season and will take six this upcoming season.

The whole APR deal is pretty simple, though, the numbers can get a little confusing. The idea is to hit programs directly where it hurts to improve academic performance and retention -- in scholarships. If a player isn't eligible and quits, his/her scholarship goes away. Easy enough, right? Until you get into the penalties.

Here is the NCAA's explanation of the APR, how it is calculated and possible punitive actions.

Today the NCAA released its Academic Progress Rate for all Division I schools for the 2006-'07 season and Washington fared well while cross-state rival Washington State suffered a serious hit.

The APR was introduced four years ago to change the academic landscape for college athletes. Schools are punished with scholarship reductions when their teams dip below the 925-point benchmark.

The NCAA gave the system a test run in 2005 and the Huskies baseball team was at risk. (See the story at the time.)

The number is determined by a points formula that rewards long-term eligibility and retention of student-athletes. Programs can lose points when athletes transfer, drop out, leave for the pros or become academically ineligible while still at the school.

Washington's football team scored 948, third-best in the Pac-10 and well above the NCAA average of 934.

Here is a list of the Pac-10 football team scores:
Stanford 986
California 967
Washington 948
USC 948
UCLA 941
Arizona State 933
Oregon State 926
Oregon 921
Washington State 916
Arizona 902

Obviously, Arizona's score is lower than WSU's, but the score isn't the lone factor in determining punitive action.

Click on the team name above to see the schools' complete APR details for all sports.

Finally, for more information on the APR, how it is calculated and the consequent penalties, see this story from the NCAA.

ESPN and ABC will air the Huskies' home games against Oklahoma and Notre Dame, the Pac-10 released today.

The Huskies' Sept. 13 contest against Oklahoma will kickoff at 4:45 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

TheOct. 5th game versus Notre Dame will begin at 5 p.m. and ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 will be televised it.

Here is the official release from UW.

Here is the Huskies 2008 schedule:
Date Opponent Time

Aug. 30 at Oregon * TBA
Sept. 6 vs. BYU TBA
Sept. 13 vs. Oklahoma 4:45 p.m. PT
Sept. 27 vs. Stanford * TBA
Oct. 4 at Arizona * TBA
Oct. 18 vs. Oregon State * TBA
Oct. 25 vs. Notre Dame 5 p.m. PT
Nov. 8 vs. Arizona State * TBA
Nov. 15 vs. UCLA * TBA
Nov. 22 at Washington State * TBA
Dec. 6 at California * TBA

* - Pac-10 game

With a number of significant fund-raising initiatives either currently underway or rapidly approaching, University of Washington acting athletic director Scott Woodward has promoted Jennifer Cohen to oversee the department's development efforts as the senior associate athletic director for development.

Here is Cohen's bio from UW's web site, as well as an official release.

Just yesterday, Woodward told reporters he will not be pursuing the athletic director job. Here is my story.

Interim athletic director Scott Woodward told reporters today that he is not going to be a candidate for the full-time job, but will return to his "day job" as Vice President of External Affairs.

Here is my story.

The University of Washington Alumni Association's annual "Coaches Tour" kicks off Tuesday in Tacoma. Here is some information on this progam, which features coaches Tyrone Willingham, Lorenzo Romar and Tia Jackson.

Now in its 37th year, the Coaches Tour is the UWAA's biggest regional scholarship fund-raiser.

Over the past five years, the Coaches Tour has raised more than $260,000 in scholarship money, providing dozens of UW students and student-athletes with endless opportunities.

This year, Coaches Tour will make seven stops throughout the state and award scholarships to several students at each stop. The stops are:

MAY 1 - THURSDAY - TACOMA
MAY 12 - MONDAY - SPOKANE
MAY 19 - MONDAY - EVERETT
JUNE 5 - THURSDAY - BELLINGHAM
JUNE 9 - MONDAY - YAKIMA
JUNE 12 - THURSDAY - PORT ORCHARD
JUNE 18 - WEDNESDAY - LONGVIEW

* * *

Here is some other Huskies news on where some of the undrafted players are signing as free agents.

Defensive end Greyson Gunheim and running back Louis Rankin signed with the Oakland Raiders, with cornerback Roy Lewis and defensive tackle Jordan Reffett signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Receiver Anthony Russo signed with the Seattle Seahawks.

Colorado's athletic communications staff collected information about spring games. Here are the results:

2008 SPRING FOOTBALL GAME ATTENDANCE
School (cost) Attendance
*ALABAMA ........................... 78,200
*ARIZONA STATE .................. 5,000
ARKANSAS............................ 40,200
^AUBURN ($5)..................... 35,000
BOISE STATE ($7).................. 7,500
*BOSTON COLLEGE............... 3,500
*BOWLING GREEN ................ 1,000
*BRIGHAM YOUNG............... 16,700
*BUFFALO ............................ 1,000
*CENTRAL MICHIGAN........... 5,500
*CINCINNATI........................ 10,142
*CLEMSON ........................... 25,000
*COLORADO......................... 17,800
*COLORADO STATE .............. 6,100
*CONNECTICUT.................... 9,700
*DUKE.................................. 3,250
EAST CAROLINA ($5)............. 5,053
*EASTERN MICHIGAN ........... 1,000
^FLORIDA ........................... 61,000
*FLORIDA ATLANTIC ............ 1,091
*FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL .. 3,000
*FLORIDA STATE .................. 30,000
*FRESNO STATE.................... 2,600
GEORGIA.............................. 19,874
*GEORGIA TECH................... 8,500
*HAWAII............................... 9,300
*HOUSTON........................... 3,500
*IDAHO................................ 5,100
ILLINOIS............................... 12,531
*INDIANA............................. 1,500
*IOWA.................................. 15,352
*IOWA STATE........................ 8,000
*KANSAS .............................. 10,000
KANSAS STATE ($5)............... 15,523
*KENTUCKY.......................... 8,500
*LOUISIANA STATE ............... 33,624
*LOUISIANA TECH ................ 5,103
*LOUISVILLE......................... 17,200
MARSHALL ($5)..................... 6,701
*MARYLAND......................... 10,221
*MEMPHIS............................ 1,200
*MIAMI-FLA. ........................ 11,000
MICHIGAN STATE ................. 27,000
*MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE . 2,571
*MINNESOTA........................ 7,200
^MISSISSIPPI ($10) ............... 28,311
^MISSISSIPPI STATE ($5) ...... 10,000
MISSOURI ($3) ...................... 26,322
*NAVY .................................. 2,497
NEBRASKA ($4-10)................. 80,149
*NEVADA-LAS VEGAS ............ 500
*NEW MEXICO ...................... 1,000
NORTH CAROLINA STATE...... 15,273
*NORTH TEXAS..................... 3,169
NOTRE DAME ($8-15) ............ 30,286
OHIO STATE ($5) .................. 76,346
OKLAHOMA.......................... 23,306
*OKLAHOMA STATE.............. 20,000
*OREGON ............................. 14,107
*PENN STATE........................ 73,000
*PITTSBURGH ....................... 7,549
*PURDUE.............................. 9,500
RUTGERS ($5) ....................... 14,501
*SAN JOSE STATE .................. 1,200
*SMU.................................... 3,487
*SOUTH CAROLINA .............. 31,125
*SOUTH FLORIDA.................. 4,607
^SOUTHERN MISS ($5-10) .... 11,126
*STANFORD .......................... 2,000
*SYRACUSE ........................... 3,428
*TEMPLE............................... 3,804
TENNESSEE ........................... 28,898
*TEXAS ................................. 43,000
^TEXAS A & M ($5)............... 32,000
*TEXAS CHRISTIAN................ 1,500
*TEXAS TECH ........................ 11,250
*TROY................................... 1,000
*TULANE............................... 1,100
*TULSA ................................. 3,700
*UCLA................................... 15,052
^USC ($10)........................... 22,000
*UTAH .................................. 4,500
*UTAH STATE........................ 800
*VANDERBILT ....................... 1,000
*VIRGINIA............................. 5,000
*VIRGINIA TECH ................... 30,000
*WAKE FOREST...................... 4,100
*WASHINGTON ..................... 9,000
*WASHINGTON STATE........... 900
WEST VIRGINIA ($5) .............. 18,000
*WESTERN KENTUCKY........... 2,000
*WESTERN MICHIGAN........... 1,305
*WISCONSIN ......................... 22,000
*WYOMING........................... 1,700

a--NATIONAL AVERAGE (all)............. 14,331
b--NATIONAL AVERAGE (76) ............ 10,710
10,000-PLUS / 9,999 & BELOW ....... 42 / 54
MEDIAN ........................................ 8,000
(b--minus top 10--552,519/lowest 10--9,291)
*--denotes does not charge admission
^--students admitted free; all 12-and under free at USC; alumni-card holders at Florida admitted free (also has 2-for-1
sponsor deal); all college age and under admitted free at Texas A & M.
NO SPRING GAME: Air Force, Akron, BYU, California, North Carolina (cancelled/weather), Toledo
CLOSED SPRING GAME DUE TO STADIUM CONSTRUCTION: Michigan

NOTES
!! Keep in mind at many places, these are estimates. If marketing people are involved, some numbers could be inflated !!
* Air Force did not have a spring game, just a normal final practice with a brief scrimmage included (about 100 attended); Akron did the same, had an open final practice with about 200 in attendance; California had no spring game, but had 2,000
at its one open practice (numbers not included above).
* Brigham Young, Fresno State and Washington State had final practices with scrimmages open to the public (numbers are included above).
* San Diego State does not have an on-campus facility and rotates its spring game around at various high schools and generally does not track attendance.
* Boise State includes spring game ticket as part of previous season's package.
* New Mexico took its spring game on the road to Santa Fe.
* In lieu of charging, Iowa asks fans to bring one non-perishable food item that is donated to a local crisis center. Missouri charged $3, but fans who brought three cans of food items to donate to a local food bank. Most of Ohio State's revenue is
split among four designated charities. Notre Dame's is a fundraiser for local alumni club scholarship fund. Rutgers' benefits two local hospitals. All proceeds at West Virginia go to WVU's Children's Hospital.
* Nebraska charges $10 for 25,000 reserved seats, general admission at $4 and $8, with kids 6 and under free along with
other youth promotions for free admittance (UNL students and staff, former players free).
* Known school records were set at Florida (61,000), Mississippi (28,311), Missouri (26,322), Colorado (17,800) and South Florida (4,607).
* Virginia Tech does not issue a formal attendance count; number was estimated by local media.