Four former Pac-12 players from California, Colorado, UCLA and USC were announced this morning as members of the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2012. The group of four, which includes Golden Bears' quarterback Steve Bartkowski, as well as Colorado guard John Wooten, UCLA offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and USC tight end Hal Bedsole, is included in the 17-member class that will be inducted at a Dec. 4 dinner in New York City and enshrined during the summer of 2013. Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum was also an assistant coach for the Trojans during the 1981 season.

Here is the full list:

Players

Charles Alexander -- running back LSU (1975-78)
Otis Armstrong -- running back, Purdue (1970-72)
Steve Bartkowski -- quarterback, California (1972-74)
Hal Bedsole -- tight end, USC (1961-63)
Dave Casper -- tight end, Notre Dame (1971-73)
TY Detmer -- quarterback, BYU (1988-91)
Tommy Kramer -- quarterback, Rice (1973-76)
Art Monk -- wide receiver, Syracuse (1976-79)
Greg Myers -- defensive back, Colorado State (1992-95)
Jonathan Ogden - offensive tackle, UCLA (1992-95)
Gabe Rivera -- defensive tackle, Texas Tech (1979-82)
Mark Simoneau -- linebacker, Kansas State (1996-99)
Scott Thomas -- safety, Air Force (1982-85)
John Wooten -- offensive guard, Colorado (1956-58)

Coaches

Phillip Fulmer -- 152-52-0 (74.5%); Tennessee (1992-08)
Jimmy Johnson -- 81-34-3 (70.0%); Oklahoma State (1979-83) and Miami (Fla.) (1984-88)
R.C. Slocum -- 123-47-2 (72.1%); Texas A&M (1989-02)

One notable snub: Nebraska signal caller Tommie Frazier, who led the Cornhuskers to two national championships from 1992-1995, while going 33-3 as a starter. Feel free to fire away in the comments.

Check out the official blogpoll writeup from SB Nation.

1. LSU – LSU was the best team in the country for every day of last season except the last and they should be at least just as talented as they were in 2011. They should be virtually impossible to pass against with Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo on the ends and Tyrann Mathieu patrolling the backfield. They will have a tough offensive line and backfield and just need a quarterback to be almost unbeatable.

2. Alabama – It feels weird to have them behind LSU, but the Crimson Tide simply lost a ton of talent to the NFL. Regardless, the defending champs return a good amount of starters from one of the best defenses of all-time and a strong offensive line.

3. USC – The Trojans are probably the best all-around team going into the season and feature the nation’s best quarterback and receiver. They should also be extremely hungry after having sat out the postseason the last two years.

4. Oklahoma – The Sooners have seemed to underachieve in recent years but the 2011 squad is loaded with experience, talent and possibly the nation’s best quarterback outside of Matt Barkley.

5. Georgia – This team is so ridiculously talented and experienced, particularly on defense that I almost considered ranking them No. 3. If Mark Richt can finally get his team to live up to expectations the Bulldogs will contend for the SEC title.

6. Oregon – Oregon is the rare modern day program which can graduate most of its talent and not skip a beat because of their system. They took a little bit of a hit with the unexpected deflection of Darron Thomas but unless something serious comes out between now and the start of the season, expect the Ducks to pick up right where they left off.

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Here we go again y'all. Big conferences wheeling and dealing.

The latest rounds of conference TV deals were announced, and both the Big 12 and the ACC received television deals. The Big 12's was relatively sweet, although not quite as delectable as the one the Pac-12 got (and considering the future inflow from the TV network, it'll run a distant second).

The ACC's is much lower, and Florida State is not at all happy with its latest deal.

It's gotten so dire, the Seminoles are looking toward the West at the Big 12. Yes, the very same Big 12 that looked all but dead a few months ago could be on the verge of scoring another huge addition to their conference and further bolstering their profile.

With the Big 12 looking like it's approaching steady footing (at least compared to everyone else) and the ACC suddenly nearing Apocalypse Now, the Pac-12 members sit back and watch the chaos unfold.

The conference can count their revenue streams and get set for the first year of their new television network, and the members of the Pac have to feel pretty happy that they're settling down in one of the three most stable conferences in the country. There will be no one threatening to exit the league, no one too disappointed with the huge swaths of revenue that will soon be flowing into each athletic department's coffers.

The drawback to the lack of change for the Pac-12 is that the unfolding chaos will probably ensure that a Pac-16 won't be happening for quite some time, as the Big 12 seems to have righted the ship for the near future. That means the conference won't become the superpower that dictates terms to the rest of college sports. However, it also could have very well been the case that Texas would be the ones dictating things and making life very uncomfortable for everyone else.

In short, the Pac-12 will be sitting 2012 expansion talks out and get prepared for a long, sustainable, and hopefully healthy situation that benefits all conference members in a positive fashion.

In front of 1,025 fans at Levine-Fricke Field in Berkeley, Calif., No. 1 California shutout No. 2 Arizona State 5-0 on Friday to earn the inaugural Pac-12 title and its first outright since 1987. The Golden Bears tied for first in the conference in 2005. With the title, California receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Coming into the weekend series, the final of the 2012 regular season, the Pac-12 title was a toss-up for the first team to win two games, determined by a three-game round-robin play. Cal won the first game of the series on Thursday, 4-2, with a two-run, walk-off homer by Valerie Arioto.

Cal's shutout was the 24th of the season and the eighth of the Pac-12 competition.

The Golden Bears first got on board in the bottom of the second when Danielle Henderson (2 H, 3 RBI) hit to left center, just missing the length for a homer, for an RBI single. Henderson drove in a second run in the bottom of the fourth for a 2-0 lead. Then in the bottom of the fifth Cal scored three; two by Elia Reid (1 H, 2 RBI) and one more by Henderson, who plated Jace Williams from third.

On the mound, Lowe's Senior Class Player of the Year candidate Valerie Arioto (20-2) threw a complete game and struck out 11 Sun Devils. Arioto allowed just six hits and one walk against 30 batters faced. She tossed 108 pitches.

The third and final game between Cal and Arizona State is on May 12. Valerie Arioto, Frani Echavarria, Elia Reid, Jamia Reid and Jace Williams will be celebrated for Senior Day.

Cole Mazza (LS, Liberty, Bakersfield, CA) committed to UCLA. Mazza is considered the top long-snapper in the 2013 recruiting class. Check out the video of his commitment here.

Su'a Cravens (LB/S, Vista Murrieta, Murrieta, CA) has his top 5: USC, UCLA, Nebraska, Michigan and Ohio State. The Trojans are heavy favorites.

Eddie Vanderdoes (DL, Placer, Auburn, CA) will want to take at least one official visit to Oregon and two others to Big Ten country.

Justin Davis (RB, Lincoln, Stockton, CA) is supposedly a strong USC lean.

Joe Mathis (DE, Upland, Upland, CA) has cut down his weight.

Elijah Qualls (ATH, Casa Grande Petaluma, CA) had three Pac-12 schools checking in on him.

Vita Vea (DT, Milpitas, Milpitas, CA) could very well commit to Oregon on the spot if they offered him.

Sebastian LaRue (WR, Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA) is starting to turn heads all around the country. Michigan came visiting ($).

Demorea Stringfellow (WR, Rancho Verde, Moreno Valley, CA) has gotten an offer from Cal.

Darrell Daniels (ATH, Freedom, Oakley, CA) received his USC offer.

Steven Mitchell (WR, Bishop Alemany, Mission Hills, CA) got an offer from Oregon State.

Michael Hutchings (LB, De La Salle, Concord, CA) has another Pac-12 offer plus a host of others.

Aaron Cochran (OL, Buhach Colony, Atwater, CA) is waiting for that Wisconsin offer ($). Is he close to getting it?

Darius Allensworth (DB, Heritage, Menifee, CA) discusses the status of his Arizona commitment ($).

DaVonte Young (RB, St. John Bosco, Bellflower, CA) is leaving his current school.

Tahaan Goodman (DB, Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho Cucamonga, CA) is adjusting to life as a top target after receiving 25 offers in 2012 ($). LSU and Hawaii are places he definitely wants to hit up.

Nico Falah (OL, St. John Bosco, Bellflower, CA) was invited to the US Army All-American game.

L.J. Moore (DB, Central East, Fresno, CA) has Oregon among his favorites.

Beau Sandland (TE, Pierce C.C., Woodland Hills, CA) landed a Cal offer.

Gunnar Graham (OL, Marin Catholic, Kentfield, CA) got a Colorado offer ($).

Jack Austin (WR, Chino Hills, Chino Hills, CA) received his first Pac-12 offer.

As we continue our surveying of Pac-12 basketball teams, we have already taken a look at Utah basketball (who will learn to play basketball) and Arizona State (who should have enough bodies to play basketball).

Transition years are ahead for the next couple of squads, as they lose too many of their main contributors to actually contend for a conference crown. They should have plenty of pop and enough strength to compete with the top of the Pac, but closing the deal could be a problem.

Today, we look at the WSU Cougars.

Washington State

Departing: Primary shot-taker Faisal Aden, primary wing defender Marcus Capers, sharpshooter Abe Lodwick, Backup big man Charlie Enquist.

Arriving: Combo guard Royce Woolridge (Kansas transfer), plus top 150 guard Demarquise Johnson and big men Richard Longrus, Brett Boese, Richard Peters. There are academic question marks with Peters and Johnson though.

Good to see Brock Motum coming back, but Washington State is losing pretty much all of their wing talent, leaving only Mike Ladd and Dexter Kernich-Drew to house things outside. Reggie Moore is a solid distributor and gets the Cougars free throws, but his inability to shoot the basketball effectively hurts the Cougar offense. Motum and D.J. Shelton should give the Cougars some inside presence that can help score some big wins, but neither of these guys can be considered lockdown defenders.

Any success WSU hopes to have next year depends on what Woolridge brings to the table and whether Johnson makes it to Pullman. A starting lineup of Moore-Woolridge-Johnson-Motum-Shelton with Lacy, Ladd and Kernich-Drew and Patrick Simon would have plenty of offensive mettle that could contend with anyone.

A starting lineup of Moore-Lacy-Ladd-Motum-Shelton with Kernich-Drew and Simon...not so much. To be continued.

awbutler: Reggie Moore was legitimately neck and neck with Derrick Williams for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year two seasons ago. Now I think it may be safe to say the tough-ish point guard just isn't going to be that good. He's no bad, but it's safe to say he's not going to help Ken Bone jump levels. Alas, a little post season success never hurt anyone and the Cougs could leverage their run into the CBI finals into some 2012-13 momentum.

A fair number of off-the-field storylines are circulating throughout the blogosphere. You know, playoff proposals, 2013 NFL Draft speculation and TV deals. Here are some links that highlight a few of those topics.

• During Tuesday's conference call with the Pac-12 coaches, Utah headman Kyle Whittingham expressed a desire for college football's postseason to feature eight teams as opposed to just four, which has been the often-talked about playoff proposal: "Let's go full fledged and get eight teams involved."
• Because it's also May, there are going to be quite a few lists on the horizon. Cheers! The Sporting News compiled its own regarding all 124 head coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Four coaches from this conference made the top-25 with Oregon's Chip Kelly (No. 6), Washington State's Mike Leach (No. 17), USC's Lane Kiffin (No. 20) and Whittingham (No. 21). Coming in last was Colorado's Jon Embree at No. 106.
• Mel Kiper Jr. released his Big Board for the 2013 NFL Draft, and as you might expect, it has some familiar names, several with USC ties. Quarterback Matt Barkley is atop the list at No. 1. Surprise, surprise. Former USC linebacker Jarvis Jones, who transferred to Georgia sits at No. 2, while current Trojan wideout Robert Woods can be found at No. 7.
• Speaking of USC, a group of players, led by Barkley, will visit Haiti from May 12 -- late Friday -- to May 16. The group of 16 will build houses after the Carribean country was hit by an earthquake in 2010. ESPNLA's Pedro Moura has details about the trip.
• SB Nation Seattle takes a look at the decision from 710 ESPN to broadcast Washington State football games.
• UCLA notoriously -- well, somewhat -- signed a big class last February. What now? It'll have to cut seven scholarships, according to reports.
• Not sure whether I agree with, but an interesting question presented by Lost Lettermen: Is Washington quarterback Keith Price this season's Robert Griffin III?
• The Pac-12 Network announced its on air personalities yesterday with Ronnie Lott, Rick Neuheisel and Summer Sanders. All three have ties to the conference. Lott played at USC. Neuheisel has coached at Colorado, UCLA and Washington. He was also a walk-on for the Bruins. Sanders swam at Stanford. Avinash examined the hires on this blog this morning.
• And lastly, did Craig James kill five hookers?

For everything related to Pac-12 football, basketball and Olympic sports, stay tuned at Pacific Takes or follow us on Twitter.

It looks like Pac-12 has their first big names for their new network. The announcement was made earlier today.

The Pac-12 Networks have taken the historic first step in building its on air team by turning to three of the most dynamic leaders the Pac-12 Conference has ever seen, signing Ronnie Lott, Rick Neuheisel and Summer Sanders as on air personalities and the initial faces of the Pac-12 Networks, it was announced today.

As former Pac-12 student-athletes at USC, UCLA and Stanford respectively, Lott, Neuheisel and Sanders combined to lead their teams to five Conference titles, three Rose Bowl crowns and two national championships. Sanders, who has enjoyed a successful broadcasting career for the last two decades, will have a multipurpose role as a host and expert analyst for a variety of shows and events, while Lott and Neuheisel will serve as football analysts.

If I had to guess, this will be the three person team manning the Pac-12 Network Studios on Gameday for whatever pregame or postgame coverage the conference has planned for the college football season. There's also the possibility that Neuheisel and Lott might do some games, but I'm guessing the majority of the time will be spent in the studio with Sanders.

I wouldn't call this a potential Inside the NBA crew here (can you really top antics like this?), but if these guys are meant to be the in-studio talent, there's a lot of potential.

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