2015 Pacific Takes Pac-12 awards: Christian McCaffrey Player of the Year

The Pac-12 just announced their 2015 so I am putting out mine. I included some more awards that the conference doesn't do.

Also, stay tuned for All-American teams and a Pac-12 All-Freshman team soon.

Player of the Year - Christian McCaffrey So. RB Stanford - Best player on the conference's best team throughout the regular season. Pretty simple. Also, hard to find a better all-around player in the nation than McCaffrey. Aside from just his numbers and production, the way defenses had to change the way they defend the Stanford offense was good for countless points for the improved Stanford offense this season. Also considered  - Royce Freeman, Joshua Garnett

Defensive Player of the Year - DeForest Buckner Sr. DE Oregon - Since I gave the Player of the Year to an offensive player, no offensive player of the year, just defensive player of the year. The Ducks probably would have really struggled to get to a bowl had he not come back for his senior year. He was the best run defender and pass rusher in the conference and was dominant from game one to game 12. Also considered - Gionni Paul, Blake Martinez

Coach of the Year - Mike Leach Washington State- Leach led the Cougars to their best season in well over a decade behind his trusty scheme. No team overachieved more in 2015 than Leach's Cougars. Also considered - David Shaw

Special Teams Player of the Year - Tom Hackett Sr. P Utah - Hackett polished off another year as the nation's best punter. Also considered - Christian McCaffrey

Freshman of the Year - Myles Gaskin RB Washington - Gave Gaskin the narrow nod over Rosen. He was his team's best offensive player, was huge in most of their big wins, consistent and productive. He finished with more than 1,100 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Also considered - Josh Rosen, Jake Browning, Cameron Smith

Transfer of the Year - Vernon Adams Sr. QB Oregon - Adams' transfer probably saved the Ducks from a disaster of a season where they might have only won a few games. He was probably the conference's best quarterback by the end of the season and we all found out why Oregon was so desperate to bring him in with what was quietly probably the sketchiest transfer in the history of the conference.

Most-Improved Player of the Year - Luke Falk So. QB Washington State - A lot of great candidates for this award this year. I am going with my second-team all-conference selections whose development into the perfect QB for Leach's system is a huge part of why the Cougars had a near dream season. He went from walk-on to Heisman candidate. Also considered - Kevin Hogan, Joshua Garnett

Comeback Player of the Year - Gabe Marks Jr. WR Washington State - Another one with a lot of great candidates, but I am going with Marks who redshirted in 2014 and came back in 2015 to become the Pac-12's leading receiver. Also considered - Tyler Johnstone, Bralon Addison

Underrated Player of the Year - Antonio Longino Sr. LB Arizona State - Longino led the conference in sacks and tackles for-loss and somehow only made honorable mention All-Pac-12. Also considered - Jordan Simone, Salamo Fiso

Coordinator/Assistant Coach of the Year - Pete Kwiatkowski DC Washington - Kwiatkowski lost all but one starter in his defensive front seven, three first round drafts and one second round draft pick from 2014, yet coached a unit that finished as the best in the conference even though they got almost no support from a putrid offense for a lot of the season. Also considered - Mike Bloomgren

Game of the Year - Stanford vs. Notre Dame - There were a ton of great games this season that are deserving. Stanford's last-second triumph over a Top 10 Notre Dame team gets  the nod because it was well-played, close and back-and-forth throughout and ended with a Pac-12 team miraculously beating an annoying national contender and keeping the conference's Playoff hopes alive. This also saw final home game magic from seniors. Also considered - Oregon vs. Arizona State, Oregon vs. Stanford, Washington State vs. Oregon, Washington State vs. UCLA

Play of the Year - Vernon Adams to Dwayne Stanford Uncle Rico play to force OT in Tempe - Oregon's play to force overtime at Arizona State looked like something you would see in a TV show or movie with a loose grasp on the concept of football that makes you shake your head and explain that kind of play never happens in real football. Adams seemed to run all the way back to the 50-yard line, chucked  the ball without really looking and Dwayne Stanford fought off two defenders and another Oregon receiver to make a great catch and barely come down in bounds. The whole play seemed like something Uncle Rico would tell you about in his van.

Surprise of the Year - Steve Sarkisian goes off the rails - Even those that knew of Sarkisian's partying had to be surprised with how badly Sarkisian melted down early in 2015. No one expected him to be in rehab before the halfway point of the season. Also considered - Washington State comes close to winning the North

Disappointment of the Year - Injuries galore - It seemed like a particularly painful year for injuries to Pac-12 stars. We lost Scooby Wright, Myles Jack, Eddie Vanderdoes and others for basically the entire season and lost players like Luke Falk, Vernon Adams, Adoree Jackson, Devontae Booker, Max Tuerk, Nick Wilson and others for extended periods. Also considered - No Pac-12 Playoff, Pac-12 refs, USC

Does This Player Really Have to Come Back For Another Year and Not Go To The NFL Award - Royce Freeman So. RB Oregon - Freeman simply looks like an NFL player running the Pac-12 and  could not look more physically prepared for the next level. There is also nothing else he can really prove at the college level. Also considered - Juju Smith-Schuster, Lowell Lotulelei, Adoree Jackson

Most fun player to watch - Adoree Jackson So. CB/WR/R USC - Jackson is a rare triple threat. One of the best defensive players, receivers and return men in the conference. He also has that rare, rare speed that just jumps out at you the second you see it. Also considered - Vernon Adams

Most-Intimidating Player - Azeem Victor So. LB Washington - Victor is like a not quite as good, more stable and less-overt Vontaze Burfict. He hits big and hard and isn't afraid to hurt somebody. Also considered - DeForest Buckner, Jared Norris, Salamo Fiso