Pac-12 Football: Preseason all-conference defense

November 22, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Mossi Johnson (14) is brought down by Southern California Trojans safety Su’a Cravens (21) during the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

With so many defensive stars gone to the NFL, who will lead this year’s Pac-12 on the less heralded side of the ball?

In the last few weeks leading up to the start of the season, media members, fans, and all other kinds of prognosticators look to predict how teams, individuals, coaches, and even entire conferences will fare during the upcoming schedule. This includes the writers here at Saturday Blitz, who try to whet the appetite of college football fans by examining every angle of the people and programs involved in the future gridiron contests.

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While the offense has gotten the majority of the attention, especially in the high-scoring Pac-12, there is the other side of the ball. There are the coaches and players who have to figure out what to do to stop the fast paced Oregon machine. These guys wake up in cold sweats due to nightmares about the brutally physical Stanford running game. They have to stare across the line of scrimmage at surefire NFL talents like Cody Kessler, Nelson Spruce, and Jared Goff.

Nevertheless, some of these players turn things around on the wacky west coast offenses and put fear into the hearts of quarterbacks and coaches alike. Today, we salute these brave men who take a stand against the notion that less and less defense is played the closer you get to the Pacific ocean. After scouring rosters looking for the elite defensive talent, we are ready to name our All Pac-12 Defensive Team. Three linemen, four linebackers, two cornerbacks, and two safeties.

Next: Defensive Line