nd 20 steals. Hes hit three game-ending home runs.BIRDS OF

The Pac-12 has one Heisman Trophy favorite in Stanfords Christian McCaffrey, another legitimate contender in Oregons Royce Freeman and maybe the most talented quarterback in the country west of Deshaun Watson in UCLAs Josh Rosen.There is star power out West worth staying up late to watch.Looking past the obvious studs, here are six players who could have a major impact on the conference title race and the Pac-12s chances to reach the College Football Playoff after missing out last season.Ishmael Adams, WR, UCLARosen lived up to the hype in year one, but three of the Bruins top four receivers are gone and little game experience returns. So Adams is moving from cornerback to receiver to bolster that side of the ball and take advantage of his elusiveness and good hands. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Adams is probably a slot receiver who can be used as a playmaker in space.Max Browne, QB, USCIt seems like forever since Browne (2013) signed with the Trojans as one of the most highly touted quarterback prospects in the country. His time appears to have finally arrived and aside from an opening game against Alabama, a first-time starting quarterback could not ask for a much better situation. USC returns 10 offensive starters and ample depth. The job is not officially Brownes yet. Redshirt freshman Sam Darnold is still in the running, according to coach Clay Helton. Unless Darnold is a phenom, the Trojans best bet is the experienced Browne blossoming.Evan Goodman, OT, Arizona StateThe Sun Devils are rebuilding their offensive line with senior Goodman as the lone starter with extensive experience. Goodman came to Tempe as maybe the most highly touted offensive lineman ever signed by the Sun Devils, but its been a slow build up. He finally cracked the starting lineup last year. If he can finish his career by reaching that four-star ceiling, it would help stabilize an offense also breaking in a new quarterback.Canton Kaumatule, DT, OregonThe Ducks defense was bad last season (98th in the nation in yards per play allowed at 6.03) with one of the best defensive players in the country: defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. DeFo is gone. Oregon is hoping some scheme tweaks (from 3-4 to 4-3) by new defensive coordinator Brady Hoke provide at least a partial fix. A near-total rebuild in the front seven would go a lot smoother if the 6-7, 295-pound Kaumatule, a four-star recruit who didnt contribute much as a freshman last year, can lock down a defensive tackle spot.John Ross III, WR, WashingtonRoss missed last season with a right knee injury, taking one of the fastest players in the Pac-12 away from a team that showed plenty of reasons for optimism in 2015. What sophomore quarterback Jake Browning and the Huskies could really use in 2016 to take another step forward is a game-breaker on the outside -- which is exactly what Ross could be.Solomon Thomas, DE, StanfordThe Cardinal line was inexperienced and starkly thin last season, relying heavily three players. Two of those players are gone. The other is Thomas, who flashed star potential as a freshman. Stanford is hoping for relatively inexperienced players to develop around Thomas, but an All-America-type season from the sophomore would help alleviate some of the issues.Extra point:Six more pivotal players: Cody Ippolito, LB, Arizona; Gabe Marks, WR, Washington State; Hunter Dimick, DE, Utah; Seth Collins, WR, Oregon State; Khalfani Muhammad, RB, California; Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado.---Follow Ralph D. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- China easily won its second gold medal in diving at the Rio Olympics, dominating the mens 10-meter synchronized event while showing the rest of the world how to barely make a splash.Chen Aisen and Lin Yue totaled 496.98 points on Monday, cruising to victory by 39.87 points.American teammates David Boudia and Steele Johnson took silver at 457.11. Tom Daley and Daniel Goodfellow of Britain rallied to claim bronze in 445.45.China is aiming to sweep the eight diving events in Rio de Janeiro for the first time in the Olympics. A day earlier, the Chinese won the womens 3-meter synchro title.Chen and Lin were especially impressive on their final two dives, totaling the most points of any team in both rounds.China, the United States and Britain all performed the same dive in the fifth round, a forward 4.5-somersaults tuck that carries one of the highest degrees of difficulty.The Americans went first, scoring 85.47 points. China was next, with Chen and Lin putting on a clinic with a score of 106.56. They plunged into the water off the 33-foot tower with very little splash and earned a perfect 10 for synchronization.Daley and Goodfellow went last, scoring 92.13, good enough to move the Brits from fifth to third after the German duo of Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein performed a less difficult dive that earned fewer points and dropped them to fourth.In the last round, the Americans and Chinese did the same dive, a bacck 2.dddddddddddd.5-somersaults with 2.5-twists pike only slightly less difficult than their previous one.Boudia and Johnson went first, scoring 95.04 points with marks as high as 9.0.Chen and Lin did even better, hitting the water in unison and being rewarded with 9.5s and 9.0s.Lin earned his first gold in the event since 2008, when he and Huo Liang teamed to win synchro platform in their home country. He didnt compete in the event four years ago in London.With lots of Chinese flags and fans in the stands, the crowd booed heartily when it saw the judges marks for Chen and Lin in the fourth round. Fans didnt think the scores ranging from 8.0 to 8.5 were nearly high enough, but it hardly mattered.Chen and Lin were in front from the start of the six-round final and never faltered.Boudia and Johnson controlled second place throughout, leaving only the bronze medal up for grabs. Four years ago in London, Boudia earned bronze in platform synchro with a different partner and gold in the individual 10-meter competition.Johnson, a 20-year-old diver at Indiana University, was clearly thrilled with winning a medal in his Olympic debut. He and Boudia shared a watery hug after their final dive, knowing they had clinched a spot on the podium. Johnson then covered his eyes with his hand and couldnt stop smiling. ' ' '