Our latest Pac-10 interview is with Michelle Smith of The San Francisco Chronicle. She is the beat writer for the one of the most depressing teams in all of college football, the Stanford Cardinal. Thanks to Michelle for participating in this interview.

Q: Tavita Pritchard was good enough to beat USC, but is he good enough to the lead the Cardinal to a bowl game?

Can’t tell yet. Pritchard is in a 3-way competition with sophomore Alex Loukas and Jason Forcier, the transfer from Michigan. All three are running very even early in camp. Pritchard’s biggest issue is consistency. His outstanding performance against USC was followed up by some sub-par days and he needs to show that he’s more to the good than the bad.

Q: Toby Gerhart was one of the top Southern California high school football players in history and has showed some promise as a freshman last year. Will his high school success eventually transition to the college level?

He’s had injury issues. He had a huge first half against San Jose State last year, with 140 yards, then got hurt in the third quarter and was out for the year. Stanford has high hopes that he’s a power back in the mold of Tommy Vardell and that he can get a dormant running game going.

Q: Who will replace star wideouts Mark Bradford and Evan Moore?

Richard Sherman is the only receiver with significant experience and his a go-to quality player if he keeps his head on straight. Thus far, he appears to be focused and in good stead with the coaches. Beyond Sherman, it’s a lot of untested guys and possibly a couple of true freshman.

Q: They return nine defensive starters. How much better will/can the defense be?

The defense should be better, and the line could be among the best in the conference. The linebacker group is good, led by Clinton Snyder and the biggest question mark is at cornerback. But that’s a big question mark in the Pac-10, where teams win or lose on big passing plays. There’s a new defensive coordinator in Ron Lynn, but he’s running essentially the same system as last year, when the defense played hard and made big strides.

Q: How will they deal with the losses of Nick Sanchez and Tim Sims?

Wopamo Osaisai, who played in a three-player rotation last year with Sanchez and Sims, is back and he’s going to be partnered with a young player who will be learning on the job. Sophomore Corey Gatewood, who had to play running back last year in desperate times, is the leading candidate.

Q: Jim Harbaugh certainly talks a good game. However, is he the right guy to lead the program?

He’s recruiting well, the guys love playing for him and they definitely surprised people with wins over USC and Cal last year. He’s looking pretty good right now.

Q: Which is the real Stanford team? The one that beat USC or the one that lost to three win Notre Dame?

Something in between. Provided the Cardinal can find a legitimate starting quarterback, this team has a chance to be more consistent, more competitive and more successful.

Q: Lastly, please look into your crystal ball. How will the Cardinal do this year?

Four or five wins seems reasonable. A bowl game still seems like a reach.

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