CULVER CITY, Calif. — The Arizona Wildcats finished fourth in the Pac-12 South in coach Rich Rodriguez’s first season … and that’s where they are again in 2014, according to the league’s media poll.
No surprise here. The media tabbed the Cats behind UCLA, USC and Arizona State in the division but ahead of Utah and Colorado. Just like last year.
Arizona has been the logical and consensus choice for fourth in the South in a plethora of preseason polls.
The 27 voters in the media poll picked UCLA over Arizona State in the Pac-12 South in close balloting. USC was third.
Oregon edged Stanford in voting for the North division, with the Ducks picked as the league’s overall champ.
Here is the voting:
PAC-12 SOUTH
1. UCLA (12 first-place votes, 135 points)
2. Arizona State (10, 130)
3. USC (4, 117)
4. Arizona (76 points)
5. Utah (60)
6. Colorado (28)
PAC-12 NORTH
1. Oregon (15 first-place votes (145 points)
2. Stanford (11, 139)
3. Oregon State (95 points)
4. Washington (84)
5. California (47)
6. Washington State (33)
UA posted a 7-5 regular-season record last season, including a 4-5 mark in the Pac-12. The Cats landed in the league’s seventh bowl slot — the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, where Arizona’s furious rally past Nevada in the final two minutes put a happy spin on RichRod’s debut season in Tucson.
UA players report to camp Aug. 3.