The Pac-12, like many of its seasons the past decade, has had an up and down season so far. What has stood out the most so far? Let’s look.

THE DUCKS ARE STRONG, BUT SHAKY AT THE SAME TIME

You can argue that no team in college football had a better win than Oregon had, beating Ohio State on the road a month ago. Fast-forward a month in the future and the Ducks play during the conference schedule has been shaky at best, and don’t look much like the team that took down the Buckeyes on the road. The Ducks played winless Arizona close at home before pulling away in the fourth quarter, then followed that up with a loss on the road at Stanford. The QB concerns with Anthony Brown have been justified after a terrible game in Palo Alto (14/26 186 yards and no touchdown passes). Star RB CJ Verdell is out for the season with an injury, and the defense had been horrendous on third down (97th in the nation). Lucky for them, the Pac-12 North is wide open.

THE SUN DEVILS ARE FOR REAL

ASU is 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 2012, and unlike Oregon, has looked the part of the best team in the conference during Pac-12 play. Jayden Daniels’ game has grown in his second season under Zak Hill, and while he certainly hasn’t been perfect, he still leads the conference in Comp% (70.1%). The Sun Devil Offense has shown balance through the air with Daniels and on the ground with Rachaad White/Chip Trayanum. They are the only team in the conference to be ranked top-three in total yards on both offense and defense. A tough test against Utah in SLC this weekend awaits. 

Update: ASU lost to Utah

THE BOTTOM OF THE CONFERENCE IS AS BAD AS IT GETS

Many college football writers like to pick out the worst college football teams as much as they want to pick out the best one. The Arizona Wildcats have a real case for that. They have lost their last 17 games in a row dating back to 2019, including losing to Northern Arizona for the first time since 1932. That’s pretty bad! The Wildcats, along with their opponent Saturday (Colorado) and Cal, have all equally had horrendous and underwhelming seasons, and there’s not much optimism for a quick turnaround for any of these three schools.

JONATHAN SMITH HAS ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS A TOP-THREE COACH IN THE CONFERENCE

I’m not here to debate coaching rankings within the conference, but not having Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith in your top three should be a punishable offense. The growth under Smith has been slow, but Oregon State has steadily gotten better each year under Smith, and have finally seen the fruits of that patience paying off with wins over USC and Washington to open Pac-12 play, two teams with significantly more resources and recruiting prowess than OSU. Yet, all Smith and the Beavers have done is produce, especially with a lethal rushing attack that paces the conference (242.5 yds/game) with BJ Baylor and Deshaun Fenwick. The Beavs should be primed for their first bowl appearance since 2013.

THE LA STORYLINES HAVE BEEN FRUITFUL

The USC Trojans finally made the right decision to fire coach Clay Helton after a week two loss to Stanford. While people wonder about the timing of the move, the biggest thing is the decision was finally made. Helton’s USC Trojans were inconsistent, sloppy, and never played up to standards once Sam Darnold left for the NFL. The roster is talented but needs to be remolded under a new coach, shown by being blown out in all three conference home games so far (Stanford, Oregon State, Utah). The offseason coaching search should be entertaining.

Over in Westwood, it seems like UCLA has finally figured out SOMETHING under Chip Kelly. The Bruins are a step behind Arizona State in the Pac-12 South, but the offense has been humming along with senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and probable all-conference RB Zach Charbonnet, who anchor a ground game that ranks second in the conference (217.3 yards/game). The Bruins have a really good chance at nine wins, but only time will tell.

Writer

-By: TJ Mathewson

There is a lot of speculation about the future of college football and what those details look like in particular. The focus right now is on the idea of conference realignment and the latest report is contributing to the speculation. 

On Saturday, the Pac 12, Big Ten, and ACC are in talks about creating what they are calling a “college football alliance”. 

This alliance is not centered around making one massive conference, it is more regarding scheduling. This could mean that all the high-level football schools such as Clemson, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and Oregon could be facing each other every year.

This rumor comes after the decision made by Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 and joining the SEC making somewhat of a “super-conference”. The Pac-12, Big Ten, and ACC wanted to do this to “create stability”. From what I gather it is a way to formulate high-level games to compete and prove to not just the nation but the college football committee that there are other elite levels of football that aren’t just down south. 

It seems like the SEC set the standard by having gone in and essentially taken Texas and Oklahoma and now all the other conferences are scrambling. As the current AP Poll sits, the SEC has the top two contenders in the college football playoff, with Oklahoma and Alabama sitting at the top.

Here is the confusing part and where the conference alignment gets interesting as the idea of tradition is in jeopardy. 

Usually, a team either plays three or four out of conference games and then competes in eight or nine conference games. 

There are certain scenarios that I can see taking place. 

I am using the ACC as an example of how a schedule could look going forward.

Model 1: Seven ACC games, two Pac-12 games, two Big Ten games, and one non-conference.

In this situation, you still get to play a good chunk of teams in your conference and then can face the top competition in the Big Ten and Pac-12. For example, Clemson can play seven conference games, USC and Washington from the Pac-12, Penn State and Michigan from the Big Ten, and then one non-conference school, and that schedule gives them a competing resume to put against an SEC school.

Model 2: Six ACC games, three Pac-12 games, three Big Ten games, and zero non-conference games.

In this situation, you get a solid amount of ACC games and then face even better teams in the other conferences. For example, Clemson again could face the normal teams they play in the ACC, along with Oregon, USC, and Washington, while they face Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State in the regular season. 

Nationally, the Pac-12 is disregarded in terms of talent and overall football competition. With games being played later due to time changes, the conference struggles to get put on the national scale. With that being said, there is plenty of talent out west. Schools like USC and Oregon have been known to produce top-notch talent at the NFL level. These five players are ranked in order on a general scale that takes into account their skill, what numbers they put up, and the impact that they provide to their school to win ball games. If you want to check out the top five players in the SEC, click here.

5. Jarek Broussard - Colorado, Running Back 

In 2020, Jarek Broussard burst onto the scene in Boulder after redshirting his freshman year and dealing with an injury. Now, the redshirt sophomore is the most talented running back in the conference for the upcoming football year. In six games, Broussard ran for 865 yards and 5 touchdowns contributing to Buffalo's success in 2020. Broussard earned the title of Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 deeming himself an offensive threat. Broussard is a tough kid, he has dealt with multiple knee injuries including an ACL tear. Look out for Broussard to make the leap from conference recognition to the national spotlight. 

4. Trent McDuffie - Washington, Defensive Back 

Trent McDuffie is the best defensive back in the conference and there is no argument. McDuffie is getting NFL recognition and is projected to be a pick in the first round of the draft. While McDuffie is a talent on the field, he contributes to a culture of winning by holding his teammates to the “U-Dub standard”. McDuffie is described to have a strong powerful body and plays the game with a quick twitch. As a freshman, McDuffie had 45 total tackles, one interception, and three fumbles recovered, he put up studly numbers too in 2020. Earning honors such as 2020 All-Pac-12 second team, McDuffie will look to continue his success for the 2021 football season. 

3. Drake Jackson - USC, Linebacker

Drake Jackson is a national talent and cracks the top three players in the Pac-12. The kid is a stud and the numbers do not lie. As a freshman, he has 46 total tackles, 11.5 of those were for a loss while he accumulated 5.5 sacks too. In 2020, he filled up the stat sheet as well, leading to gathering honors such as Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week and 2020 All-Pac-12 second team. He has incredible feet and lateral agility at the line which allows him to get past defenders and chase down the quarterback. Opposing offenses will have to draw up specific plans to contain Jackson as he will make an impact for the Trojans in 2021. 

2. Kedon Slovis - USC, Quarterback 

Coming in at number two is Kedon Slovis, there is no doubt he is the best quarterback in the conference and has the opportunity to prove that he might be the most talented quarterback in the nation. Already one of the Heisman Trophy favorites, Slovis is making noise around the nation. While he isn’t particularly flashy, it is his accuracy and ball placement that separates him from any other quarterback in the conference. As a freshman, Slovis threw for 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions along with 3,500 yards. After a somewhat down year in 2020 compared to his freshman season, Slovis will be looking to take the Trojans to their first College Football Playoff berth ever. 

1. Kayvon Thibodeaux - Oregon, Defensive End

Kayvon Thibodeaux is the best defensive end not only in the conference but in the nation. He has all the hype surrounding him including already being projected as the number one overall prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft. His stats are ridiculous, in his sophomore year he beat out his numbers from his freshman year even while playing 6 fewer games. In 2020, he had 42 total tackles and 3 sacks including 9.5 tackles for a loss. Thibodeaux helped the Ducks win the Pac-12 championship in 2020 and was the game MVP, as well Thibodeaux was named to the AP Pac-12 All-Conference first team. His speed and agility are what make him so unreal and dominant. Thibodeaux will look to continue his dominant play and help the Ducks repeat as Pac-12 champs. 

Writer

-By: Justin Howard