2023 College Football Predictions: PAC 12

Photo by Wally Skalij from the Los Angeles Times

One final ride, huh gentlemen?

With Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA leaving for the Big 10, and Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah heading to the Big 12, this is the last year of the PAC 12 as we know it.

And what a ride it has been.

There’s been no better conference for stupid things that most of America missed because they weren’t awake, or #PAC12AfterDark as it’s known.

But instead of mourning the loss, let’s celebrate one more year of stupidity.

1. USC Trojans

I thought Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams would make USC a good team last year, but not an elite team.

Safe to say, I was very wrong. They were amazing from the get go.

And now with another year working together, and a defense that I’m sure has improved, it would not at all be surprising to see the Trojans contending for a college football playoff spot.

2. Washington Huskies

Year one for Kalen DeBoer exceeded expectations, as did the resurgence of Michael Penix Jr after he transferred from Indiana.

Penix is back, DeBoer has another year with new players in his system, and an 11-2 season shouldn’t be hard to replicate.

3. Oregon State Beavers

I’m all in on the Beavs, baby!

D.J. Uiagelelei comes over from Clemson, and while the former 5 star recruit underwhelmed at Clemson, it was always going to be hard for him to take over for Trevor Lawrence.

Now, the pressure is off, and he can work with head coach Jonathan Smith to build off the momentum that’s been building for a while in Corvallis, Oregon.

4. Oregon Ducks

I like Dan Lanning, and Bo Nix is back for his 5th year of eligibility.

But I don’t know. Last year had so much of the good Bo Nix and not as much of the bad.

The bad is waiting right around the corner…

But the good will likely come around when Oregon plays USC late in the season.

As is the way of the PAC 12.

5. Utah Utes

It’s weird that Utah is this far down, right?

After all, the Utes have won the last two PAC 12 championships, and star quarterback Cameron Rising is still there.

I don’t think this is as much of a slight on Utah, as it is how high I am on the other schools in the conference.

Utah could very well win another PAC 12 title before leaving for the Big 12, but it’s going to be hard.

This conference is tough! Shame it’s dying because TV executives decided it needed to…

6. UCLA Bruins

Another good team that won’t be happy with their place in the standings, but UCLA has to replace Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, and I like what Chip Kelly has done in Los Angeles, but that’s a huge hole to fill.

7. Washington State Cougars

Head coach Jack Dickert took over in, let’s just say “interesting” fashion with Nick Rolovich not getting a COVID vaccine in 2020, but since he has he has done nothing but impress with some teams that were far from top dog in the conference.

This year will likely be no different, but Wazzu plays a fun brand of football.

And considering national titles can only be won by like 5 schools now, being fun and likeable is pretty much all you can ask for.

8. Arizona Wildcats

Jedd Fisch was an interesting hire when he took over at Arizona, but heading into year 3 he’s had quite a good turnaround.

8th in the conference will have them fighting for bowl eligibility, and trending upwards before heading to their new home.

Which, man, that’s going to be one hell of a basketball conference now that I’m thinking about it…

9. Arizona State Sun Devils

Kenny Dillingham is 33 years old and is taking over a 3-9 football team.

I like him, I like the future of Arizona State, and I think he’ll do a great job.

But man, this is going to be a climb.

10. California Golden Bears

Justin Wilcox’s defenses at Cal? Absolutely outstanding.

His offenses? Completely non existent.

You can only get away with good defense for so long, and I’ve seen no signs of Cal figuring it out offensively.

11. Colorado Buffaloes

Alright, let’s start with the good.

Deion is a star, and already is recruiting well. Now that the Buffs are heading to the Big 12 and he can recruit Texas again, it’s going to be even easier.

Seriously. A Dallas Cowboy recruiting in Texas. It’s like taking candy from a baby.

But that doesn’t change the 2023 season, where Deion brings over a ton of highly rated talent, but is still taking over a 1-11 team with not a ton of players on scholarship.

This team is thin, and it does not have an easy schedule.

I know it’s difficult because Deion is huge for the media and him struggling with gather headlines, but people need to be patient.

12. Stanford Cardinal

David Shaw did a hell of a job at Stanford for a very long time, but the team just got worse and worse until he finally resigned and handed the reigns over to new head coach Troy Taylor.

Taylor is in for a very, very rough start to his head coaching career.

The good news is, Stanford is extremely patient with coaches, so he’ll have time to get the ship corrected.

In the meantime, please enjoy this tweet from the Stanford Tree which sums up the thoughts of every college football fan who doesn’t give a damn about TV ratings.

PAC 12 Championship Game: USC vs Washington

USC is pretty clearly the best team in the PAC 12 this year, and Caleb Williams is easily the best quarterback in college football.

They should win this easily.

Which is exactly why Washington is going to pull off the upset and ruin the hopes and dreams of USC as they eliminate them from playoff contention.

#PAC12AfterDark will never die.

Washington wins the PAC 12 Championship