2026 College Football Preview: PAC 12
Photo by Kenna Harbison from Broncos Sports
The PAC 12 is back!
Well, kind of.
It’s not the 12 teams it was just three years ago, but it’s also not the 2 (!!!) teams it was for the last two years.
Those two (Washington State & Oregon State) remain, but they welcome 6 new members into the new era of PAC 12 football, as they try to claw their way back into power 4 status.
And if they succeed, it will be because their new members become consistent playoff contenders.
And one school is much more likely than the others.
Better Luck Next Year
Utah State Aggies
Bronco Mendenhal steps into year two of this job with a bowl game appearance, just one year after the Aggies went 4-8 in 2024.
Even more so, Mendenhal teams up once again with his former Virginia offensive coordinator Robert Anae, where the duo had excellent success.
By all accounts, Utah State should be a bowl team again.
The issue is, the schedule is brutal.
They face Washington, Utah, Boise State (possibly twice, thanks to the new PAC 12 flex game rule), and the conference opponents they struggled with in the Mountain West all came along with them.
On first glance, I only see two games where I feel like they will be favored in.
That’d be a lot of upset wins for the Aggies.
Oregon State Beavers
Why didn’t Jonathan Smith come back?
Frankly, why did he leave at all?
His tenure at Michigan State was a disaster, and now he’s out of a job, and his replacement in Corvallis, Trent Bray, was an unmitigated disaster.
In steps JaMarcus Shephard from Kalen DeBoer’s staff in Alabama and Washington to take over for the Beavers, and his offenses have succeeded when he had a good QB and a good line to help him out.
They might have that, with Maalik Murphy at QB and some returning linemen, but that’s not going to turn around the program overnight.
Year 0 isn’t really much of a term in today’s college football, but a first year head coach in a tough spot in a weird new conference?
This is as close to year 0 as it gets.
Bowl Game Bound
Colorado State Rams
Jay Norvell looked like he was slowly getting the Rams up into bowl game consistency after slowly climbing to 8-5 and making a bowl last year, but then the floor fell in, and the Rams fell to 2-10, and Jay Norvell no longer coaches CSU.
Jim Mora Jr. does.
The same Jim Mora Jr. who completely turned around UConn into becoming a 9 win football team, just two years into the job.
Mora brought some Huskies with him to CSU, and the Rams return 54% of their defense from last year.
If Mora could turn UConn around that quick, making a bowl with Colorado State shouldn’t be off the table.
Washington State Cougars
When the PAC 12 collapsed, Jake Dickert was there to steer the ship.
It was the NIL era, the Cougs didn’t have a conference, and they still avoided disaster and went 8-4.
And then, Dickert left for Wake Forest.
In stepped Jimmy Rogers from South Dakota State, who, again, had to completely turn around a program in turmoil with no conference with heavy transfer turnover, and the Cougs went 6-6.
And then, Rogers left for Iowa State.
So here comes Kirby Moore from Missouri, and a bunch of new transfers, once again starting from scratch.
But, despite the constant turmoil surrounding them, they haven’t bottomed out.
And Moore, a smart offensive mind, has teamed up with former Oregon State head coach Trent Bray, who was not a good head coach, but was an extremely good coordinator.
So yeah, it’s brand new all around.
But why shouldn’t I believe?
Dark Horses
Fresno State Bulldogs
Year one of Matt Entz went pretty well.
The Bulldogs went 9-4, and now, bring back both of their main running backs, Bryson Donelson and Rayshon Luke, as well as 9 starters on the defense.
I have no idea who the QB will be, but I frankly don’t care.
Run the ball. Play defense.
It’s what Fresno did last year, and it worked wonders.
Expect more of the same in 2026.
San Diego State Aztecs
I still believe in Sean Lewis!
Lewis’ offense at Kent State made me very excited for his future as a head coach.
His stint as Colorado offensive coordinator wasn’t very good, and his first two years at San Diego State didn’t spark a lot of joy either offensively, but the defense as so good that it got the Aztecs to 9-4.
But this has to be the year that Lewis’ offense hits, because that great defense had to replace a TON in the portal.
One thing they do have is consistency.
QB Jayden Denegal, both backs, and four lineman return from last years team.
If they improve offensively, they’re a threat.
Texas State Bobcats
Before G.J. Kinne arrived, Texas State averaged 4 wins per season.
In Kinne’s three years at Texas State, they’ve won 8, 8, and 7 games respectively.
Now, the Bobcats make their debut in the new PAC 12, and Kinne’s high powered offense returns QB Brad Jackson, as well as his top two targets Chris Dawn Jr. and Beau Sparks.
Transfers fill in the rest, but in a Kinne style offense, a great QB and great receivers can make a big impact.
If those transfers hit, they could find themselves in the PAC 12 title game (and likely needing a new coach by years end with Kinne leaving for a Power 4 job. Sorry, Cats fans).
The Favorites
Boise State Broncos
Until someone shows they can muscle up to Boise State, this is the clear cut favorite in the PAC 12 every year going forward.
They have the best foundation, with a stable athletic department and a great head coach in Spencer Danielson.
And even though they struggled last year with a new offense with Ashton Jeanty heading to the NFL, they still won the Mountain West title.
Danielson returns, QB Maddux Madsen returns, both running backs return, and basically the whole offensive line returns.
The Broncos are the clear cut favorite going into 2026, and likely will be for the foreseeable future.
