USA TODAY International Edition
Don’t count on Southern Cal just yet
The past five College Football Playoffs have been held without a Pac- 12 team and that trend seems likely to continue even as the conference undergoes a significant face- lift. Two of the league’s biggest programs bring in new coaches – Lincoln Riley at Southern California and Dan Lanning at Oregon. Springtime power rankings for the Pac- 12:
1. Utah ( 2021 record: 10- 4): Kyle Whittingham’s decision to promote Cam Rising to starting quarterback turned last season around for the Utes after a 1- 2 start. It ended with a conference title and memorable shootout loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Rising returns with running back Tavion Thomas, who had 21 touchdowns on the ground. Tight end Brant Kuithe was the team’s leading receiver and position mate Dalton Kincaid was right behind him. The defense again will be strong up front with Florida transfer Mohamoud Diabate slotting in at linebacker and filling a big need. The biggest worry is the secondary.
2. Oregon ( 10- 4): The first issue Lanning must address is figuring out who is his starting quarterback. Bo Nix transfers in from Auburn after three rollercoaster seasons and will compete with Ty Thompson, who redshirted after joining the program as one of the nation’s top recruits. Lanning’s second task will be sorting out the defense. That might be a more comfortable endeavor as he built one of the country’s elite units at Georgia. Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe have the makings of a standout linebacker duo if the latter can stay healthy after two injury- plagued seasons. The one area Oregon will be able to count on is offensive line, where most of last year’s starting group returns and should pave the way for a strong running game.
3. UCLA ( 8- 4): The decision by Dorian Thompson- Robinson to return as a super senior gives Chip Kelly his best chance of winning the Pac- 12 since taking over the Bruins in 2018. Alongside a veteran quarterback is all- conference running back Zach Charbonnet, giving UCLA two of the league’s top offensive talents. Rebuilding the receiving group is Kelly’s biggest challenge on offense. The transfer portal was used to address needs on the defensive line and there’s experience in the back seven to lean on.
4. Oregon State ( 7- 6): Wait, what? The Beavers are a contender in the North Division? The answer is a simple yes as Jonathan Smith has been building up his team without much fanfare. Oregon State broke through with a bowl appearance last season and was the only team in the league to beat eventual champion Utah after Rising became the starter for the Utes. The strength of the team will again be its running game with holdover DeShaun Fenwick becoming the top threat. Chance Nolan is back at quarterback and his development along with a veteran offensive line could make this one of the league’s best offenses. A rough early schedule will tell a lot about this team.
5. Southern California ( 4- 8): You’re seeing a lot of talk about the Trojans possibly being playoff contenders or winning the Pac- 12 in Riley’s first season. Let’s take a wait- and- see approach as there are major concerns on both sides of the ball after last year’s team imploded. Caleb Williams transferred with Riley from Oklahoma and will take over the quarterback spot. He showed moments of brilliance and inexperience as a freshman. Joining him are more than a dozen other transfers, including running back Travis Dye from Oregon. Beyond the skill positions, there are problems to address on the offensive line and throughout the defense. So while the Trojans might score more, they’re going to have to stop people without the requisite talent. Should make for some fun shootouts.
6. Washington State ( 7- 6): Jake Dickert split six games after being promoted from defensive coordinator to interim coach, helping the Cougars finish second in the North. Cameron Ward transferred in from Incarnate Word to fill the quarterback vacancy and his play- making ability will be part of a new offense installed this spring that will focus less on passing than the previous systems.
7. Washington ( 4- 8): The first task for coach Kalen DeBoer is solving the offensive issues that have plagued the program in recent seasons. The Huskies managed just under 22 points per game and brought in Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. to compete at quarterback with last year’s starter Dylan Morris and heralded redshirt freshman Sam Huard. The running game is also a work in progress, meaning much of the pressure for success is going to rest on the defense. The good news there is enough talent is in that group to again finish ranked near the top of the Pac- 12 statistically.
8. Arizona State ( 8- 5): With a veteran team returning, last season ended with disappointment as the Sun Devils underachieved. The loss of quarterback Jayden Daniels to LSU was one of the surprise departures in the aftermath of the campaign. Trenton Bourguet and Alabama transfer Paul Tyson are among the competitors to fill the starting job. That’s not the biggest question for Arizona State, unfortunately, as wide receiver and the secondary are lacking in experience and talent. And if that wasn’t bad enough, there’s the lingering NCAA investigation.
9. Stanford ( 3- 9): Each of David Shaw’s first three seasons ended with at least 11 victories. The past three seasons the Cardinal have 11 victories combined. Such is the state of the program that was once annually a conference title contender and now is squarely in the bottom half of the league. After respective finishes of 122nd and 114th in total offense and defense last year, there are lots of areas to address. The good news is that quarterback Tanner McKee is among the many holdovers on offense.
10. California ( 5- 7): The Golden Bears are the lowest- rated team from the North on this list, but the margins between them and the rest of the division are very small, making a potential rise very possible. The arrival of former Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer provides some hope for an offense that needs to carry its weight for Cal to go bowling. Like most seasons under Justin Wilcox, the defense should be one of the best in the conference.
11. Colorado ( 4- 8): Changes were needed after the Buffaloes were statistically among the worst in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Karl Dorrell brought in offensive coordinator Mike Sanford in his overhaul of assistants. Also joining the program is Tennessee quarterback transfer J. T. Shrout, who will compete with Brendon Lewis, the team’s starter as a freshman last year. While the passing game was poor, the running game wasn’t much better and needs someone to emerge as primary ball carrier. The situation is somewhat better on defense.
12. Arizona ( 1- 11): This ranking might be harsh for the Wildcats even with them coming off a one- win season in Jedd Fisch’s debut. The team got better throughout the campaign and Fisch then landed an impressive recruiting class and some impact transfers. Among the key additions are quarterback Jayden de Laura, who started the past two seasons at Washington State, wide receiver Jacob Cowing from TexasEl Paso and Southern California defensive lineman Hunter Echols. Another possible impact comes from heralded wide receiver recruit Tetairoa McMillan. Arizona will start in the basement, but don’t be surprised if it finishes much higher.