The Pac-12 has lost some high profile games early this season, with Oregon falling to Michigan State, Stanford losing to Northwestern, and Arizona State falling to Texas A&M. Last week friendly fire started, as Stanford knocked off USC. Only four teams remain unbeaten in the Pac-12. With many key conference games this week, will some teams set themselves apart, or will the league look more muddled rather than less?
TSS associate editors Bart Doan and Terry Johnson join staff writer Kevin Causey in our weekly roundtable to discuss the Pac-12.
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Question: With a number of high-profile games this weekend, including Utah-Oregon, UCLA-Arizona, and USC-Arizona State, the eyes of the college football world we be on the Pac-12. Will a group of contenders separate from the rest of the pack, or are we looking at a possibility of a two-loss conference champion?
Bart Doan:
On Twitter @TheCoachBart
Well, someone will separate from the pack in a negative way, permanently, in USC-Arizona State. The loser in that one can smooch its CFB Playoff dreams goodbye and shove them off across the country to college, see you for Thanksgiving. It’s even more pertinent in the conference race to USC, whose one loss is to Stanford.
As for the other games, I’m going to be lame and go chalk. UCLA loses at Arizona in raucous Tuscon, adding to a devastating week that saw the Bruins lose Myles Jack. Oregon ends Utah’s time in the land of the unbeaten teams. That would tend to bring Utah back to the pack more than anything. If Vernon Adams, Jr. is unable to go, it’ll be interesting to see what the Ducks look like under center.
It’s mostly off the radar, but Cal-Washington has intrigue. Cal is just hanging around waiting to be noticed. The Golden Bears eeked out a game at Texas last week and are unbeaten with one of the elite quarterbacks in the nation in Jared Goff manning the controls. Eventually, if you keep winning, folks notice. This would be a nice springboard game for Chris Petersen, though, as well, and Washington has home field for this tilt.
Kevin Causey:
On Twitter @CFBZ
The winner of the UCLA-Arizona game will definitely set itself in perfect position. Both of those teams are 3-0, and a 4-0 start would get people talking.
That being said, I don’t think we will see an undefeated Pac-12 champion. I still think the conference is Oregon’s to lose. The Ducks will beat Utah this week. Then they will make their way through the Pac-12. I do believe they will have one slip-up.
At 10-2, the Ducks will be the Pac-12 champions. Even though from top to bottom the Pac-12 will be one of the best conferences this season, it will get shut out of the College Football Playoff.
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
Not so fast, my friends.
I’m probably the only person in the country that will say this (though I am sure others think it), but Oregon is not going to win the Pac-12 this season. Sure, the Ducks are off to a great start and were one completed pass away from a victory at Michigan State. However, there’s still the matter of the dismal Duck defense, which allows 456.3 yards per game (106th nationally). While allowing that many yards might work against the Georgia States of the world, it’s not going to cut it against the high-octane offenses of Arizona State, Cal, and USC.
Of course, those contests may not matter, because Utah is going to beat Oregon this weekend, emerging as a legitimate contender in the Pac-12. Yes, the Ducks won handily last year, but the outcome of that game could have been very different if not for a premature touchdown celebration. Regardless, I like the Utes’ chances in this one because of its quarterback play. Sure, Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson don’t post the types of gaudy numbers that other signal callers do, but they have combined to complete 75% of their passes this season, and threw for 320 yards against Oregon last. That’s not good news for a Duck secondary which ranks 118th against the pass.
I also like UCLA to beat Arizona. While losing so many key players on defense certainly doesn’t help, the fact remains that the Bruins are still the 20th stingiest unit in the nation, allowing just 4.39 yards per play. Even if — and it’s a big if, given Jim Mora’s successful track record as a defensive coordinator in the NFL — the UCLA defense should struggle, it could always rely on its powerful running game to control the clock and reduce the number of opportunities for the Wildcats’ high-octane offense. Either way, it adds up to a Bruin victory.
There you have it: Utah and UCLA will both win on the road, and enter the College Football Playoff discussion.
