PAC-12 NORTH
California Golden Bears
Letdown/Sandwich Game: at Oregon State, Oct. 24
Game Before: Oregon
Game After: Washington
It’s the ultimate Pac-12 North sandwich game coming in between dates against Oregon and Washington. The Bears lost to the Beavers 21-17 last year, but it comes at the end of a run of three road games in four weeks.
– Full Schedule Analysis
Oregon Ducks
Letdown/Sandwich Game: at Arizona, Oct. 31
Game Before: Stanford
Game After: USC
You know what’s coming. It’s the second half of the season, it’s on the road, and it’s before a big game – a showdown against USC. Last year, the Ducks ruined their CFP hopes at Arizona State. In 2018, it lost at Arizona 44-15. The last win in Arizona against the Wildcats or ASU? 2011.
– Full Schedule Analysis
Oregon State Beavers
Letdown/Sandwich Game: UCLA, Nov. 7
Game Before: at Stanford
Game After: at Utah
Oregon State has a strange schedule. It plays four road games in six midseason dates, and it has just one home game between late September and the first week of November. This comes between road trips to Stanford and Utah, and UCLA will be looking for revenge after last year’s loss to the Beavers.
– Full Schedule Analysis
Stanford Cardinal
Letdown/Sandwich Game: Washington State, Oct. 17
Game Before: at Notre Dame
Game After: at Oregon
Wazzu walloped Stanford 49-22 last year. This time around, the game is in Palo Alto, but it comes for the Cardinal between huge showdowns against Notre Dame and Oregon on the road.
– Full Schedule Analysis
Washington Huskies
Letdown/Sandwich Game: Oregon State, Oct. 10
Game Before: at Oregon
Game After: at Utah
There are a whole lot of big games on the the Husky slate, and it might be hard to get up for the date with Oregon State as a sandwich game between Oregon and Utah on the road. Lose this, and there’s a huge problem for UW.
– Full Schedule Analysis
Washington State Cougars
Letdown/Sandwich Game: at Colorado, Nov. 7
Game Before: Arizona State
Game After: at UCLA
It’s not like going to Colorado is that bad, and it’s not like being sandwiched in between Arizona State and UCLA is a big problem, but it’s a focus date. It’s in early November with a trip to UCLA the final road game to follow.
– Full Schedule Analysis
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PAC-12 SOUTH
Arizona Wildcats
Letdown/Sandwich Game: Colorado, Oct. 9
Game Before: at UCLA
Game After: USC
Beating Colorado 35-20 was one of the few highlights of the Arizona season, and now it’s a sandwich between Pac-12 South games against the two LA teams. The Cats go to UCLA six games before, and host USC the week after. It gets nastier after the Trojans, by the way, with at Washington, Oregon and at Utah.
– Full Schedule Analysis
Arizona State Sun Devils
Letdown/Sandwich Game: Cal, Nov. 7
Game Before: at Washington State
Game After: at Oregon
It’s the home oasis in the second half of the season, and the Sun Devils can’t blow it. They beat Cal last year in Berkeley, and this year if comes after going on the road to face Colorado and Washington State and before going to Oregon in a revenge game.
– Full Schedule Analysis
Colorado Buffaloes
Letdown/Sandwich Game: Washington State, Nov. 7
Game Before: at USC
Game After: at Stanford
Karl Dorrell”s first season has a whole slew of problems and issues on the slate. In the second half of the year, it has a run of three road games in four weeks, with its date with Wazzu coming after a trip to USC and with road games at Stanford and Washington to follow.
– Full Schedule Analysis
UCLA Bruins
Letdown/Sandwich Game: at Oregon State, Nov. 7
Game Before: Utah
Game After: Washington State
It’s a sandwich game for Oregon State, too. The difference for UCLA – beyond losing 48-31 to the Beavers last year – is that it’s on the road late in the season. Dealing with Utah before is rough, but Washington State after isn’t bad. However, USC comes right after that.
– Full Schedule Analysis
USC Trojans
Letdown/Sandwich Game: New Mexico, Sept. 12
Game Before: Alabama
Game After: at Stanford
Beating New Mexico shouldn’t and can’t be any sort of a problem. It’s also one of the few down games on a brutal slate, coming after dealing with Alabama in Arlington, Texas and before kicking off the Pac-12 season at Stanford.
– Full Schedule Analysis
Utah Utes
Letdown/Sandwich Game: at Washington State, Oct. 10
Game Before: USC
Game After: Washington
Utah didn’t have too many problems with Washington State last season in a 38-13 win, but this time around it has to go on the road, and do it after a huge Pac-12 South showdown against USC and before hosting Washington.
– Full Schedule Analysis