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Regardless of what happens in Saturday’s awkward Cal vs. USC makeup game, the Pac-12’s stature in this week’s USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll will likely go unchanged following the upcoming slew of conference championship games.
In what was a bumpy regular season for the Pac-12, it ultimately ended with its two best teams — Oregon and Utah — fighting for the conference title on Friday. The Ducks and Utes’ dominance this season was reflected in the penultimate coaches poll prior to bowl season.
Utah, which beat Oregon 38-7 on Nov. 20, was a season-high No. 17 in the poll, and the Ducks ended their regular season at No. 10.
Even though the Utes were just one of two nine-win teams in the top-20, they made a strong case to be ranked even higher considering their dominance of Oregon and them ending the regular season on a five-game win streak. They do, however, have a chance to leapfrog Oregon if they can beat the Ducks for the second time this season.
Rounding out the Pac-12 in the poll was UCLA. The Bruins didn’t make the top-25, but they did receive three votes.
And for Colorado, the Buffs finished the season without ever receiving a vote in the poll. But there’s always next year!
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