It feels a bit ironic that in the last year of the Pac-12, as we currently know it, we are expecting to get the most exciting slate of competition that we’ve seen in over a decade if not more.
Based on the level of talent in the conference, particularly at the quarterback position, it doesn’t feel crazy to believe that multiple Pac-12 teams could finish the 2023 season inside the top 10, and even more inside the top 25. Ahead of the season, there are four teams — USC, Oregon, Washington, and Utah — ranked inside the top 15, and depending on where you look, Oregon State and UCLA are sometimes found ranked inside the top 25 as well.
With the number of good teams that will be fighting for supremacy out west, it makes for an incredibly intriguing slate of conference games.
There’s a longstanding mantra of “Pac-12 Canabalism” that has grown over the years, which aptly describes how the conference can’t get out of its own way, with the top teams not being able to reach the highest level in the nation because the middling and bottom-tier teams are dangerous enough to knock them off at any point in the season. That sentiment could be more true this year than any other, with arguably 4 teams at the top who could compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff, but another handful of competent teams behind them that could play disruptor any given week.
In the end, it’s going to make for an incredibly entertaining season, and one that will feature must-watch games almost every weekend from September to December.
What are the games that I personally am most excited to see? Here’s my list: