4. Pac 12 Surprise, Disappointment
Pac 12 Team That Will Surprise
Stanford Cardinal
A David Shaw team won’t go 4-8 – or its ten-game equivalent – for a second year in a row. The 2019 team was hit was a disastrous array of injuries, and the season just never got going.
As long as the offensive front stays healthy, and assuming Davis Mills is the real deal at quarterback, the program that won nine games or more for four straight years before last season will be back to form.
2020 Pac 12 Previews
North Cal | Oregon | Oregon State
Stanford | Washington | Washington State
South Arizona | Arizona State | Colorado
UCLA | USC | Utah
CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews
Pac 12 Team That Will Disappoint
Arizona State Sun Devils
This is a good team with an amazing defensive front seven to go along with a terrific young quarterback in Jayden Daniels. But there’s one massive problem – the schedule.
Remember, last year the Sun Devils beat Kent State, Sacramento State, and Michigan State. They went 4-5 against everyone else in the regular season.
In 2018 they lost to San Diego State, but they beat UTSA and Michigan State. They went 5-4 against everyone else before the bowl game.
Non-conference games matter to a team like ASU for the overall record – and no, there’s no glossing over how impressive those wins over MSU were – and now it’s all Pac-12, all the time. They miss Washington, but 6-4 would be a strong year with this slate. ASU fans will be hoping for something stronger.