Pac-12 Preseason Predictions For Every Game: Preview 2022

Pac-12 preseason predictions for every game, predicted order of finish, and lookahead to the 2022 season.

Forget all the monster changes, moves, and speculation about the future for a moment. This year should be a whole lot of fun for a few key reasons.

USC is going to be a blast – there’s going to be as much attention on the football teams, at least for a few months before expansion talk cranks up even more – and the divisions are going bye-bye.

There’s no more Pac-12 North and South with the goal to win the six-team division. Now the conference race comes down to who the top two teams are overall, and it should mean the season comes down to the last day of the regular season.

The schedules play a massive role.

Who misses USC? Who has to play Utah in Salt Lake City? Who has to travel late in the season, and who has to make a longer road trip? It all matters in the 2022 Pac-12 college football predictions for every game.

2022 CFN College Football Preview of Every Team

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Pac-12 Preseason Predictions

Pac-12 Predicted Finish

T1. Oregon*
T1. USC
T1. Utah*
T4. UCLA
T4. Washington
T6. Washington State
T6. Arizona State
8. Oregon State
T9. Cal
T9. Stanford
T11. Arizona
T11. Colorado
*Tie-breaker winners who’ll get to the Pac-12 Championship.

Arizona Wildcats

2022 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 2-7
2021: 1-11, Prediction: 2-10
2020: 0-5, Prediction: 2-10
2019: 4-8, Prediction: 6-6

Sept 3 at San Diego State L
Sept 10 Mississippi State L
Sept 17 North Dakota State
Sept 24 at Cal L
Oct 1 Colorado
Oct 8 Oregon L
Oct 15 at Washington L
Oct 22 OPEN DATE
Oct 29 USC L
Nov 5 at Utah L
Nov 12 at UCLA L
Nov 19 Washington State L
Nov 25 Arizona State
Arizona Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Arizona State Sun Devils

2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 4-5
2021: 8-5, Prediction: 8-4
2020: 2-2, Prediction: 7-5
2019: 8-5, Prediction: 6-6

Sept 1 Northern Arizona
Sept 10 at Oklahoma State L
Sept 17 Eastern Michigan
Sept 24 Utah L
Oct 1 at USC L
Oct 8 Washington
Oct 15 OPEN DATE
Oct 22 at Stanford
Oct 29 at Colorado L
Nov 5 UCLA
Nov 12 at Washington State L
Nov 19 Oregon State
Nov 25 at Arizona L
ASU Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Cal Golden Bears

2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 3-6
2021: 5-7, Prediction: 6-6
2020: 1-3, Prediction: 7-5
2019: 8-5, Prediction: 6-6

Sept 3 UC Davis
Sept 10 UNLV
Sept 17 at Notre Dame L
Sept 24 Arizona
Oct 1 at Washington State L
Oct 8 OPEN DATE
Oct 15 at Colorado L
Oct 22 Washington
Oct 29 Oregon
Nov 5 at USC L
Nov 12 at Oregon State L
Nov 19 Stanford L
Nov 25 UCLA L
Cal Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Colorado Buffaloes

2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 2-7
2021: 4-8, Prediction: 4-8
2020: 4-2, Prediction: 5-7
2019: 5-7, Prediction: 5-7

Sept 2 TCU
Sept 10 at Air Force
Sept 17 at Minnesota L
Sept 24 UCLA L
Oct 1 at Arizona L
Oct 8 OPEN DATE
Oct 15 Cal
Oct 22 at Oregon State L
Oct 29 Arizona State
Nov 5 Oregon L
Nov 11 at USC L
Nov 19 at Washington L
Nov 26 Utah L
Colorado Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Oregon Ducks

2022 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 7-2
2021: 10-4, Prediction: 9-3
2020: 4-3, Prediction: 10-2
2019: 12-2, Prediction: 9-3

Sept 3 Georgia (in Atlanta) L
Sept 10 Eastern Washington
Sept 17 BYU
Sept 24 at Washington State
Oct 1 Stanford
Oct 8 at Arizona
Oct 15 OPEN DATE
Oct 22 UCLA
Oct 29 at Cal L
Nov 5 at Colorado
Nov 12 Washington
Nov 19 Utah
Nov 25 at Oregon State L
Oregon Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Oregon State Beavers

2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 4-5
2021: 7-6, Prediction: 4-8
2020: 2-5, Prediction: 6-6
2019: 5-7, Prediction: 3-9

Sept 3 Boise State
Sept 10 at Fresno State L
Sept 17 Montana State
Sept 24 USC L
Oct 1 at Utah L
Oct 8 at Stanford L
Oct 15 Washington State
Oct 22 Colorado
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 5 at Washington L
Nov 12 Cal
Nov 19 at Arizona State L
Nov 25 Oregon
Oregon State Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Stanford Cardinal

2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 3-6
2021: 3-9, Prediction: 7-5
2020: 4-2, Prediction: 7-5
2019: 4-8, Prediction: 8-4

Sept 3 Colgate
Sept 10 USC L
Sept 17 OPEN DATE
Sept 24 at Washington L
Oct 1 at Oregon L
Oct 8 Oregon State
Oct 15 at Notre Dame L
Oct 22 Arizona State L
Oct 29 at UCLA L
Nov 5 Washington State
Nov 12 at Utah L
Nov 19 at Cal
Nov 25 BYU
Stanford Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule An

UCLA Bruins

2022 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 5-4
2021: 8-4, Prediction: 7–5
2020: 3-4, Prediction: 6-6
2019: 4-8, Prediction: 6-6

Sept 3 Bowling Green
Sept 10 Alabama State
Sept 17 South Alabama
Sept 24 at Colorado
Oct 1 Washington L
Oct 8 Utah L
Oct 15 OPEN DATE
Oct 22 at Oregon L
Oct 29 Stanford
Nov 5 at Arizona State L
Nov 12 Arizona
Nov 19 USC
Nov 25 at Cal
UCLA Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

USC Trojans

2022 Preseason Prediction: 10-2
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 7-2
2021: 4-8, Prediction: 10-2
2020: 5-1, Prediction: 9-3
2019: 8-5, Prediction: 8-4

Sept 3 Rice
Sept 10 at Stanford
Sept 17 Fresno State
Sept 24 at Oregon State
Oct 1 Arizona State
Oct 8 Washington State
Oct 15 at Utah L
Oct 22 OPEN DATE
Oct 29 at Arizona
Nov 5 Cal
Nov 11 Colorado
Nov 19 at UCLA L
Nov 25 Notre Dame
USC Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Utah Utes

2022 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 7-2
2021: 10-4, Prediction: 10-2
2020: 3-2, Prediction: 8-4
2019: 11-3, Prediction: 9-3

Sept 3 at Florida L
Sept 10 Southern Utah
Sept 17 San Diego State
Sept 24 at Arizona State
Oct 1 Oregon State
Oct 8 at UCLA
Oct 15 USC
Oct 22 OPEN DATE
Oct 29 at Washington State L
Nov 5 Arizona
Nov 12 Stanford
Nov 19 at Oregon L
Nov 25 at Colorado
Utah Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Washington Huskies

2022 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 5-4
2021: 4-8, Prediction: 9-3
2020: 3-1, Prediction: 9-3
2019: 8-5, Prediction: 9-3

Sept 3 Kent State
Sept 10 Portland State
Sept 17 Michigan State
Sept 24 Stanford
Oct 1 at UCLA
Oct 8 at Arizona State L
Oct 15 Arizona
Oct 22 at Cal L
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 5 Oregon State
Nov 12 at Oregon L
Nov 19 Colorado
Nov 26 at Washington State L
Washington Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

Washington State Cougars

2022 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2022 Pac-12 Prediction: 5-4
2021: 7-6, Prediction: 5-7
2020: 1-3, Prediction: 6-6
2019: 6-7, Prediction: 8-4

Sept 3 Idaho
Sept 10 at Wisconsin L
Sept 17 Colorado State
Sept 24 Oregon L
Oct 1 Cal
Oct 8 at USC L
Oct 15 at Oregon State L
Oct 22 OPEN DATE
Oct 29 Utah
Nov 5 at Stanford L
Nov 12 Arizona State
Nov 19 at Arizona
Nov 26 Washington
Washington State Preview | Top 10 PlayersSchedule Analysis

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

NFL Draft Best Picks of All-Time From Every Pac-12 School

Who are the Pac 12’s greatest NFL Draft picks of all-time? Here are the top three best picks from each Pac 12 program.

Who are the best NFL Draft picks from each of the Pac-12 programs. Which players turned into the greatest stars at the next level?


USC is as good as anyone when it comes to cranking out historic NFL draft picks, and the Pac-12 overall isn’t bad, but some programs are shockingly light.

Who were the best draft picks ever from the Pac-12 programs?

This isn’t a list of the top pro players to come from the Pac-12 schools – these are the best draft picks.

If a player had a great run for someone other than the team that drafted him, he gets knocked down a peg, or isn’t on the list at all.

The goal for any draft pick is to get a player who performs at a high level for a long period of time, so longevity matters.

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2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings, Analysis
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | OTsOGs & Cs | DEs & Edge | DTs
LBs | Ss | CBs | 50 Greatest Value Draft Picks Ever
NFL Draft by college over last 5 years: 1-130 rankings

Oregon vs Ohio State Instant Reaction: 10 Thoughts On The 35-28 Duck Win

Oregon vs Ohio State Instant Reaction. 10 thoughts on upset win by the Ducks to crank up the season for the Pac-12.

Oregon vs Ohio State Instant Reaction. 10 thoughts on upset win by the Ducks to crank up the season for the Pac-12.


Oregon 35, Ohio State 28: Instant Reaction

10. The narrative will be all about the Ohio State run defense that got hammered by Minnesota last week and gave up 269 yards and over seven yards per carry against Oregon.

To be fair, Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim might have been the Big Ten Player of the Year had he not suffered an Achilles heel injury, and Oregon’s CJ Verdell is a future – to go very, very generous – Alvin Kamara-like NFL starter. However …

9. Yeah, the Ohio State defense needs to be far, far better. The adjustments didn’t come quickly enough, there wasn’t any accounting for Verdell and the stretch-zone play on the outside, and now …

8. 118 points. 52 in the national title loss to Alabama last year, 31 to Minnesota, and 38 to Oregon. The 118 points are the most ever allowed by Ohio State over a three-game stretch in the history of the program, barely beating the 114 given up over a late run in 2018 and obliterating any other three games.

7. Ohio State is still very, very, very good. What gets lost in this is just how great Oregon is and was supposed to be coming into the game. The Ducks have talent, they have speed, and they have next-level guys from years of strong recruiting classes.

This shouldn’t come across as that massive a shock – Oregon has the guys. How good and how talented is this team? They won without two NFL starting defenders with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe out.

6. The Buckeyes got away from the running game. CJ Stroud had a strong performance with 484 yards and three touchdowns – forgetting about the rough late pick that all but sealed the game – but the coaching staff didn’t rely enough on the great offensive line.

Throwing it 54 times isn’t supposed to be how this is supposed to work with all the home-run hitting talent in the backfield. The OSU O line is outstanding, but the Buckeyes ran just 31 times for 128 yards.

Week 2 Scoreboard

5. The old man got the job done. Anthony Brown started his career at Boston College as a solid freshman in 2017, threw for over 5,000 yards, had injury problems, and left for Oregon in 2020.

He wasn’t flashy and he missed more than half of his throws, but he didn’t throw any picks, kept things moving, tossed two touchdown passes and ran for 65 yards. No, he’s not the superstar talent that other top teams have, but he knows what he’s doing. It also helped that …

4. Where was the Ohio State pass rush? Oregon was able to come up with a few sacks without Thibodeaux, but Ohio State came up with a grand total of zero sacks and one tackle for loss. One. Brown had way too much time to work – although he was at least hurried a bit late in the game – and there wasn’t any getting to Verdell and the running game before it could get going.

3. This is hardly any sort of a deathblow to Ohio State’s College Football Playoff chances. Of course the defense has to be stronger, but it’ll still be a double-digit favorite the rest of the way. The toughest remaining road game is at … Michigan? Please.

Penn State and Michigan State aren’t easy outs, but there’s no Wisconsin and no Iowa from the West. The Buckeyes might not necessarily control their own CFP destiny, but you all know how this works – win your Power Five conference, go 12-1, and the committee will like you.

2. And now it’s all there for Oregon. Like Oklahoma in 2017 – when it came into Ohio State and won 31-16, which allowed for a buffer when it lost to Texas a few weeks later – on the way to the CFP, this was the game that bought the Ducks a whole lot of breaks.

They still have to win the Pac-12 title and go at least 12-1, but now they can afford a loss to a UCLA, Washington, or Utah on the road. There’s no USC or Arizona State from the South to face, so the spotlight is on and the expectations are ramped up.

If you can beat Ohio State in Columbus without your two best defensive players, you can get through this slate

1. Absolutely nothing against Ohio State, but this really is a good thing for college football. Between UCLA’s win over LSU and this, the Pac-12 has suddenly become relevant to a nation that tends to ignore the conference that plays way too many games when people are sleeping.

Oregon matters now. UCLA matters. USC matters. The Pac-12 matters, and again, that’s a good thing for a sport that needed a little bit of a disruption from the norm.

Ohio State and Clemson lost and we’re just two weeks in. This is going to be one wild year of college football.

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Fearless Predictions of Every Game
Bowl Projections | Rankings

Pac 12 Preseason Predictions For Every Game: Preview 2021

The College Football News Pac 12 preseason predictions for every game, predicted order of finish, and lookahead to the 2021 season.

The College Football News Pac 12 preseason predictions for every game, predicted order of finish, and lookahead to the 2021 season.


Pac 12 Preseason Predictions

Pac-12 North Predicted Finish

T1. Oregon*
T1. Washington
T3. Cal
T3. Stanford
T5. Oregon State
T5. Washington State
*Oregon predicted to win the tie-breaker

Cal Golden Bears

2021 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Pac 12 Prediction: 4-5
2020: 1-3, Prediction: 7-5
2019: 8-5, Prediction: 6-6

Sept. 4 Nevada W
Sept. 11 at TCU  L
Sept. 18 Sacramento State W
Sept. 25 at Washington  L
Oct. 2 Washington State W
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 at Oregon  L
Oct. 23 Colorado W
Oct. 30 Oregon State W
Nov. 6 at Arizona  L
Nov. 13 USC W
Nov. 20 at Stanford  L
Nov. 27 at UCLA  L
Cal 2021 Preview
Schedule Analysis

Oregon Ducks

2021 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2021 Pac 12 Prediction: 7-2
2020: 4-3, Prediction: 10-2
2019: 12-2, Prediction: 9-3

Sept. 4 Fresno State W
Sept. 11 at Ohio State  L
Sept. 18 Stony Brook W
Sept. 25 Arizona W
Oct. 2 at Stanford W
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 Cal W
Oct. 23 at UCLA  L
Oct. 30 Colorado W
Nov. 6 at Washington W
Nov. 13 Washington State W
Nov. 20 at Utah  L
Nov. 27 Oregon State W
Oregon 2021 Preview
Schedule Analysis

Oregon State Beavers

2021 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 Pac 12 Prediction: 2-7
2020: 2-5, Prediction: 6-6
2019: 5-7, Prediction: 3-9

Sept. 4 at Purdue  L
Sept. 11 Hawaii W
Sept. 18 Idaho W
Sept. 25 at USC  L
Oct. 2 Washington  L
Oct. 9 at Washington State  L
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Utah  L
Oct. 30 at Cal  L
Nov. 6 at Colorado  L
Nov. 13 Stanford W
Nov. 20 Arizona State W
Nov. 27 at Oregon  L
Oregon State 2021 Preview
Schedule Analysis

Stanford Cardinal

2021 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2021 Pac 12 Prediction: 4-5
2020: 4-2, Prediction: 7-5
2019: 4-8, Prediction: 8-4

Sept. 4 Kansas State (in Arlington) W
Sept. 11 at USC  L
Sept. 18 at Vanderbilt W
Sept. 25 UCLA W
Oct. 2 Oregon  L
Oct. 8 at Arizona State  L
Oct. 16 at Washington State W
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 Washington  L
Nov. 5 Utah W
Nov. 13 at Oregon State  L
Nov. 20 Cal W
Nov. 27 Notre Dame W
Stanford 2021 Preview
Schedule Analysis

Washington Huskies

2021 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2021 Pac 12 Prediction: 7-2
2020: 3-1, Prediction: 9-3
2019: 8-5, Prediction: 9-3

Sept. 4 Montana W
Sept. 11 at Michigan  L
Sept. 18 Arkansas State W
Sept. 25 Cal W
Oct. 2 at Oregon State W
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 UCLA W
Oct. 22 at Arizona W
Oct. 30 at Stanford W
Nov. 6 Oregon  L
Nov. 13 Arizona State W
Nov. 20 at Colorado  L
Nov. 26 Washington State W
Washington 2021 Preview
Schedule Analysis

Washington State Cougars

2021 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Pac 12 Prediction: 2-7
2020: 1-3, Prediction: 6-6
2019: 6-7, Prediction: 8-4

Sept. 4 Utah State W
Sept. 11 Portland State W
Sept. 18 USC  L
Sept. 25 at Utah  L
Oct. 2 at Cal  L
Oct. 9 Oregon State W
Oct. 16 Stanford  L
Oct. 23 BYU W
Oct. 30 at Arizona State  L
Nov. 6 OPEN DATE
Nov. 13 at Oregon  L
Nov. 19 Arizona W
Nov. 26 at Washington  L
Washington State 2021 Preview
Schedule Analysis

NEXT: Pac-12 Preseason Predictions: South

College Football News Preseason All-Pac-12 Football Team: Preview 2021

Preview 2021: Previewing the Pac-12 season with the College Football News Preseason All-Pac-12 Conference Team & Top 30 players.

Preview 2021: Previewing and looking ahead to the Pac-12 season with the College Football News Preseason All-Pac-12 Conference Team & Top 30 players. 


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Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews 

2021 Pac-12 Team Previews
North Cal | Oregon | Oregon State
Stanford | Washington | Washington St
South Arizona | Arizona State
ColoradoUCLA | USC | Utah
2021 CFN Preseason All-Pac-12 Team
2021 CFN Pac-12 Top 30 Players


2021 Preseason CFN Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year

QB Kedon Slovis, Jr. USC

The world is hot on all things Arizona State – for a variety of reasons – and QB Jayden Daniels appears to be poised and ready for a huge season. A slew of great tight ends, running backs, and receivers should also make this a big year for the conference, but …

It’s going to be the season of the defense. That’s where the stars are, and the offenses are going to have to battle.

Slovis is coming off a solid year – hitting 67% of his passes for close to 2,000 yards in the six games with 17 touchdowns and seven picks. He showed a knack for cranking up comebacks, and for a team that didn’t have a ground game he was a 300-yard passing regular.

If anything, Slovis and USC might be flying under the radar. (And Daniels and ASU might show why the hype is warranted.)

2021 Preseason CFN Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year

DE/LB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Soph. Oregon

Again, the stars are on the defensive side.

The Pac-12 is loaded with phenomenal pass rushing, edge types who can do a little bit of everything. A whole slew of defensive backs will be factors, and on the CFN Preseason All-Pac-12 team, go ahead and argue for about five other linebackers who didn’t make the cut.

And the most talented Pac-12 defensive player of the bunch is the former No. 1 recruit who needs to show this year what all the fuss was about.

Thibodeaux has all the talent, the size, speed, and NFL upside to be a dominant force. He was an easy all-star in his first two seasons, but last year in seven games on only generated three sacks. The 38 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss were nice, but he can do a whole lot more.

Get ready for him – and the Oregon D – to take things up a few notches.

2021 CFN Preseason All-Pac-12 Team
2021 CFN Pac-12 Top 30 Players

NEXT: CFN 2021 Preseason All-Pac-12 Team

Pac-12 Expansion: What Schools Should The Conference Target?

With George Kliavkoff hired as the new Pac-12 commissioner, conference expansion is on the table … maybe. What schools should be targeted?

With George Kliavkoff hired as the new Pac-12 commissioner, conference expansion is about to be a topic … maybe. What schools should be targeted? 


Pac-12 Conference Expansion: 10 Ideas For Schools To (potentially) Target

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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So that’s how you make an entrance.

The Pac-12 announced it was going to introduce its new commissioner, and then … hello MGM executive George Kliavkoff to the college athletic landscape.

What did we learn from his first remarks?

1. He’s planning on moving to San Francisco, but his hiring all but certainly means Las Vegas will eventually be to the Pac-12 what Atlanta is to the SEC. That’s very cool.

2. He pretty much let it slip that College Football Playoff expansion is probably coming very, very soon. That’s very cool.

3. The idea of being a player in the legalized sports betting world isn’t taboo like it’s been from the dawn of time in the college world. That’s very cool.

And then there’s the part that might end up being the biggest shakeup of all.

4. Expansion. The topic has been shockingly dormant for way too long. Yeah, the Pac-12 might look into being bigger, better, and stronger as a conference and a business.

That’s very, very cool.

So let’s do this. Let’s figure out what ten schools would make the most expansion sense so the conference can finally move away from pretending to be excited about playing its football games after dark.

It really is okay to showcase your product while half of the country is still awake.

Which schools make sense to go after to become a bigger national thing? Who should the Pac-12 be talking about pitching?

Start with the geographic concerns. Of course it would be nice to have a bigger footprint, but there’s a bit of a limit. There was a time when Louisiana Tech and TCU were in the WAC – sky point – but the Pac-12 isn’t going to want to get too crazy.

There’s also a bit of a reality check. Going after Notre Dame would make sense – geography, schmeography – but the school is way too tied to the ACC.

Going after Missouri would be an idea, and there was a time back in the early 2010s when Texas A&M was on the table, but those two aren’t leaving the SEC.

Going after Nebraska might seem like a home run cut, but for all the complaining during the 2020 Covid year, no, no one’s willingly leaving the cash machine that is the Big Ten.

When, not if, I become the advisor to Commissioner Kliavkoff on the topic, here are the ten schools that have to be in the discussion for a possible Pac-12 expansion move.

Remember, this isn’t as much of a sports story as it is a business one.

Enrollment matters – there won’t be any pitches to smallish private schools here – and the media and TV markets are a huge deal.

The school has to be big academically, too. Even if it’s not on the level of Stanford or UCLA, if it’s a giant university, that works.

And there’s also an assumption as we say the quiet part out loud – the Big 12 is potentially ripe for the picking.

So with that, here are the ten schools the Pac-12 should have on the table if it really does want to expand.

10. BYU

US News & World Report University Ranking: 80
Enrollment: 34,395
Media Market: 30

Pac-12 Expansion Fit: Business-wise, it’s perfect.

It’s a huge school with an international following – quick tip: never use the word passionate when it comes to sports business; fans are brand loyal customers – that’s going to watch every single second of every single big football and basketball game.

The greater Salt Lake City TV market is fine, the natural rivalry with Utah is outstanding, and the teams are good enough to make the sports side of the league stronger.

But there’s a gigantic, however

The Church-owned and operated aspect to BYU is a concern for a whole slew of reasons – not a public school, no sports on Sundays, ideological differences on several levels – and the University of Utah already gives the league a big footprint in the state.

The Pac-12 should think about it just because BYU would make the conference bigger and bring in a ton of money and energy, but it won’t happen. The two will end up having a Notre Dame/ACC relationship.

9. Boise State

US News & World Report University Ranking: 300+
Enrollment: 26,272
Media Market: 101

Pac-12 Expansion Fit: This isn’t as obvious as it might seem to be sports-wise.

The football program is outstanding, but the school, the media market, and the overall base would be part of a debate. However …

Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington. Bring on Boise State and it becomes part of that whole group and turns into an instant rival for that Wazzu team 300 miles up the road.

It’s not quite as big a school as the Pac-12 might like, and the Boise State national brand name isn’t quite enough to move the needle, but for what it’s worth, the addition takes over a giant geographic section of the country, and Idaho is a big vacation spot for Californians – it would be a destination road trip.

For this to happen, though, Boise State would have to be part of a Mountain West package including …

8 Fresno State

US News & World Report University Ranking: 196
Enrollment: 24,139
Media Market: 55

Pac-12 Expansion Fit: Fresno State helps geographically as it brings in a whole different part of the California base that might expand things a different way.

There just isn’t any national interest in Stanford or Cal, and people in Delaware aren’t going to stay up to watch Fresno State, but it ties in geographically to the Bay Area schools, the Sacramento TV market, and would charge up a decent-sized media area that – in a good way – doesn’t quite fit the normal Pac-12 style.

It would depend on the other Mountain West schools the Pac-12 would go after. Along with several Pac-12 schools, Fresno State fits in perfectly as a geographic rival with …

7. Nevada

US News & World Report University Ranking: 227
Enrollment: 21,000
Media Market: 104

Pac-12 Expansion Fit: This is a tough one.

Nevada and Fresno State make as much sense as any other possible pairing, and it depends on just how much the Pac-12 wants to take over the state of Nevada.

Obviously UNLV will be on the table – more on that in a moment – so this can be seen in two ways. Either the Pac-12 would take UNLV and assume it has the state of Nevada – even if Reno is a whole separate area and base – or it jumps on the Rebel-Wolf Pack, Fremont Cannon rivalry and makes it more of a thing.

The big issue would be that Nevada just isn’t quite big enough. The media market is okay-not-great, and there’s no national fan base to up the overall profile.

6. Texas Tech

US News & World Report University Ranking: 217
Enrollment: 38,742
Media Market: 145

Pac-12 Expansion Fit: Who else from the Big 12 are you getting?

Texas Tech actually wouldn’t be that awful a steal if it’s by itself. It was supposedly part of the idea ten years ago to be a part of a Big 12 group that would join in the mix, but it brings its own decent TV market, there’s a big enrollment, and the fan base has its own style and world that would add something unique to the California-centric league.

In the college sports geographic world, being 700 miles away from Arizona State and Arizona isn’t all that bad, and it would tie-in easily with Colorado just 550 miles away.

However, Texas Tech won’t go rogue. It’ll take others from the Big 12 to get the ball rolling, and then it would want to take the ride with the cool kids.

NEXT: Pac-12 Expansion School Idea, Top 5

CFN Pac 12 Preview 2020: 5 Things That Matter. Top Players, Coaches, Games, Thoughts

The 2020 Pac 12 Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

The 2020 Pac 12 Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

5. Pac 12 2020 Preview

Quick Note: Like everyone, we’re still waiting to see what’s going to happen in this unprecedented time of college football turmoil. We’re not completely delusional, but let’s have a little fun with what might happen if the season is safely played … somehow.  


Anything interesting happening in the Pac-12 lately?

The league was among the first to push for the idea of a conference-only schedule, the players were at the forefront of a movement to change the dynamic of college sports as we know it, and real life dropped in like a hammer through the Pac-12 region.

And the college football season should be something to watch, too.

With the obvious caveat that all that matters is keeping everyone safe and healthy on all fronts, let’s say the Pac-12 does pull this off.

Let’s say the players have enough of their needs met to get on the field, and let’s hope the powers-that-be earnestly make certain that the safety concerns are addressed to have a season as it was set up by the schedule.

Football-wise, this is going to be awesome.

[jwplayer zttcjcuk]

It would’ve been a whole lot of fun to have seen Ohio State come to Oregon and Michigan play at Washington – and it stinks that Notre Dame and USC aren’t playing – but where’s the sure-thing weak link game for anyone in the ten-game conference-only slate?

Arizona and Colorado might have their issues, but they each have enough to pull off a win over any one of the top teams on their respective schedules.

The same goes for UCLA, Oregon State and Washington State. They’re all going to have their struggles in some way, but it wouldn’t be the slightest bit shocking if they all beat USC, Oregon and Washington, respectively, in the rivalry showdowns.

Stanford is healthy again – it’s going to be good.

Cal has more of an offense to go along with that defense – it’s going to be good.

Arizona State has a killer defense, Utah should have a better one, Washington  should have a stronger one than those two, and USC and Oregon are each coming into the season with legitimate College Football Playoff dreams.

In the end, the league might just be too good from 1-to-12 for anyone to go 10-1 with a Pac-12 Championship for that spot in the CFP.

But let’s not get greedy here.

If the Pac-12 is playing college football this season, that means a whole lot of things ended up going right. If the Pac-12 is playing college football this season, it’s going to be a wildly entertaining show.

CFN Pac 12 Preview 
Teams: Surprise, Disappointments | Top Games
Players To Watch | One Thought On Each Team
CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

NEXT: Pac 12 Teams That Will Surprise, Disappoint

Pac 12 Football Predictions For Every Game, Predicted Records

With the Pac-12 10 game schedule, here are the preseason predictions for every game and who will play for the championship

With the Pac-12 10 game schedule, here are the preseason predictions for every game and who will play for the championship


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Pac-12 Preseason Predicted Finish

North
1. Oregon
2. Washington
T3. Cal
T3. Stanford
T5. Oregon State
T5. Washington State

South
1. USC
2. Utah
3. Arizona State
4. Colorado
5. UCLA
6. Arizona

Pac-12 Championship Prediction

Oregon over USC

Pac-12 Predictions: North

2020 Cal Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 6-4
2019 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2019: 8-5, 2018: 7-6
2020 Cal Preview

Sept. 26 at Oregon State W
Oct. 3 at USC L
Oct. 10 Washington L
Oct. 17 at Washington State L
Oct. 24 Stanford W
Oct. 31 OPEN DATE
 Nov. 7 Oregon W
 Nov. 14 at Arizona W
 Nov. 21 Utah W
 Nov. 28 at Arizona State L
 Dec. 4 UCLA W
 Dec. 12 OPEN DATE

[jwplayer pvpa0xNa]

2020 Oregon Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 10-2
2020 Preseason Pac-12 Prediction: 8-1
2019 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2019: 12-2, 2018: 9-4
2020 Oregon Preview

Sept. 26 Colorado W
Oct. 3 at Washington State W
Oct. 10 at Arizona State W
Oct. 17 at USC W
Oct. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 31 Washington W
 Nov. 6 at Cal L
 Nov. 14 USC W
 Nov. 20 at Arizona W
 Nov. 28 Stanford W
 Dec. 5 at Utah W
 Dec. 12 OPEN DATE

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2020 Oregon State Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 4-6
2019 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2019: 5-7, 2018: 2-10
2020 Oregon State Preview

Sept. 26 Cal L
Oct. 3 UCLA W
Oct. 10 at Utah L
Oct. 17 Oregon L
Oct. 24 at Washington L
Oct. 31 OPEN DATE
 Nov. 7 Arizona W
 Nov. 14 at Stanford L
 Nov. 21 Washington State W
 Nov. 28 at Colorado W
 Dec. 5 at Arizona State L
 Dec. 12 OPEN DATE

2020 Stanford Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 6-4
2019 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2019: 4-8, 2018: 9-4
2020 Stanford Preview

Sept. 26 at Washington L
Oct. 3 at Arizona State L
Oct. 10 USC W
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24 at Cal L
Oct. 30 Washington State W
 Nov. 7 at UCLA W
 Nov. 14 Oregon State W
 Nov. 21 Colorado W
 Nov. 28 at Oregon L
 Dec. 5 Arizona W
 Dec. 12 OPEN DATE

CFN 2020 Preseason All-Pac-12 Team

2020 Washington Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 7-3
2019 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2019: 8-5, 2018: 10-4
2020 Washington Preview

Sept. 26 Stanford W
Oct. 3 Arizona W
Oct. 10 at Cal W
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24 Oregon State W
Oct. 31 at Oregon L
 Nov. 6 Colorado W
 Nov. 14 at Utah L
 Nov. 21 UCLA W
 Nov. 27 at Washington State W
 Dec. 5 at USC L
 Dec. 12 OPEN DATE

2020 Washington State Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 4-6
2019 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2019: 6-7, 2018: 11-2
2020 Washington State Preview

Sept. 26 Utah W
Oct. 3 Oregon L
Oct. 10 at UCLA W
Oct. 17 Cal W
Oct. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Stanford L
 Nov. 7 at USC L
 Nov. 14 Arizona State W
 Nov. 21 at Oregon State L
 Nov. 27 Washington L
 Dec. 5 at Colorado L
 Dec. 12 OPEN DATE

NEXT: Pac-12 South Predictions, Schedules

Pac-12 Conference Only Football Schedule. 5 Things To Know

The Big Ten will move to a Pac-12-only conference schedule this fall. Here are 5 things to know including the lost games we’ll miss the most

The Big Ten will move to a Pac-12-only conference schedule this fall. Here are 5 things to know including the lost games we’ll miss the most, and what’s about to happen.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Pac-12 to go with a conference-only schedule. 5 Things To Know.

The Pac-12 announced that it’s about to follow the Big Ten’s lead and go with a conference-only schedule.

What are the five big things that matter?

[jwplayer lEDBLOLS]

5. It’s probably going to be a ten game Pac-12 season … maybe

4. The Big Loser Is …
3. Ranking The Lost Non-Conference Games
2. Every Pac-12 Team’s Missing Pac-12 Games
1. Pac-12 Schedule: What Will Happen?

It would make the most sense in terms of competitive balance if it’s an 11-game all-Pac-12 schedule – everyone plays everyone.

At the moment, UCLA and Utah both miss Oregon. In an 11-game schedule, no big whoop since the Bruins and Utes would play the loaded Ducks just like everyone else win, but in a ten-game slate, one of those two would catch a massive break.

After doing some digging, friend of the program @MichaelJLev – football reporter for the Arizona Daily Star – thinks the odds-on favorite model will be ten games, mostly for the same reason that the Big Ten will go with it – flexibility.

The idea might be to go two games on, one off, to allow as much rest and as many options to move things around as possible.

And here’s where it gets quirky.

ESPN reported that the Pac-12 would be thinking about delaying the start of the season to buy more time for USC and UCLA, because the Los Angeles area is such a hot spot.

So then what? Start in October? A ten-game season might be pushed well into December, and then what happens to the College Football Playoff rankings and the bowl games? Would a backloaded schedule be packed together, or could it be spread out over 14 weeks or so by starting in September?

Let’s just say it’s a fluid situation.

NEXT: The big loser is …

2020 Pac-12 Schedules, Team-By-Team Predictions For Every Game

What’s going to happen this season in the Pac-12? The schedules and predictions for each team and every game. 

What’s going to happen this college football season in the Pac-12? The schedules and predictions for each team and every game. 


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Pac-12 Schedules, Predictions

2020 Preseason Pac-12 Championship Prediction
Oregon vs. USC

2020 Pac-12 Team Previews, 5 Things To Know
North Cal | Oregon | Oregon State
Stanford | Washington | Washington State
South Arizona | Arizona State | Colorado
UCLA | USC | Utah

Pac-12 North Schedules, Predictions

2020 Cal Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2020 Preseason Pac-12 Prediction: 4-5
2019 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2019: 8-5, 2018: 7-6
2020 Cal Preview

Aug. 29 at UNLV W
Sept. 5 TCU W
Sept. 12 Cal Poly W
Sept. 19 OPEN DATE
Sept. 26 Utah W
Oct. 3 at Washington State L
Oct. 10 at USC L
Oct. 17 Oregon W
Oct. 24 at Oregon State L
Oct. 31 Washington L
Nov. 7 at Arizona State L
Nov. 14 OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 Stanford W
Nov. 28 UCLA W

[jwplayer lEDBLOLS]

2020 Oregon Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 10-2
2020 Preseason Pac-12 Prediction: 8-1
2019 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2019: 12-2, 2018: 9-4
2020 Oregon Preview

Sept. 5 North Dakota State W
Sept. 12 Ohio State L
Sept. 19 Hawaii W
Sept. 26 at Colorado W
Oct. 3 Washington W
Oct. 10 OPEN DATE
Oct. 17 at Cal L
Oct. 24 Stanford W
Oct. 31 at Arizona W
Nov. 7 USC W
Nov. 13 Arizona State W
Nov. 21 at Washington State W
Nov. 28 at Oregon State W

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2020 Oregon State Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2020 Preseason Pac-12 Prediction: 4-5
2019 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2019: 5-7, 2018: 2-10
2020 Oregon State Preview

Sept. 3 at Oklahoma State L
Sept. 12 Colorado State W
Sept. 19 Portland State W
Sept. 26 Washington State W
Oct. 3 at Arizona State L
Oct. 10 at Washington L
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24 Cal W
Oct. 31 at Stanford L
Nov. 7 UCLA W
Nov. 14 at Utah L
Nov. 21 Arizona W
Nov. 28 Oregon L

2020 Stanford Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2020 Preseason Pac-12 Prediction: 5-4
2019 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2019: 4-8, 2018: 9-4
2020 Stanford Preview

Sept. 5 William & Mary W
Sept. 12 at Arizona W
Sept. 19 USC W
Sept. 26 at UCLA L
Oct. 3 OPEN DATE
Oct. 10 at Notre Dame L
Oct. 17 Washington State W
Oct. 24 at Oregon L
Oct. 30 Oregon State W
Nov. 7 at Washington L
Nov. 14 Colorado W
Nov. 21 at Cal L
Nov. 28 BYU W

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2020 Washington Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2020 Preseason Pac-12 Prediction: 6-3
2019 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2019: 8-5, 2018: 10-4
2020 Washington Preview

Sept. 5 Michigan W
Sept. 12 Sacramento State W
Sept. 19 Utah State W
Sept. 26 OPEN DATE
Oct. 3 at Oregon L
Oct. 10 Oregon State W
Oct. 17 at Utah L
Oct. 23 Arizona W
Oct. 31 at Cal W
Nov. 7 Stanford W
Nov. 14 at USC L
Nov. 21 Colorado W
Nov. 27 at Washington State W

2020 Washington State Football Schedule Prediction

2020 Record: 0-0
2020 Preseason Prediction: 3-6
2020 Preseason Pac-12 Prediction: 6-6
2019 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2019: 6-7, 2018: 11-2
2020 Washington State Preview

Sept. 5 at Utah State W
Sept. 12 Houston W
Sept. 19 Idaho W
Sept. 26 at Oregon State L
Oct. 3 Cal W
Oct. 10 Utah W
Oct. 17 at Stanford L
Oct. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 31 Arizona State W
Nov. 7 at Colorado L
Nov. 14 at UCLA L
Nov. 21 Oregon L
Nov. 27 Washington L

NEXT: Pac-12 South Schedules, Predictions