As the Pac-12 edges closer to its season-ending implosion, the erstwhile members within are pushing the limits of college football. Last year, outside of USC star quarterback Caleb Williams’ Heisman-winning campaign, the conference generated little reason for its members to halt their escape. This year, with several on their way out, the West Coast is looking stronger than ever. With six members in the AP top-25 (and three in the top-10), can the conference make a run at the college football crown in its final year?
In Eugene, Bo Nix is one of several Heisman candidates behind a reinvigorated Oregon offensive line and receiver core. In his final year with the Ducks, Nix has accumulated 1,459 yards through five games. As a result, head coach Dan Lanning’s offense is averaging 51.6points per game. There’s no question that the No. 8 Ducks are a legitimate playoff contender — but they’ll face stiff competition.
Up the I-5 corridor, the Huskies have dismantled opponents in a similar manner behind senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in Montlake, Wash., who will depart for the Big Ten alongside Oregon at season’s end, and finds itself ranked seventh in the AP poll. Outside the top-10, No. 13 Washington State, No. 15 Oregon State and No. 18 Utah all pose legitimate challenges to any team.
That doesn’t even include No. 9 USC, which boasts returning Heisman-winner Williams. Despite facing a scare against Deion Sanders’ Colorado in a 48-41 win last Saturday, they remain one of the outright favorites to make a run at the national title. Though their defensive solidity has been questioned, their offensive firepower has made those concerns irrelevant. Williams will look to be the second player ever to win two Heisman awards before the presumed No. 1 pick departs for the professionals.
That leaves the in-conference matchups as some of the most intriguing nationwide: Washington and Oregon will meet on Oct. 14, while Utah will travel to Southern California to battle with the Trojans a week later. Back-to-back games for the Ducks in the final two weeks will have USC and Oregon State traveling to Autzen Stadium in matchups that could define the Pac-12’s playoff hopefuls’ fates as well as the Heisman race.
There’s no question that every one of those games will be must-watch football. The only query lies with the idea that this could’ve been the future of the division — so why isn’t it?
2023 has seen the maturation of several programs at the same time in a culmination of events that is bound to lead to some of the region’s most entertaining football in years. If we could’ve predicted it… well, sports would be a lot less fun, wouldn’t they? In moving to their respective new homes, programs like Oregon, Washington and USC will look to make money off the possibility that this can happen on a regular basis.
It’s not guaranteed, of course. In a year’s time, Williams, Nix, Penix and presumably several others will have departed for the NFL. In their place, the next generation of college athletes will stand before a monumental level of expectation. Not only will they battle a shuffled pack of opponents, but they’ll have the eyes of the nation upon them as the teams attempt to validate their decision.
As it stands, the Pac-12 is at its most powerful –– the apex of its ascent. The point has passed where teams have proven themselves as functional. Now, it’s about who can best the rest. It’s the reason that leagues across America fight so vehemently for parity: the possibility of chaos and unpredictability is why we watch. It won’t be here forever, but this year will define the Pac-12’s legacy.
For now, all we can do is enjoy the Pac-12 as it implodes in spectacular fashion, sending its stars flying across the nation. We talk so much about last dances and final bows, but this might just be the best it gets. Nearly unlimited quality on show, every week. Postseason potential. Heisman candidates. Next year’s NFL breakouts. It’s all here (for now).
