The wait is over. Football season is here!
While a few games were played in late August, the majority of college football — and most of the teams in the Pac-12 — begin their seasons this weekend. It’s important to start the season off on the right foot, and these are the matchups that provide that opportunity for each team.
Florida Gators @ No. 14 Utah Utes
The Utes have one of the more challenging season-openers on the docket for this week. The Utes are fortunate to be the home team for this rematch of last season’s exciting opener that saw the Gators snatch a 29-26 victory. Utah quarterback Cameron Rising is questionable to play with a lower-body injury, and that decision will be a major factor in this thrilling Pac-12 vs Southeastern Conference clash.
Colorado Buffaloes @ No. 17 TCU Horned Frogs
The Deion Sanders era of Colorado football is set to begin this weekend. Sanders has brought an incredible amount of hype and confidence to his new program, but a daunting task awaits in Week 1: last season’s runner-up. The Horned Frogs of TCU will open the season as heavy favorites against a Buffaloes team that is looking to bounce back from a 1-11 season and hungry to make a name for themselves.
Portland State Vikings @ No. 15 Oregon Ducks
The Ducks are rolling hot off a 10-win season a year ago and have an extremely favorable matchup with Portland State to kick off the season. Quarterback Bo Nix’s potential Heisman campaign will start in Eugene with a game that everyone expects Oregon to dominate.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @ UCLA Bruins
The Bruins will enter the season with something they haven’t had in a long time — a new quarterback. Ethan Garbers will get the start against Coastal Carolina and look to put UCLA on the right path for what is likely to be its third straight bowl-eligible season.
Boise State Broncos @ No. 10 Washington Huskies
Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington offense have an incredible amount of hype entering 2023. The Huskies are coming off an 11-2 season that saw Washington win its final seven games. However, the Broncos are often one of the top contenders in the Mountain West Conference, and could absolutely provide a sneaky challenge for the highly-ranked Huskies in Week 1.
Stanford Cardinal @ Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Newly acquired head coach Troy Taylor will lead his Stanford team into battle in Honolulu for its first game under his control. Hawaii lost its season-opener 35-28 to Vanderbilt last week, and Oregon fans might want to tune into this game even if only to watch two of the future opponents on the Ducks schedule.
Washington State Cougars @ Colorado State Rams
The Cougars are expected to be one of the most mediocre teams in the Pac-12 this season. Quarterback Cameron Ward and the Washington State offense shouldn’t have much trouble taking down a Rams team that was 3-9 in 2022 — even in the higher altitude.
Nevada Wolfpack @ No. 6 USC Trojans
USC opened the year with a 56-28 win over San Jose State last weekend. Despite the score, many left the game skeptical on if the Trojan defense could keep USC in CFP contention talks. A Week 1 meeting with Nevada should be a great opportunity to muffle some of the critics.
California Golden Bears @ North Texas Mean Green
Serving as one of the few games Cal is expected to win this season, an early-season matchup with the Mean Green should serve as a potential stat-booster for what is likely to be a long season for the Golden Bears.
Southern Utah Thunderbirds @ Arizona State Sun Devils
Former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham took the ASU Head Coach opening last November, and he gets to start his reign at the helm in Tempe against Southern Utah in Week 1. Dillingham’s offense was one of the most exciting ones in college football last season, and it’ll be interesting to see what he can do with a Sun Devil program looking to step up from being a bottom-feeder in the Pac-12.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks @ Arizona Wildcats
Arizona was one of many teams to announce that 2023 will be its final season in the Pac-12. The Wildcats’ farewell tour begins with a very favorable opener: the Lumberjacks. Arizona should absolutely dominate this in-state Week 1 matchup.
No. 18 Oregon State Beavers @ San Jose State Spartans
The Spartans put up more of a fight against USC than many people expected them to. Oregon State enters 2023 as a team looking to really put its program on the map. Overlooking SJSU in Week 1 would prove detrimental if new quarterback D.J Uiagalelei and the Beavers slip up in their opener.
