Going into a new season, every fan base across the nation is going to take a look at their upcoming schedule and figure out which games they think they can win, and which ones they think might result in a loss. The goal is to see how strong their record will be at the end of the year, and what chance they might have to get into a prominent bowl game.
We wanted to do a similar exercise, but rather than predicting which games will be won and lost by Pac-12 teams, we wanted to figure out which games are the most important for the conference as a whole.
While individual success is great, it means very little when the teams around you don’t hold up their end of the bargain and instead tank the national view of the conference. Teams like Oregon and Utah have run into this problem as of late, and it’s killed their chances of getting into the College Football Playoff despite finishing the year with very respectable records.
When it comes to Power-5 conferences, the Pac-12 ranks near the bottom, and they’ve missed out on the CFP in 5 straight seasons despite getting 2 teams in during the first 3 years. If the winner of the Pac-12 Championship game is going to have any hope of getting into the playoff, they’re going to need the national perception of the conference to change.
In order for that perception to change, Pac-12 teams are going to need to win some big games.
Fortunately, there are a lot of big games on the schedule this year, with an impressive slate of non-conference matchups that could offer an opportunity for some west coast teams to make some noise.
Here are the 18 most important games for Pac-12 teams this season, both in non-conference and conference play:
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Washington State may not be one of the bigger names in the Pac-12, but they contended for the North Division title last year and were a couple of games away from sneaking into a Pac-12 title game against Utah. Their big non-conference game this year comes against Wisconsin, who is a player in the Big-10, but has struggled to contend with the top dogs of Ohio State and Michigan as of late. If the Cougars can find a way to keep it close with the Badgers and maybe even squeak out a win, it will be a nice early statement for the depth and strength of the Pac-12.
Notre Dame is featured prominently in the Pac-12 schedule, with three games against teams out on the west coast in the non-conference slate. This game against California will be one worth watching, though it’s hard to believe that the Golden Bears will have much of a shot at the upset. The Fighting Irish enter the season ranked inside the top-10 of most preseason rankings, and will be vying for a College Football Playoff spot under new coach Marcus Freeman. Still, if Cal can keep things competitive, it will go a long way in showing that the middle of the Pac-12 is growing in strength.
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If you’re looking for a pair of teams who are primed to make a leap this upcoming season, I would put a cirlce around both Oregon State and California. The two vied for a Pac-12 North division title last season but fell just short in the end. However, both have arrows pointing up under young and ambitious coaching staffs. The game between the two will likely go a long way in deciding the power balance in the north division, and should Oregon struggle a bit in the first year under Dan Lanning, one of these two teams could absolutely take one of the spots in the Pac-12 title game in Las Vegas.
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This rivalry goes way back. When it comes to historic schools in college football, Notre Dame and Stanford are certainly up. Though there haven’t been a ton of fireworks coming from this series in recent years, it still will hold some weight, especially if Stanford can show early on in the season that they are worth respecting in the Pac-12. As has been a theme with a lot of these big games, the Pac-12 needs to find some success in non-conference games to gain respect in the Power-5. A close game between Stanford and a likely top-10 Notre Dame team would be impactful.
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Let’s stay on the Stanford Cardinal theme for a second. They have one of the most respected head coaches in the NCAA with David Shaw at the helm. Despite that, they’ve underperformed over the past few years and struggled to get back to national prominence. Might that turn around in 2022? They’ve been recruiting well enough to compete at a high level, and a non-conference win over BYU — a top-15 team in 2021 — would certainly turn some heads.
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Any time the Ducks play a prominent team in the Pac-12 South it is going to be interesting to watch. There aren’t many teams who we believe will give Oregon much trouble in the north division, and with USC and Arizona State absent from the Ducks’ schedule this year, we don’t have many chances to see them up against the best at the conference has to offer. However, a home game against UCLA will certainly be fun to watch, especially after how last year’s contest ended.
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We said it before, but we’re waiting to see if Oregon State can make that leap this year to be a team that is worthy of taking seriously. They may be able to hang around in the Pac-12 North and potentially push the Ducks for a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game, but it will be interesting to see how hot they come out at the start of the season. With an early game against Boise State, you get a valuable non-conference team who may not be considered a powerhouse but would give you a very respectable win on the resume.
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Though they’ve struggled in the past few years, the Washington Huskies are still one of the name-brand teams in the Pac-12, whether you like them or not. Their success matters for the conference and their turmoil is bad for other teams (as much as Oregon fans may relish it. Should they find some early success under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, it could make this non-conference game against Michigan State interesting. For the health of the Pac-12, a competitive matchup between the Huskies and Spartans is sorely needed. An upset for Washington would act as a massive boost for the conference as a whole.
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
You know when the big brother comes back from college and finds out that his little brother has grown 4 inches and been working out regularly? That’s what it feels like could be happening with the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers. By no means are we saying that the Beavers are the bigger and better team, but they certainly have improved under Jonathan Smith and are trending in the right direction. No longer are the days of Duck blowouts and non-competitive Civil Wars (or Platypus Cups…). This rivalry is likely going to get interesting over the next few years, and it will undoubtedly have massive ramifications in the Pac-12 North.
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While the Pac-12 North may not be stacked with teams worthy of a top-25 ranking, it feels like there are 3-4 teams in the Pac-12 south who could reasonably take a trip to the conference championship game in Las Vegas. Both Utah and UCLA are among them, with the Utes getting some early looks at a potential College Football Playoff run. They will have to take care of the teams on their schedule, though, and the Bruins will be a major obstacle. This game will hold massive weight in the southern division and likely could have CFP ramifications as well.
After all of the drama that has surrounded Herm Edwards and the Arizona State Sun Devils this offseason, it’s hard to know what we are supposed to expect in Tempe this fall. However, they have a big non-conference game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who have been consistently in the top-10 or top-15 over the past few years. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — any Pac-12 win over a Power 5 school is sorely needed.
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For the first time in several years, it feels like the Battle for LA really has some juice in 2022. USC revamped with Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams, and UCLA has steadily been improving under Chip Kelly. With another year of Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet leading the offense, the Bruins could turn into a top-15 or top-10 team. If the Trojans can reach their ceiling, they’re a potential CFP team. Sounds like some fireworks down in Southern California.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Playing in the Pac-12 North is generally a good thing for the Ducks, but the lack of star power at times can hurt them because of a less-than-stellar resume that it brings. That means that non-conference games — and a potential conference championship — become imperative for the Ducks. Look no further than the BYU Cougars in Week 3. Who knows if Oregon can hang with or upset the Georgia Bulldogs, but if they ultimately lose in Week 1, it likely won’t be held against them in a massive way. A victory over BYU — a top-15 team in 2021 — would look great on the schedule, and potentially lift Oregon’s resume when it comes to bowl season.
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One of the most storied rivalries in all of college football at long last has some real juice once again. As we said with USC vs. UCLA, the addition of Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams have the Trojans back on the map, and you can guarantee that the college football world will be tuning in to see this potential top-10 showdown late in the year. USC’s success is the Pac-12’s success, so a competitive game and potentially a win would do wonders for the conference.
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There’s no way around it… Utah embarrassed the Ducks not once, but twice at the end of the 2021 season. It resulted in Mario Cristobal taking off for Miami — though some believe his decision to leave came long before the end of the year — and has the Ducks dethroned as the best team in the conference. You can guarantee that’s a title that Dan Lanning and his team want back.
This game will come near the end of the year, and could very well be accompanied by a rematch just weeks later in the Pac-12 title game. Two of the best teams in the conference going at it in November with potential CFP hopes on the line. There’s nothing better than that.
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If a game between Oregon and Utah is big, the USC vs. Utah matchup might be even juicier. This Pac-12 South clash could very well decide who gets into the conference championship game and will go a long way in deciding who has the best in the loaded souther division. If the Trojans really are as good as we think they might be this year, Utah vs. USC may be one of the best games of the year not only in the conference but in all of college football.
[Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner]
After winning the Pac-12 championship and going the distance with the Ohio State Buckeyes in a heavyweight Rose Bowl slugfest on New Year’s Day, the Utah Utes have some real respect among college football fans at the moment. That will carry over into the start of the 2022 season where they are set to face the Florida Gators, who currently project as a top-25 team according to ESPN. Any Pac-12 win over an SEC school is big, but it would also keep Utah in the limelight, which would be a good start to the season.
[Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner]
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Oregon vs. the defending national champions. Dan Lanning vs. his former team. Dan Lanning’s first-ever game as a head coach. The storylines for this matchup are endless, and it will be one of the most anticipated games of the year, especially for the Ducks. While not many people are giving Oregon a chance early on, it’s hard to put into words how massive a win would be to open the season. After the momentum that Lanning has built in Eugene, getting to stake his claim early on would be a big win for the Pac-12. Even a competitive game for Oregon would pay dividends for the conference as a whole as they try to stand on a level playing field with top teams in the nation.
The win last year vs. Ohio State was arguably the biggest in Oregon Ducks’ history. A win over Georgia would be bigger.
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