2022 PAC 12 Conference Preview
Add another conference to the mix that is fighting to survive the conference realignment wars. The PAC 12, along with the Big XII, seem to be in a high stakes tug-of-war to see who will be part of the four super conference championship playoff format coming soon to the college football landscape. With the Big XII losing OU and Texas by 2025 to the SEC and the PAC 12 losing stalwarts USC and UCLA to the BIG 10, the game of musical chairs has begun in earnest with the Big XII adding four new teams starting in 2023, in a move that gives them the leg up right now in the battle for survival. The PAC 12, more-often-than-not, the conference most frequently left out of the college football playoff, would seem to be on the outside looking in. Additionally, at the recent PAC 12 Media Days, Commissioner George Kliavkoff, blindsided by the loss of the conference’s two signature programs, issued an edict that "NO PAC 12 TEAM was to have any discussions with the Big XII about the possibility of conference relocation or expansion" and was to report any such overture to the Commissioner’s Office immediately. This sounds like desperation and if you are the likes of Oregon, Utah, Washington and Arizona, you should be picking up the phone and listening to anything anyone outside the PAC 12 has to offer or risk going down with the Titanic as Kliavkoff tries to re-arrange deck chairs.
On the field, the best the conference has to offer, is what should be a very entertaining battle between Oregon and Utah for PAC 12 supremacy. The Ducks, one of only two PAC 12 teams (Washington-2016) to make the FBS Playoffs, could be poised for a run to put them in playoff contention. But Utah may be the most athletic team in the conference and this Utes team could break into the BCS Playoffs with a Top 4 performance in 2022.
Utah pulled off a huge surprise last year, knocking out the favored Ducks twice, including in the PAC 12 Championship Game, then giving powerhouse Ohio State everything they could ask for in an amazing Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day. Loses on offense with be difficult to overcome but the return of stud rusher Tavion Thomas should make quarterback Cam Rising’s life a lot easier. Rising had a solid season with his 20 TD performance against 5 pickoffs in 2021. On the defensive side of the ball, the Utes have speed and size in the front seven to compete with any team in the country, allowing only 20 points per game in 2021, but will have to overcome talent losses in the defensive backfield.
A new coach takes over in Oregon for 2022 as the Dan Lanning era begins in Eugene, as Lanning gets his opportunity after helping Georgia to their first title since the early 80’s. Mario Cristobal’s questionable decision making is a thing of the past, as Ducks fans hope Lanning provides solid leadership on the sideline. Oregon’s biggest issue may be getting out of its own way, as the Ducks have lost to a sub .500 team every year since 2015, except the 2019 campaign. Bo Nix with take over under center, with a solid group of receivers and hopes to lead a high octane Ducks attack. On the defensive side of the ball, Oregon will lean on the expertise of Lanning to take the talent they have, to become the best defenders in the conference. Oh and avoid an inexplicable loss to another subpar team.
Another new coach has entered the PAC 12 fray, but not just another coach. Lincoln Riley comes to Los Angeles to take over a USC program whose results since Pete Carroll left town have been average at best. Riley brings swag and a quarterback with sizzle from OU, as Caleb Williams becomes the new signal caller for the Trojans. With Mario Williams and Jordan Addison leading the way in the receiving corps and Travis Dye there to tote the rock, scoring should not be an issue for USC. On the other side of the ball is where the heavy lifting will be done. The Men of Troy were a sieve on defense, allowing over 400 yards and five TDs per game in 2021 PAC 12 action, along with an unacceptable 31.8 points per game.
Heading into 2021, Head Coach Chip Kelly, fresh off a brand new contract extension, seems to have UCLA going in the direction that Bruins fans hope continues in 2022. Coming off an 8-4 season a year ago, UCLA needs to continue to improve in Kelly’s high flying offense. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is back under center and could be in the All-American hunt with a huge year. Zach Charbonnet will get the workload in the backfield and a talented group of wide outs led by Kam Brown and Kazmeir Allen should see big numbers for the season. Defensively, a big front seven will give problems to the rest of the PAC 12. Up front Jay Toia leads the way, while Kain Medrano and Damien Sellers anchor a solid linebacker group. In the defensive backfield, Stephan Blaylock anchors a hard hitting set of safeties.
Coming off a solid 8-4 season in 2021, Oregon State will look to remain in the top half of the PAC 12 heading into the new season. With a solid offense that averaged a tick over 31 points per game, the Beavers will look to rework an offensive line with several offseason losses. Helping offset the O-line losses, DeShaun Fenwick should have a solid campaign in 2022 as the featured running back. Quarterback Chance Nolan had a solid season a year ago but needs to improve on his 19 touchdown, 10 interception numbers. OSU’s biggest highlight was taking down PAC 12 champion Utah, but that was tempered by disappointing losses to Colorado and Cal.
What is to make of the Washington Huskies in 2022? After one season, Jimmy Lake is out and former Fresno Head Coach Kalen DeBoer is in. DeBoer brings an offensive mindset that should help a Huskies attack that was near the bottom of the conference in 2021. Washington ranked in the bottom third of the PAC 12 in most offensive categories and hopes transfer dual-threat quarterback Michael Penix can make the offense go in 2022. On defense, the Huskies were a solid group allowing the fourth fewest points in conference and hope to improve on those numbers.
Big numbers are coming to Washington State in 2022. Incoming Incarnate Word transfer Cameron Ward brings his high flying aerial act to Pullman after a 47 TD season amassing over 4,600 yards. The Cougars have the ability, with what should be an explosive offense, to offset huge losses on the defense and may need to outscore its opponents massively to have a winning campaign in 2022.
The Best of the Rest...
Arizona State looks to have the inside track at being the best team of the reminder of the PAC 12 that could find its way toward the top of the conference. Coming off an 8-4 season, the Sun Devils will look to take advantage of transfer Xazavian Valladay’s running ability to replace several key losses on the offensive side of the ball. Florida transfer Emory Jones will take over under center for ASU. On the defensive side of the ball, the Sun Devils have a huge amount of work to do. This includes replacing a depleted secondary, that was part of a defense that finished second in the PAC 12 in 2021 in yards and points allowed, heading into 2022.
Can the bloom fall any farther off of the rose at Stanford? Once on the short list of many NFL coaching searches a few years ago, are David Shaw’s days numbered in Palo Alto? Gone are the likes of Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey, and since that point, the talent pool just has not lived up to expectations for the Cardinal. Tanner McKee hopes to lead a resurgence for Stanford, but maybe more pressing is trying to find some form of defense for a group that ranked 114th in the country in 2021 in NCAA DI play.
To be better in the PAC 12, Cal is going to have to find a way to win on the road. As the offense goes for the Golden Bears, it seems the record follows as Cal, 5-7 overall in 2021, was only 1-5 in conference away from Berkeley. Jack Plummer looks to right the ship for the Bears as he comes in from Purdue and tries to get Cal into bowl contention. The defense was solid a year ago, ranking fourth overall in total defense.
Can Colorado replace all the players lost after 2021? Not only do the Buffaloes have to find players but they need better players for a team that was 11th overall in defense last season leading to a 3-6 mark in PAC 12 play. Brandon Lewis will lead the way at QB in Boulder, and hopes to improve on a solid finish to the 2021 campaign
In a case of nowhere to go but up, the Arizona Wildcats stare at themselves in the mirror occupying the basement of the PAC 12 after garnering one win in the past two seasons in Tucson. Hoping to come in and add a spark, transfer quarterback Jayden de Laura takes over behind center for the Cats, who will look to find newcomer Jacob Cowling consistently in 2022. Head Coach Jedd Fisch looks to shore up a Wildcat defense that struggled at times giving up huge points and put the sting of a 2021 loss to in-state rival Northern Arizona behind them.
PROJECTIONS
NORTH
Oregon | 10-2
Washington State | 7-5
Washington | 6-6
Oregon State | 6-6
California | 5-7
Stanford | 4-8
SOUTH
Utah | 10-2
USC | 8-4
UCLA | 7-5
Arizona State | 7-5
Colorado | 4-8
Arizona | 2-10
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