For what seemed like an entire decade, the USC Trojans were the dominant force in the Pac-12 during the early 2000s. But since that reign of terror from the Southern California institution, the conference has seen the Oregon Ducks and Stanford Cardinal win the past six titles dating back to 2009.
The dynamic of the Pac-12 was turned on its head when one clever pundit tabbed the UCLA Bruins as the top team in the nation. The conference figures to be quite strong this season, so whichever team is able to come away as champions will have some work to do.
The Pac-12 has become one of the most competitive conferences in the country in recent seasons, and that theme should hold true throughout the entirety of the 2014 college football season.
The Arizona State Sun Devils are the reigning champions of the Pac-12 South Division, and while they’ll compete for those honors again in 2014, the Pac-12 is becoming an increasingly difficult conference to play in.
The Utah Utes are in a unique position entering the 2014 college football season. They should be improved following their second year in the Pac-12, but they’re still a ways away from competing for a title in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
The Washington State Cougars have begun making strides under head coach Mike Leach. Despite going 3-9 (1-8 in conference) two years ago in Leach’s inaugural season, the team went 6-7 (4-5 in conference) in 2013, giving it the momentum it needs to creep back into relevancy for the second straight year.
Steve Sarkisian is out, but he left a whole bunch of talent for Chris Petersen to work with in the new head coach’s first year roaming the sidelines for the University of Washington Huskies.
Entering the 2014-15 college football season, it’s clear that the Pac-12 South Division is going to be top-heavy as it pertains to the top-tier competition.
The Stanford Cardinal are the defending Pac-12 champions, and when looking at the north division of the conference, there’s really only one team standing in their way of making it back to the Pac-12 championship game in 2014.
Mark Helfrich’s first year as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks was excellent in many respects. He won 11 games, made it to a bowl game and competed for a Pac-12 title the entire season.
The USC Trojans spent many years dominating the Pac-12, but it’s been Stanford and Oregon who have taken control over the past few seasons. The question now is whether or not new leader Steve Sarkisian can bring this program back to prominence, and if he can, will it happen in his first season roaming the sidelines as head coach?
The Arizona Wildcats are entering their third season under head coach Rich Rodriguez, and they’re making strides toward improvement, having gone 8-5 overall and 4-5 in the Pac-12 both years.
The California Golden Bears are not a good football team. Sorry to be so blunt with fans of Berkeley, but there’s no nice way of saying that this group was not a contender in 2013, and it’s going to be one in 2014.
The Colorado Buffaloes are a ways a way from being competitive in the Pac-12. That was evidenced when they went 4-8 overall last season, and it’s even clearer when you look at their 1-8 record in conference play – a record bad enough for a last-place standing in the Pac-12 South Division.
The Oregon State Beavers are coming off of a 2013 college football season that saw them go 4-5 in conference play, while posting a 7-6 record overall. Recapping the year that was, simply put: It was a roller coaster.
After years of watching the USC Trojans dominate the Pac-12, the conference has become ultra-competitive. The offense-driven group of teams provide entertainment week in and week out, but entering the 2014 college football season, the question is: Who has the edge when it comes to the Pac-12 title?
