The past five College Football Playoffs have been held without a Pac-12 team and that trend seems likely to continue even as the conference undergoes a significant facelift.
Two of the league’s biggest programs bring in new coaches – Lincoln Riley at Southern California and Dan Lanning at Oregon. Luring Riley from Oklahoma was a coup for the Trojans, but there is major rebuilding to be done. Lanning is fresh off winning a national title as Georgia’s defensive coordinator and has to fill the shoes of Mario Cristobal after his move to Miami.
There’s also change at Washington with the Huskies hiring Kalen DeBoer after his success at Fresno State and Washington State’s Jake Dickert begins his first full season after serving as interim coach last year after Nick Rolovich’s firing.
Utah remains the one constant. Fresh off its first Pac-12 title, the Utes look like the league’s best hope to reach the national semifinals. UCLA is poised to be in the hunt as its progression under Chip Kelly continues. Washington, Stanford and Arizona State still have big expectations for their programs, while Oregon State and Washington State might be dark horses to watch out for entering the summer.
Springtime power rankings for the Pac-12:
1. Utah (2021 record: 10-4)
Kyle Whittingham’s decision to promote Cam Rising to starting quarterback turned last season around for the Utes after a 1-2 start. It ended with a conference title and memorable shootout loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Rising returns with running back Tavion Thomas, who had 21 touchdowns on the ground. Tight end Brant Kuithe was the team’s leading receiver and position mate Dalton Kincaid was right behind him. The defense again will be strong up front with Florida transfer Mohamoud Diabate slotting in at linebacker and filling a big need. The biggest worry is the secondary…
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