Three Questions for the Pac-12 Football Season

This marks the final year of the Pac-12 as currently constructed, as USC and UCLA exit after this year for the Big Ten. That’s created a major sense of uncertainty around the league’s future, but for now, the Trojans and Bruins can expect to get everyone’s best shot on their way out of the league.

On the field, there are several questions to answer, including the biggest question mark in the country. Here’s a look at the Pac-12.

Will Colorado’s Transfer Approach Work?

With Deion Sanders taking over in Boulder, the Buffaloes will have a very different look compared to last season. The question is, will this actually come together in a cohesive unit, or will Colorado fall apart at the first sign of adversity? The Buffaloes only return 15 players from last season’s team, having hit the transfer portal hard. But with no history of working together, can this team come together quickly enough to compete?

There’s more reason for Colorado to worry: Sanders has never seen adversity as a coach. He went 23-3 in two years at Jackson State, but those wins came against underfunded programs without the talent to match his team. Now he’s on the wrong end of the talent gap and hasn’t yet shown he can make up that difference.

Can USC Dethrone Utah?

The Utes have made two straight trips to the Rose Bowl and have played in four of the past five Pac-12 title games, establishing themselves as one of the premier programs in the league. USC finally broke through with the end of the South Division, but that just meant they met Utah in the title game and fell again to the Utes.

Both teams return their quarterbacks as well as nine defensive starters, which means both should be at or near the top of the league again. The teams meet Oct. 21 in Los Angeles, which will likely determine which way the Pac-12 race will go.

Can Oregon State Parlay its Schedule into a Title?

With the size of conferences these days, the schedule maker can often dictate how a race plays out. Oregon State has a big edge this year, as it doesn’t face USC at all and gets UCLA, Utah and Oregon all at home. The Beavers have lost just one home game in the past two years (by three to USC) and were two possessions from playing in the Pac-12 title game last season. As long as the young defense doesn’t fall apart, what happens in Corvallis could have a big impact on the conference race.