Caleb Wilfinger
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The 2023 college football season is finally on the horizon. The battle for a spot in the College Football Playoff begins on August 26 and won’t slow down until December. Last season’s National Championship game saw Georgia knock off TCU in lopsided fashion to claim its second straight national title. Could we see the Bulldogs 3-peat this season? It’s certainly possible.
With the offseason chaos in the rearview mirror, it’s time to delve into the futures market for each conference. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the PAC-12, a conference that is poised that had its best season in nearly a decade in 2022 and should only get better this fall. There are a number of contenders at the top, but I could conceivably see up to 6 teams potentially winning this league come December. Remember, the division structure is no more in the PAC-12, so you just need to be one of the top 2 teams to qualify for the championship game. Let’s take a look at the odds and best bets to make before the season starts.
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PAC-12 Championship Odds
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
USC +200
Washington +340
Oregon +310
Utah +550
Oregon State +1100
UCLA +1500
Washington State +5000
California +6500
Arizona +8500
Arizona State +8500
Colorado +12500
Contenders
USC
USC came within one game of making the College Football Playoff last season and oddsmakers are giving the Trojans a strong chance of getting back to the top of the PAC-12, as USC is the clear favorite to win the league. It makes sense on paper; Caleb Williams is back following his historic Heisman Trophy season, plus the rest of the offense is loaded once again and should be one of the best units in the nation. However, there are questions to be asked about USC’s defense, ones that still linger after the Trojans were absolutely decimated on the ground by Utah twice, and by Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. It’s no secret that USC benefited massively from a highly irregular +32 turnover margin last season, and there could be a couple of losses on the Trojans’ schedule if turnover regression kicks in this fall.
Oregon
Could this be the year that Oregon takes home the PAC-12 Championship and makes a run at the College Football Playoff? It’s entirely possible that Dan Lanning takes this program to new heights, but it won’t be easy. On the schedule front, the Ducks are looking at road games against Washington, Utah and Oregon State, plus a date at home against USC on November 11 that should be one of the most exciting games of the season. Bo Nix is back at quarterback after a terrific 2022 campaign, and he’ll lead an offense that should be explosive on all fronts. The biggest question for Oregon will be its ability to stop the run and limit the explosive plays defensively, as those proved to be costly in losses to Washington and Oregon State a season ago.
Utah
I had extremely high hopes for Utah in 2022 and despite a pair of ugly close losses to Florida and Oregon, the Utes came through with a couple of massive victories over USC to take home their second straight PAC-12 title. Despite the loss off Dalton Kincaid and a few other core pieces to the NFL, the big news is that Cam Rising is returning for another season under center. However, the longtime Utah quarterback is still recovering from surgery to repair his torn ACL he suffered in the Rose Bowl, and he might not suit up until late September. Therefore, it’s hard to recommend betting the Utes to challenge for the conference title this season, especially with road games against Washington, USC and Oregon State.
Oregon State
If you’re looking for a pick outside of the immediate favorites, I’d recommend taking a small shot on Oregon State to win the conference. The Beavers are 6th on the odds board, and head coach Jonathan Smith has this program trending in the right direction after winning 10 games in 2022 and beating their in-state rival Oregon Ducks for just the third time since 2007. Thanks to the addition of DJ Uiagalelei at quarterback and the retention of their entire offensive line, the Beavers should be one of the most productive rushing teams in the nation once yet. Furthermore, Oregon State won the schedule lottery, as the Beavers not only avoid playing USC, but will host Utah, UCLA and Washington. At +1100, I can see why a wager on Oregon State would have value.
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PAC-12 best bet: Washington Huskies to win the conference (+340 at FanDuel)
I refrained from mentioning Washington in the contenders section because since the odds were released in the spring, the Huskies have been my pick to win the conference. Washington has 3 things I really value in any college football team I’m looking to back at the start of the season: a great coach, a great veteran quarterback and a strong front seven on defense. The Huskies are one of the rare teams in this league that won’t get pushed around in the trenches by an opponent such as Utah, while also being able to put up points with the likes of Oregon and USC, two of the most explosive offenses in the country.
Michael Penix Jr. is back at the helm of head coach Kalen DeBoer’s innovative offense, and I’m expecting more big things from one of the nation’s most efficient passers a season ago. Washington was the top passing offense in the country last fall, and that shouldn’t change this season given the defenses they’ll face in conference play. The schedule is also fairly straightforward; Washington should be 5-0 heading into a home game against Oregon on Oct. 14. Assuming they take care of business there, the next difficult game is at USC on November 4, followed by a date at home against Utah the following Saturday. The Huskies should be favored in all by 1 game this season, and I’m projecting at least 10 wins for DeBoer’s group. Don’t be surprised if Washington is getting some College Football Playoff buzz by the time November rolls around.
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