Evaluating the Pac-12 Preseason Media Poll Favorites
As widely expected, the University of Utah has been picked to finish second in the Pac-12 South football division, behind the USC Trojans, who have one of the easiest South schedules, missing Oregon and Washington. The 1-2 slotting between these two teams seems to be happening with regularity in recent years, as no other Pac-12 South foe has come close to their consistent success. Typically preseason polls don’t mean a whole lot, so did the media get it right?
Before I kick into the Pac-12 South, let’s talk the Pac-12 favorites overall. The Oregon Ducks have been picked to win the conference by an overwhelming margin. Oregon was given 27 Pac-12 championship votes, USC 10 and Utah 3. Is it really that obvious of a decision?
Not. At. All.
It’s been said many times, but throw the 2020 results out of the window. In the Pac-12 last year, if you were fortunate to have a good season it was a mix of talent, coaching and complete luck.
Covid. Damn Covid.
Oregon was only in the Pac-12 Championship—in which they beat USC—because Washington couldn’t pass Covid protocols. Utah had its first two games canceled because of a locker room virus outbreak. They then went into games against USC and Washington with an offensive line that was hit hard by the required protocols. The result? An injury to their promising starting quarterback and two losses—one being a close one to the Huskies.
Throughout all of the mayhem, the surprise Colorado Buffaloes started to emerge with a shot at the Pac-12 title game, only to limp out of their battle with Utah after being exposed as a paper tiger.
2020 might as well have been a glorified exhibition. For Ute fans, they’ll always have the memories of the late-great Ty Jordan. Sigh. There was also the development of the young defensive backs, guys that looked like they were ready to be a nightmare for opponents by the end of the season.
So did the media get their 2021 preseason poll right?
No complaints in my book. For the North division, Washington needs to prove themselves more under new coach Jimmy Lake and Oregon has shown a great level of consistency. In the South division, UCLA is on the rise with a talented quarterback, Dorian Thompson-Robinson. However, the jury is still out on whether Chip Kelly can consistently win in the college ranks again. Arizona State… Well, that’s a wildcard, but Antonio Pierce’s arrogance has them in turmoil. Colorado? They lost their emerging 2020 quarterback to the NCAA transfer portal. Arizona? It’s going to be a bit.
All of this leads back to two Pac-12 South heavyweights: Utah and USC. Led by Kedon Slovis, the Trojans are the easy choice at the start of 2021, but not an obvious one. Then, Utah fixed their flaws from 2020 through the transfer portal with high-level transfers. They need to prove it on the field, but the program has become a model of consistency.
To me, the safe bet is USC. However, the smart bet would reside in Salt Lake City. October 9, 2021 in Los Angeles will go a long way in deciding the division winner. My choice? I have no problems with the reasoning behind USC being picked over Utah, but I'll choose the team with one of the better coaches in the country in Kyle Whittingham over a team with a coach that’s constantly on the hot seat.
The Utes are no longer an afterthought and a secret. And there’s that quiet confidence in Salt Lake City that 2021 could be the year they bring home the Pac-12 championship.