The 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game is set. The USC Trojans come in ranked No. 4 in the CFP. The No. 11 Utah Utes, the defending Pa-12 champs, will look to end USC’s storybook season. The game will be televised on FOX and played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at 5 PM PST (6 PM MST).

Utah publisher Alex Markham and USC publisher Ryan Young have collaborated on a series of Pac-12 Championship Game articles.

Here they discuss their game predictions:

Ryan Young

USC has looked like a different team since that stinging loss in Salt Lake City. I just don’t know if it’s possible to contain quarterback and Heisman favorite Caleb Williams right now. In just the last six games, starting with that first Utah-USC clash, he’s totaled 20 touchdown passes to 2 interceptions, averaged 353.7 passing yards per game (including 470 against UCLA) and rushed for 7 touchdowns. That’s an average of 4.5 touchdowns per game, and much of that came with his top two receivers sidelined.

The Trojans are back to full strength and coming off their most impressive all-around win, over Notre Dame in which they led by double-figures the entire second half. The defense is building confidence and this team is just one win away from the College Football Playoff. I can’t see them stumbling.

Playing in Las Vegas, which will be loaded with USC fans (and surely Utah fans as well) is a lot different than playing at Rice-Eccles.

I’ll take USC 41-27 in this one.

Alex Markham

I just don’t get this sudden USC love fest. Utah beat them in October with a lackluster defense and no running game—outside of Rising. USC can blame penalties all they want, but Utah has the same arguments on some wacky calls or no-calls that game.

Heading into the game, Rising might still have a knee brace on, but he’s getting healthier and that showed in his play last week. Additionally for the offense, Utah suddenly has a running back combo that can grind down the clock and then bust a defense with a big run.

Ultimately, I see Utah’s defense being the deciding factor, as the lightbulb had really seemed to come on for them starting in the second half of the October 15th matchup.

Utah defends their Pac-12 crown for back-to-back conference titles, 45-31.