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 how Utah wins the conference crown:
Ryan Young
The Utes will need an efficient, mistake-free game from Cam Rising and for Dalton Kincaid to be healthy and at the peak of his powers again. The Trojans still haven’t found any solutions to defending good tight ends, allowing Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer to catch 8 of 9 targets for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns last week. That’s a concern for them.
The Trojans thrive off their ability to force turnovers – they rank fourth nationally with 27 this season – and it’s an essential part of their defensive DNA as it offsets the big chunk plays the unit will invariably give up several times a game. If the Utes play mistake-free football, that will put a strain on the defense.
As for stopping Caleb Williams at this point, I don’t know if that is likely, even as well as Utah has been playing defensively. The Utes will need another top-end offensive performance to win the rematch.
Alex Markham
The Utes win if Cam Rising continues to regain his form. All the talk will be about Caleb Williams and his Heisman chances, but Rising has been there and done that on the Pac-12 championship stage.
The Utes’ unquestioned leader outperformed Williams when the two battled it out in Salt Lake City, going 30-44 passing for 415 yards and two touchdown passes. He also added 11 carries for 60 yards, three rushing touchdowns, and the game-winning two-point conversion. Williams also delivered an outstanding performance, completing 25 of 42 passes for 381 yards and five passing touchdowns while also rushing for 57 yards.
Unfortunately for Utah, Rising fought through a knee injury suffered in the game and he’s been noticeably affected by it up until the Colorado game. Rising can sling it around when needed, but this Utah offense is most effective when he plays mistake-free football, allowing Utah to control the clock.
This Utah defense that USC will see on Saturday has grown by leaps and bounds since the last time the two teams played, and the Trojans offense has yet to see a tougher test. Sure, USC has a great offense, but four of USC’s Pac-12 wins have been by 10 points or less—and two were by three points. Utah has been known to be in a close game one minute and then a couple minutes later the doors are blown wide open thanks to defensive momentum. Don’t sleep on this defense.
