25 burning questions about the 2022 Pac-12 season
Editor’s note: Our annual Top 25 preview week continues with a look at the most critical questions heading into 2022.
Heading into arguably the most promising Pac-12 campaign in a half-decade, with two teams ready to vie for CFP contention and another two or three as threats for NY6 bowls, questions abound. Nothing is settled as of early August. It never is.
But there is one question looming over the league. One that won’t go away for a while. By the end of the year, will there even be a Pac-12?
Here are 25 Burning Questions about the 2022 Pac-12 season …
Will the Pac-12 expand, or will it be poached into oblivion?
Ha, like it’s going away. You really thought conference realignment would be relegated to the offseason? When UCLA and USC shocked the college football universe by bouncing to the Big Ten, it left a power vacuum for college football west of the Mississippi. Unfortunately for Pac-12 players and coaches, this story is going to linger throughout the year. I hope Oregon is prepared for Oklahoma State questions in November.
Can Utah take the next step?
Turning to actual 2022 Pac-12 football, Utah — the best Pac-12 South team for the past decade — is finally getting the attention it deserves. Coming off a Rose Bowl bid and its first conference championship, the Utes are ranked as high as No. 4 by many college football prognosticators — including our preseason rankings. That is shockingly high for a program that hasn’t touched those heights since 2008. If Utah lives up to billing, the conference would secure its first CFP berth since 2016.
What will USC have to say about that?
Standing in the Utes’ way are the Trojans, who made the biggest splash in the offseason three times over, poaching Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams from Oklahoma and Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison from Pittsburgh. It feels almost foolish lifting USC to the top of the conference preseason coming off a 4-win season. This will be a fascinating case study in the free agency model of college football.
Will Utah and USC be defeated when they meet on Oct. 15?
The Utes have 4 tests in the first 6 weeks (5 if you include a road game at Arizona State in Week 4). Aside from that, there are games at Florida and UCLA and home games against San Diego State and Oregon State. The Trojans have dates with Fresno State, Stanford, Oregon State, ASU and Washington State. Out of those 12 games, there are likely 2 or 3 losses.
Is either good enough to secure a CFP spot?
For long-suffering Pac-12 fans, securing a CFP spot would be validation that the league is nationally viable. Both Utah and USC should open among the nation’s top dozen teams. That puts both of them in position, if they do their jobs. That’s a big if.
Can Oregon spoil the party?
The Ducks have talent on both sides of the ball, but they are in a state of flux once again. Once among the most consistent programs in college football, Oregon is on its fourth head coach since 2016. But Dan Lanning is a good one. The Ducks have a tough schedule, including a season-opener against Georgia in Atlanta, but a home tilt with the Utes on Nov. 19 will define the season.
Can UCLA build on the momentum?
The national media isn’t particularly high on UCLA, with CBS ranking the Bruins 33rd, 19 spots below Oregon. In between, there are 6 SEC teams. But UCLA has one of the softest schedules in football and one of the most exciting offenses in the league. If the Bruins get things rocking early, they could become a juggernaut.
Who will emerge at quarterback for Cal, Washington, Arizona State and Colorado?
The Bears (Jack Plummer, Kai Millner), Huskies (Michael Penix, Dylan Morris), Sun Devils (Emory Jones, Paul Tyson) and Buffaloes (Brendon Lewis, JT Shrout) all have quarterback battles that need settling. None of the candidates appear ready to move the needle.
Will Washington State QB Cameron Ward live up to billing?
The Incarnate Word transfer is one of the hottest stories in college football, with some dark horse Heisman talk. That, of course, is ridiculous – the Cougars won’t win enough to land Ward any postseason hardware – but there may not be a more intriguing player in the conference.
Which of the 4 new head coaches will have the biggest impact on game days?
Schematically and spiritually, Riley has the potential to do huge things for USC. While Clay Helton was a nice guy and a good coach, he never had the swagger to which USC-level players respond. All that being said, I’m very excited to see what Dan Lanning is going to do with the Oregon defense.
Can the Trojans shake off the stink of the Helton era?
At USC Media Day on Thursday, some of the Trojans said they hated being in the locker room last year, especially after Helton was fired before Week 3. Both newcomers and returners alike, however, maintained that the negative vibes were eradicated early in Riley’s tenure, and they are fresh and excited.
Can a scheme change turn Washington around?
The Huskies don’t have a ton of skill position talent, but new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is getting a ton of hype. Arriving from Fresno State along with Kalen DeBoer, Grubb has reportedly upped the Huskies’ tempo, and that would be a huge departure from the past. If Washington finds a quarterback and sticks with him, we’ll get to see something interesting.
Can Stanford shift out of neutral?
Like the Huskies, Stanford was stuck in the ground last year. Problem is, the Cardinal used to love mixing it up in the mud. Recently, they’ve been playing like debutantes who don’t want to get their shoes dirty. If Stanford can get back to its ground-and-pound days, David Shaw can fend off the whispers.
Will Colorado coach Karl Dorrell’s warm seat turn hot?
Speaking of whispers, coming off a 4-8 season, Karl Dorrell can’t feel great about where the Buffaloes are heading into his third season. Dorrell won conference coach of the year honors in 2020 after leading the Buffs to a 4-2 season in a pandemic-shortened campaign. Two years ago in college football is more like two decades, though. With the ignominy of being ranked last in the conference preseason rankings, Dorrell will need to show some signs of progress to keep the Colorado fans at bay.
Will ASU’s Herm Edwards be employed by the end of the year?
Similarly, Herm Edwards is already facing an uphill battle this year. He’s got backers high up in the university, so while his seat is hot, anything barring a complete catastrophe is probably forgivable. But the Sun Devils will need to upset a couple teams and most certainly defeat rival Arizona in the Territorial Cup to maintain momentum in the state.
Can Arizona fight its way out of the cellar?
Jedd Fisch certainly has the ball rolling downhill in Tucson. But the Wildcats appear at least 2 years from a full rebuild. A consistent passing game will be key for Arizona, which brought in 2021 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Jayden de Laura, who arrives by way of Washington State.
Can Washington State shore up its offensive line?
Our own Derek Peterson laid out what the Cougars are stacked up against. From his preseason Pac-12 offensive line unit rankings:
“The Cougar offensive line has the second-lowest percentage of returning snaps in the conference. Of the seven players who saw at least 100 snaps, four of them are gone.”
Well, that’s not good. Breaking in an electric new quarterback (Ward), Wazzu needs to keep him upright.
Can Chance Nolan fend off Tristan Gebbia to be a top-3 QB?
Oregon State certainly has options. Nolan was arguably the Pac-12’s most underrated player a season ago. Nolan was 8th in the conference in passing yardage per game but 2nd in the league in passing efficiency after throwing 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. And that’s not even enough to guarantee him a starting gig. Tristan Gebbia started 4 games in 2020, passing for 824 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and he’s going to put up a fight for the role. Not to mention Ben Gulbranson, the redshirt freshman from the same school as Cameron Rising (Newbury Park HS in Southern California).
Is Oregon State a sneaky top-4 team?
Reser Stadium was a haven for the Beavers last season as they went 6-0 at home with wins over USC, Washington, Utah, Stanford and Arizona State. The road was rocky, however, as OSU went 0-5 away from home. With Reser under construction this year, the Beavers are going to have to toughen up quickly, but they’ve got a manageable schedule and stability up front and in the defensive backfield.
Can Dan Lanning remake Oregon in his image?
The last time the Ducks hired a defensive-oriented head coach, they turned to a Beaver. Back in 1977, Oregon hired former Oregon State defensive coordinator and player Rich Brooks, and he turned Oregon into one of the most respectable teams in the west. After Mike Bellotti, Chip Kelly, Mark Helfrich, Willie Taggart and Mario Cristobal, the Ducks flipped to the other side of the ball. The Ducks already had a good defense, but Lanning is a great defensive mind.
How bad will the UCLA pass defense be?
Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State are all within the Bruins’ orbit, a notch below Utah and USC. One thing is holding UCLA back from being considered among the elite: A pass defense that has been among the nation’s worst during Kelly’s tenure. The Bruins weren’t dreadful last year, but a top-four finish in defensive pass efficiency is a must.
Which direction does Justin Wilcox have Cal going in?
Kelly has UCLA certainly headed in the right direction. Wilcox? Not so much. After winning 5, 7 and 8 games in his first 3 years with the Bears, Cal has gone 6-10 since, including 5-7 last year. You’d like to think 6 wins will be enough to provide some optimism. Seven wins would be a lot nicer.
Will all 12 coaches last until the end of the season?
You’d have to think all the Pac-12 coaches are vaccinated at this point (you’d think!?) and there isn’t anyone dangling on the precipice like Helton was at USC. This feels like an easy yes, but weird things have happened.
Who will make postseason award noise?
USC’s Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison are getting the most hype. Camerons Ward and Rising are getting sleeper praise. Zach Charbonnet could break off a huge season for the Bruins. Up front, Washington’s Jaxson Kirkland and USC’s Andrew Vorhees are formidable. Defensively, big things are expected out of Oregon’s Noah Sewell and Utah’s Van Fillinger.
Which teams will make the postseason?
My vote: Utah, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State. Cal and Washington will flirt with .500, and Arizona, Arizona State, Stanford and Colorado will get to spend Christmas with their families.