Every Pac-12 program's home record across the last five seasons
The best programs win their home games. The programs that consistently contend for national titles win their home games and give themselves some room for error away from home. Four different schools have won a national championship over the last five years, and three of those schools each have just a single home loss over the same time frame.
And a list of the best home teams over the last five years looks about how you’d expect at the top. It also includes a pair of Pac-12 programs inside the top 10.
With the 2023 season fast approaching and the Pac-12 looking like one of the most entertaining football leagues in America, it’s entirely possible that home cooking causes the conference to cannibalize itself once again.
There are four teams — USC, Washington, Oregon, and Utah — that open the year with hopes of making it to the College Football Playoff. Whoever defends their home turf the best might have the greatest shot at ending the league’s lengthy CFP drought. And the Pac-12’s home records over the last five years might give an indication as to which team that could be:
Oregon: 27-2
The Ducks hold the best home record in the conference over the last five seasons. In 2023, they’ll welcome both USC and Oregon State to Autzen Stadium for November games that figure to have massive stakes. The Ducks also have home league games against Colorado, Washington State, and Cal.
Oregon’s four league road games (Stanford, UW, Utah, and Arizona State) provide opportunities for disaster, though. Three of the four have all been excellent at home as well.
Utah: 26-2
The Utes haven’t lost a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium since Nov. 21, 2020. Each of their last two Pac-12 title-winning seasons have featured unblemished 6-0 marks at home.
Unfortunately for Utah, the bulk of the big games come on the road this fall. UCLA, Cal, Arizona State, and Colorado are all coming to Salt Lake City. The Utes play USC, Washington, and Oregon State all on the road.
Washington: 22-9
Aside from the woeful 2021 campaign, UW has won 83% of its home games. Husky Stadium has been raucous and the Huskies have protected it well. In Year 2 under Kalen DeBoer, the environment should once again be electric.
The Dawgs have home games against Cal, Oregon, Arizona State, Utah, and Washington State. They also only have four road games — including games against the two teams with the worst home records since 2018.
Washington State: 19-9
The Cougs have the fourth-best home record among Pac-12 schools, but they’re just 8-6 at home over the last two seasons.
Coach Jake Dickert and Co. will welcome Oregon State, Arizona, Stanford, and Colorado to Pullman this season.
Arizona State: 18-9
The Sun Devils played spoiler last season by shocking Washington at home on Oct. 8 with a 45-38 victory. When UW looked back on an 11-2 season that ended in the Alamo Bowl without a Pac-12 title appearance, it pointed to the Sun Devil loss as a game that possibly kept it out of the CFP.
ASU will have a chance to ruin another season or two this fall. USC comes to Tempe on Sept. 23. Then Kenny Dillingham gets to go against his old team when Oregon comes to town on Nov. 18.
USC: 19-10
The Trojans were a perfect 7-0 in Lincoln Riley’s debut season. Doing that again will go a long way toward earning a spot in the CFP.
USC has home games against Utah, Washington, and UCLA this year.
Cal: 16-12
Oregon State: 16-13
The Beavers went 5-1 at home last fall. That was on the heels of a perfect 6-0 campaign in 2021. Reser Stadium — which will once again be at full capacity this fall after completing renovations — has quickly become one of the toughest places to play in the Pac-12.
This season, the Beavs get Utah, UCLA, and Washington at home. After a 10-3 record in 2022, Jonathan Smith has Oregon State on the verge of perhaps its best season ever. If Oregon State can post another perfect home record, it could find itself playing out the final week of the season for a spot in the league title game.
