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Pac-12 football 2018 season preview: Breakout stars, biggest games, predictions

By Charles Rahrig V

PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal runs with the ball against the California Golden Bears at Stanford Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal runs with the ball against the California Golden Bears at Stanford Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 25: Quarterback Jake Browning #3 of the Washington Huskies rushes against defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale #90 of the Washington State Cougars at Husky Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 25: Quarterback Jake Browning #3 of the Washington Huskies rushes against defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale #90 of the Washington State Cougars at Husky Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

Predicted Order of Finish

With one great team, a handful of good teams and a bunch of average programs, the Pac-12 can be a difficult conference to project outside of the top few. In the Pac-12 North, the Washington Huskies are the clear favorite.

What will be interesting is how Stanford and Oregon stack up behind them. Both of those programs have dynamic talents that could very well lift them and crash the party that Washington is expecting.

Don’t sleep on the California Golden Bears either. Justin Wilcox is building something special with the program and it won’t be long until they’re in that mix when it comes to discussing favorites to win the division.

Pac-12 North

  1. Washington
  2. Oregon
  3. Stanford
  4. California
  5. Washington State
  6. Oregon State

In the Pac-12 South, conventional wisdom says that USC should be the favorite as reigning conference champions. Clay Helton has been around long enough now to have laid a foundation and he’s about to embark on life without Sam Darnold.

Still, there’s schools right there on the heels of the Trojans that could also overtake the division. Utah has been the definition of consistency and could take the division in a year where there’s transition. The mighty Khalil Tate could carry the Arizona Wildcats to some big wins with games at home in Tucson against their toughest opponents.

Pac-12 South

  1. USC
  2. Utah
  3. Arizona
  4. Arizona State
  5. UCLA
  6. Colorado

The interesting program here in the South is Arizona State. Herm Edwards makes his return to head coaching and has a senior quarterback with Manny Wilkins under center. Wilkins has gotten better each season and should be one of the best in the conference. They also have a potential first-round receiver in N’Keal Harry.