The Pac-12 fared slightly better in bowl games this year than last year’s embarrassing 1-8 record, but the conference still has a long way to go to narrow the gap on their fellow Power 5 brethren.
After Pac-12 champion Washington was handled with relative ease by Big Ten champion Ohio State, the Pac-12 finished with a 3-4 record in bowl games. Chris Petersen’s Huskies had an opportunity to make a big statement for the conference if they could upset Ohio State and send Urban Meyer out with a loss in his final game.
Trailing 21-3 at halftime and taking a 28-3 lead into the fourth quarter, it was clear there wouldn’t be a comeback story for Washington, or for the Pac-12 to have a big bullet point the next time someone criticizes the conference for falling behind the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 in recent years.
Three fourth-quarter touchdowns by Washington made the final score of 28-25 look a little better than the actual gameplay.
Looking beyond the 3-4 Pac-12 record is that the three wins by Washington State, Stanford and Oregon were by a combined four points. Even worse, the wins featured some of the worst performances of bowl season. Oregon beat Michigan State 7-6 in a game that resembled a game from the 1940s. Stanford edged Pitt 14-13 despite only amassing 208 yards of offense. Utah blew a 20-3 lead to Northwestern to lose 31-20. Despite the loss, Utah was the only Pac-12 team to outgain their opponent.
Arguably the worst Pac-12 showing wasn’t Arizona State losing to a good Fresno State team, but rather Cal throwing five interceptions and losing to TCU 10-7 in the Cheez-It Bowl despite getting four interceptions of their own. Even when they’re good, they’re bad.
The prevailing reason for the Pac-12 making the Power 5 more of a Power 4 is the lack of blue-chip talent in the conference that really shows up when Washington plays Ohio State in a Rose Bowl or when the conference’s elite match up with the top teams from other conferences.
Washington has had good classes under Chris Petersen, but the lack of top-end athletes and speed at the skill positions and defensive line is what shows up in these marquee games. The bowl records will continue to be disappointing and the Pac-12 will continue to be snubbed by the Playoff committee until that gap is closed.
Oregon is beginning to show life after reeling in the nation’s No. 1 recruit, defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux who headlined the No. 5 class, per 247Sports. But he represents the exception than the rule for the conference.
It can be the start, but the Pac-12 will need much more from the likes of USC, UCLA, Stanford and Washington to recruit elite four and five-star recruits to help change the perception that the Pac-12 just isn’t good enough.
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