Predicting every Power 5 college football conference championship game

Pac-12 — Utah vs. USC

A lot of attention this offseason has been paid to USC and their massive rebuild but in reality, the Pac-12 race begins with Utah.

Kyle Whittingham’s squad returns the core pieces of their offense and while defensive departures like Devin Loyd will be felt, the Utes have reloaded on defense often enough for it not to be a huge concern.

The biggest question is who will face Utah in the Pac-12 title game, which will pit the top two teams in the conference against each other instead of the division winners.

Oregon is strong, but with a first-time head coach in Dan Lanning, betting on them doesn’t seem wise. UCLA could turn the corner under Chip Kelly, though we’ve said that every year for a while now.

USC will be a flawed team in 2022, especially on defense. However, with Lincoln Riley’s offensive chops and a wave of talented transfers added, the Trojans will contend immediately…until the Utes humble them in Las Vegas.

Winner: Utah