A is for adios: Say goodbye to Mike Leach and to Chris Petersen. Sayonara, Mel Tucker. Justin Herbert and Zack Moss and Laviska Shenault Jr.? All gone. This is a year of rebirth for the conference.
B is for buzz: Or would it be L for lack of buzz? The Pac-12 only boasts two ranked teams, and it just feels like the conference is a complete afterthought as the last Power 5 conference to kick off. Will the Pac-12 be completely ignored this year? Or only mostly ignored, like usual?
C is for Chip: Much like his defensive coordinator, UCLA’s Chip Kelly is on thin ice after a brutal start to his time in Westwood. He’s 7-17. Did anyone expect that out of one of the conference’s shiniest stars?
D is for Dorrell: Back for Round 2 in the Pac-12, Karl Dorrell will be tasked with making Colorado fans forget about Mel Tucker in a hurry. Tucker bounced for Michigan State after just one season in Boulder, bewildering Buff backers on the way out. Dorrell, who found only moderate success at UCLA despite recruiting riches, has a tough gig ahead of him.
E is for Evan: Or, rather, E was for Evan? Cal’s Evan Weaver exited last year after a conference-record 181 tackles, leaving a massive gap in the middle for the Bears. Look for Cameron Goode and Kuony Deng to fill the gap.
F is for fortunate: The chasm between the scheduling haves and have-nots is the Grand Canyon. Washington State must tangle with both USC and Oregon. So too will UCLA. But the Trojans and Ducks avoid each other, and thus, are scheduled to face no ranked teams.
G is for Gunnell: For Arizona fans, 2020 will be all about Grant Gunnell. After looking impressive last year in Khalil Tate’s place, the pocket passer could thrive under offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.
H is for Herm: Arizona State has looked impressive with Herm Edwards at the helm. Are the Sun Devils ready to take another step behind the longtime NFLer?
I is for identity: Is UCLA a quick-twitch, pass-happy offense under Chip Kelly? Will Wazzu still “Air Raid” it out in the absence of Mike Leach? Can Jimmy Lake install a more consistent defense in Washington? This is the season for several Pac-12 teams to establish an identity.
J is for Jayden: Jayden Daniels wasn’t perfect as a freshman for the Sun Devils, but he was close. A 17-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio as a freshman is remarkable. Can he build on it in this shortened season?
USC quarterback Kedon Slovis threw for 30 touchdowns a year ago.
K is for Kedon: If Jayden Daniels was dangerously efficient as a freshman, Kedon Slovis — a Scottsdale native — was equally as prolific for USC. Inheriting the keys to the potent USC offense upon J.T. Daniels’ early season injury, Slovis threw for 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns with nine picks en route to conference offensive freshman of the year honors.
L is for Lake: Jimmy Lake takes over at Washington for Chris Petersen, who called it quits after six seasons in Seattle. Lake came to U-Dub with Petersen after two years at Boise State, and he jumped from DB coach to co-defensive coordinator to defensive coordinator to head coach.
M is for Murao: Lake has one major box checked — stud young offensive lineman. Myles Murao is considered one of the top centers in the country, and he could be a fixture up front for the foreseeable future.
N is for nonstop: One thing you’ve got to love about this strange Pac-12 football season — no bye weeks. Just seven weeks of madness. That’ll do.
O is for Odighizuwa: UCLA needs someone to step up on the defensive side, and Osa Odighizuwa might just be the man for the job. The younger brother of former UCLA stud Owamagbe Odighizuwa isn’t quite so little — he’s 6 feet 2 inches and 279 pounds — but now is the time for him to make a real impact.
Oregon offensive lineman Penei Sewell was selected to The Associated Press preseason All-America first team before opting out of the season.
P is for Penei: There’s only one way to watch Oregon’s Penei Sewell this fall: YouTube, where a video about him — “Most Dominant College O-Lineman of the Decade” — has more than 175,000 views. Sewell has opted out because of the pandemic, but figures to be an NFL star, and soon.
Q is for question: This whole list has been chock full of questions, because this may be the most perplexing season in Pac-12 history. It’s not just a pandemic. It’s Oregon in flux without Justin Herbert. It’s USC trying to regain its reign. It’s backs against the wall, and who’s going to bounce from the brink.
Washington State hired Nick Rolovich away from Hawaii to replace Mike Leach.
R is for Rolovich: Well, where do we begin? Nick Rolovich, a former Hawaii coach and player, arrives on the mainland with hopes of taking Washington State to even greater heights.
S is for Sumlin: The heat is on for Kevin Sumlin, who saw the Wildcats regress last year from 5-7 in 2018 to 4-8 and 2-7 in conference play last season. Those numbers are unacceptable for those Arizona fans desperate to turn around two decades of frustration.
T is for Turk: A punter, on this coveted list? Considering Michael Turk might just change college football, maybe it’s not so crazy. For the first time, the NCAA restored the eligibility of a player who declared for the NFL Draft, hired an agent and participated in the NFL Combine and draft. Turk wasn’t selected, went unsigned, and petitioned to return to ASU. Shockingly, the NCAA relented.
U is for upsets: Last year, ASU knocked off then-No. 15 Cal in Week 5; one week later, Stanford took out then-No. 15 Washington. Guess what happened the next week, when Oregon State hosted No. 15 Utah? The Utes won 52-7. Who’ll pull off the upsets this year? Look out for Washington and Cal.
V is for Verdell: Yes, Justin Herbert may be in the NFL, cashing checks and torching defenses for the Chargers. But The Oregon Ducks aren’t barren. In fact, they boast perhaps the conference’s most electric player in running back C.J. Verdell, who rushed for 1,018 yards on 202 carries.
W is for Walker: Walker Little is, well, walking. Stanford’s terrific offensive tackle has opted out of the season, one year after tearing his ACL in the first game of the 2019 season. The former all-conference and freshman co-offensive player of the year could have really helped a Stanford team breaking in a new QB.
X is for Xavier: Incoming Utah defensive end Xavier Carlton is a 6-6 specimen, the latest in the Utes’ long lineage up front.
Y is for youth movement: Carlton isn’t the only other new stud on the block. Between Oregon linebackers Justin Flowe (No. 6 overall prospect) and Noah Sewell (No. 13), USC wideout Gary Bryant Jr. (No. 46 overall prospect), Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III (No. 51) and Washington wideout Jalen McMillan (No. 67), a new crop of Pac-12 prodigies is ready to shine.
Z is for zany: This is the weirdest season on record. Off-again, on-again. Coaching changes. Seven games?! Buckle up for a weird and wild ride.
