Arrr! The Pac-12 be undefeated after Week 1, me hearties! Yet, the tides of the future be murky!
2023-09-04
Arrr, me hearties! Avast ye, I bring ye news from the seven seas of football! The fine crews sailin' under the Pac-12 banner be undefeated, aye! Not a single loss befallen 'em scurvy dogs so far, with USC leadin' the charge in both Week Zero and Week 1. Hoist the Jolly Roger, mateys!
Despite having only two teams committed to the conference beyond the 2023 college football season, the Pac-12 is off to one heck of a start. For the first time since 1932, every Pac-12 school won its season opener. The conference is 13-0 as No. 6 USC moved to 2-0 on the season after defeating San Jose State in Week Zero and Nevada in Week 1. No. 18 Oregon State was the last remaining Pac-12 school to kick off the year, taking on San Jose State on Sunday. The Beavers defeated the Spartans 42-17 as transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei accounted for five touchdowns in his debut. Uiagalelei, who transferred from Clemson in the offseason, was 20-25 for 239 yards and three touchdowns through the air, adding two scores on the ground. Oregon State is looking to build on a 10-win season in 2022 as head coach Jonathan Smith enters his sixth year in Corvallis. The future of the Pac-12 conference appears bleak as 10 schools will play in different conferences next season. One year after USC and UCLA announced their intention to join the Big Ten, Oregon and Washington did the same in August. Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah will head to the Big 12 after the 2023-24 seasons. On Friday, the ACC Board of Directors voted to admit Stanford, Cal, and SMU as full members starting in the 2024-25 school year, leaving the Pac-12 with just Washington State and Oregon State committed beyond the academic year. While the "Conference of Champions" will cease to exist as it has been known for decades, the 2023 football season is the Pac-12’s best chance to snap a six-year absence from the College Football Playoff.