PAC-12 FOOTBALL 2018 SEASON PREVIEW

BREAKOUT STARS, BIGGEST GAMES, PREDICTIONS

The Pac-12 needs to rebound in a major way in 2018. Who will step up and lead the conference under the national spotlight?

The Pac-12 needs to turn the ship around in 2018. After a disastrous bowl season and the conference seemingly falling behind the rest of the Power-5 conferences, this would be a great time for a program or multiple to step up and get things back on track.

Fortunately, this could be a great year for the conference and they have a program that could very well turn things around. In 2017, the USC Trojans claimed the conference championship and now they will turn a new leaf with a new look at quarterback.

The Washington Huskies boast one of the most impressive rosters in all of college football and are a legitimate playoff contender. The Stanford Cardinal and Oregon Ducks want to show that they’re right there as well in the Pac-12 North.

New faces lead programs in the south with Herm Edwards and Kevin Sumlin taking over Arizona State University and Arizona in the south. The biggest though is Chip Kelly making his return to college football and the conference he excelled in. The UCLA Bruins will look to make big strides in their first year under their coach. This is a chance for the conference to make noise in the right direction.

HERE’S WHAT FANS SHOULD EXPECT IN 2018.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: BRYCE LOVE, RB – STANFORD

Stanford running back Bryce Love was an absolute beast in the 2017 season. He even put his name up with the likes of Saquon Barkley. That’s how well he was running the ball and he would have been a likely first-round pick had he entered the draft.

However, he chose to return to the Cardinal for another season and now he’s going to have the running back spotlight on himself out west. He’ll be the offensive catalyst for the Cardinal and will have to put the offense on his back if they’re going to contend in the North.

300-plus yard games are always a possibility with Love touching the ball and he’s going to get a healthy amount of carries. There are plenty of great options for the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, but Love is the safest bet.

Justin Herbert of Oregon and Khalil Tate of Arizona are also players to keep an eye on as well. Both quarterbacks are aiming for big things in 2018 and could very well end up winning the Offensive Player of the Year award.

PAT TILLMAN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: TAYLOR RAPP, S – WASHINGTON

When the 2016 Washington Huskies made a run to the College Football Playoff and put together an incredible season, it was on the strength of their secondary. Budda Baker, Sidney Jones and Kenny King helped make up a monstrous trio.

Taylor Rapp was just a freshman on that team but has slowly been developing into one of the best safeties in the nation. In 2018, Rapp has a chance for a hallmark season in his junior season of play.

It’s too soon to start talking about whether or not he’ll leave for the next level after this season, but Rapp’s going to be the focal point of the secondary. He’s a definite All-American candidate and should be in contention for awards as well.

It helps that Rapp plays with talented secondary players next to him much like that 2016 secondary. Tevis Bartlett and Byron Murphy should also have huge seasons for Washington as well.

Rapp’s experienced and knows how to make an impact in big moments. The Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year award could be finding a home in Seattle this season if the Huskies’ secondary is as advertised.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: JT DANIELS, QB – USC

The freshman of the year comes down to who is going to make the biggest impact right off the bat. Of course, the first place people are going to look to when it comes to impact is the quarterback position.

It just happens to be the case in 2018, that a freshman quarterback should be leading the USC Trojans. Five-star recruit JT Daniels comes in as one of the most highly touted quarterback recruits and the program is hoping he can pick up where Sam Darnold left off.

He’s going to need time to reach the levels that Darnold helped take the program, but Daniels by all accounts has been nothing short of impressive since arriving. If he can put the Trojans in contention early, he’s easily the freshman of the year.

Delivering the Trojans to a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game would be the icing on the cake. He could have a big opportunity early in the season if he is indeed the starter when USC takes the road and faces the Cardinal in Week 2.

There are up and downs when it comes to a freshman quarterback, but Daniels should have plenty of bright moments. The anticipation and hype surrounding him will have all eyes squarely on him this season.

BREAKOUT STAR TO WATCH: STEPHEN CARR, RB – USC

It’s the era of the running back in college football and while Bryce Love is the man to watch at Stanford, another is on the rise in the conference. With Ronald Jones II off to the NFL, Stephen Carr is now the man in Los Angeles.

The sophomore running back saw 65 carries as a freshman and turned in a huge performance against Stanford early in the season with over 100 yards on the ground. Now he’ll get to show off what he can do with even more carries.

With a new quarterback that should likely be freshman JT Daniels, the Trojans should pound the football plenty and that is going to give Carr a tremendous opportunity to create some highlights on the ground.

USC has always had a strong history with running backs and if they’re going to win the Pac-12 South and compete for a conference championship, Carr is going to have to take a big step forward this season.

He’s the perfect breakout candidate in the conference. Another great option is Oregon wide receiver, Dillon Mitchell. The junior led the team in receiving as a sophomore and will have a healthy Justin Herbert throwing to him.

COACH OF THE YEAR: CHRIS PETERSEN – WASHINGTON

It might be the easiest and most obvious answer, but if the Washington Huskies are conference champions and in contention to make the College Football Playoff, Chris Petersen is the man to win Coach of the Year in the Pac-12 Conference.

Petersen has been the national coach of the year twice in his career because of the work he has done with Boise State and he could be in contention for that award as well again this year when it’s all said and done.

Other choices for this award include Kevin Sumlin if Arizona takes off under him in his first year, Justin Wilcox at Cal and it will be interesting to follow Chip Kelly’s first season with the UCLA Bruins.

Still, this seems like Petersen’s year in the Pac-12 going into things. He knows how to get to the big stage and more importantly, get back and that’s what the Huskies are looking to do this season.

Keep an eye on Mario Cristobal at Oregon as well. With Justin Herbert under center and an offense that can put up points, the Ducks should be a strong player in the conference after Willie Taggart departed the program.

GAME OF THE YEAR: STANFORD AT WASHINGTON – NOV. 3

There are plenty of contenders for the best game in the Pac-12 this season, including USC’s battles against Stanford and Arizona, UCLA and Chip Kelly’s return to Oregon, but the choice here is the game that should be for the North.

On Nov. 3, the Washington Huskies will host the Stanford Cardinal. Last season, the two programs shared the Pac-12 North title, but Stanford went to the conference championship game because of their head-to-head win over Washington.

Had the Huskies won, they might have won the conference again and went onto bigger things. Now, they’ll meet again this season in Seattle. It’s very likely that once again this game carries the same big implications.

If Washington wants to win the conference and boost their College Football Playoff resume, they’ll need a win over David Shaw’s program. It’s entertaining to see the two giants face off each season and that’s why it will be the best game this season.

Bryce Love against a stout front that Washington boasts will be one of the best in-game battles all season. These two programs are more than familiar with each other and Shaw taking on Chris Petersen is coaching defined.

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 CONFERENCE STANDINGS
CHAMPION: WASHINGTON	OVERALL	COFERENCE
NORTH DIVISION
WASHINGTON	W 11 L 1	W 8 L 1
STANFORD	W 10 L 2	W 7 L2
OREGON	W 8 L 4	W 5 L 4
WASHINGTON STATE	W 6 L 6	W 4 L 5
CALIFORNIA	W 6 L 6	W 4 L 5
OREGON STATE	W 2 L 10	W 0 L 9

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.

SOUTH DIVISION
UTAH	W 9 L 3	W 6 L 3
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	W 8 L 4	W 6 L 3
ARIZONA	W 8 L 4	W 5 L 4
UCLA	W 7 L 5	W 5 L 4
ARIZONA STATE	W 4 L 8	W 3 L 6
COLORADO	W 3 L 9	W 1 L 8

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

CONFERENCE CHAMPION: WASHINGTON HUSKIES

At the end of the day, the Washington Huskies are by far the best team in the conference right. USC has a bright future ahead of them and Stanford and Oregon can’t be discounted, but the Huskies are primed to win now.

Chris Petersen has built a phenomenal roster in Seattle and the Huskies could very well wind up back in the College Football Playoff. They have the best defense in the conference and the most experienced quarterback.

They have a head coach that has been in every big-game situation. They have all the tools necessary to run away with the conference and if they can come away with a perfect season or just one loss at most, they’ll be in the College Football Playoff.

It’s hard to say who they will face from the Pac-12 South, as there are teams bunched up at the top with USC, Utah and Arizona all in the mix. Still, none of those teams are ready to compete with what the Huskies have going for them in 2018.

The Pac-12 needs a champion that’s going to carry them for a while and Petersen’s building a powerhouse. The reign of the Huskies is beginning and it’s on the rest of the conference to catch up with them.