Each Pac-12 team’s worst-case 2023 season, per 247Sports
The Pac-12 should be one of the most entertaining conferences in all of college football for the 2023 campaign. New head coaches entered and the quarterback group could very easily be the best in Power Five.
This could be a make-or-break year for the conference with USC and UCLA leaving next summer, so a successful football season would go a long way.
While the Pac-12 could see a number of teams end up ranked or even compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff, there’s always the other side of the spectrum. Raymond Lucas Jr. of 247Sports revealed his worst-case scenario for each Pac-12 team, which we’ll break down below:
USC TROJANS
Failing to reach the Pac-12 title game is USC’s worst-case scenario, Lucas believes. The Trojans should be able to get there, but will their defense hold up its end of the bargain?
UCLA BRUINS
A .500 season is the worst-case here for UCLA. Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet are gone, and if Chip Kelly goes 6-6 in the regular season, he might not make it for the Bruins’ Big Ten debut.
OREGON DUCKS
Oregon State ruined Oregon’s Pac-12 title game hopes a year ago, and if the Ducks miss out again, things won’t look well in Eugene. Missing that game is the worst-case scenario for a team that should be ranked.
WASHINGTON HUSKIES
The Huskies also have the same worst-case scenario: missing the Pac-12 title game. Kalen DeBoer worked wonders in his first year, and the Huskies’ talent has everybody believing that they could be the second-best team in the conference.
OREGON STATE
Oregon State got better by landing Clemson transfer QB Dj Uiagalelei. If they don’t win double-digit games, that’s the worst-case scenario.
ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS
New coaches can do a lot of good. However, Arizona State has a lot to change after a horrible Herm Edwards tenure. The Sun Devils finishing 10th or worse is the worst-case outcome here.
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
Cal finished toward the bottom of the Pac-12 last season, and the worst-case scenario for the Golden Bears is them having the worst record in the league, which could include losing to Stanford in The Big Game.
STANFORD CARDINAL
Replacing Tanner McKee at QB is one thing and a coach making the jump from Sacramento State to a Power Five school is another. The worst-case scenario, and probably a very likely outcome, is that Stanford finishes at the bottom of the Pac-12.
COLORADO BUFFALOES
The worst-case for the Buffaloes is that they have the worst record in the Pac-12. Colorado added a ton of talent this offseason, but they have one of the more difficult schedules in the conference.
ARIZONA WILDCATS
Can Jayden de Laura take a step forward in 2023? Can Arizona get back to a bowl game? It will be tough in a difficult conference, and the worst-case scenario is they finish with less than five wins.
UTAH UTES
Utah has Cam Rising back, but Dalton Kincaid left for the NFL along with Clark Phillips. The Utes might regress, but falling short of double-digit wins is the worst-case scenario for the back-to-back Pac-12 champs.
WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS
Can Washington State return to a bowl game? If the Cougars finish .500 or worse, it won’t be very good for Jake Dickert.
Further reading
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