Since 2009, only the Stanford Cardinals and Oregon Ducks have held the Pac-12 League trophy up in the air. That is poised to change, as there is a lot of teams that are talented and want to hold the treasure. Here are the teams that have a legitimate chance to win the conference.
Pac-12 Favorites
- Oregon Ducks
When someone thinks about the best team in the Pac-12, the Oregon Ducks usually come to mind. Their unique and fast-paced offense has tried to be imitated by teams all over the nation. No one can do it as well as the Ducks. Led by QB Marcus Mariota, who is already a Heisman Trophy front-runner, the sky is the limit for one of the best organizations in college football. Oregon’s challenge will be to stay consistent the whole season. In Week 3, the powerhouse lost to the Arizona Wildcats 42-16. It was one of the biggest upsets of the season. And if that wasn’t enough, Washington State and Washington put up a huge fight, and did not lose by much. The second loss of their season was to the Stanford Cardinals.
Chance of Winning Conference: 35%
- Stanford Cardinals
The Stanford Cardinals lost a lot of key players this season. Khalil Wilkes, Cameron Fleming and David Yankey are all gone from an offensive line that simply mashed defensive fronts all season long. Tyler Gaffney and Anthony Wilkerson, the two featured running backs, are gone as well. So why be optimistic about the Cardinals winning the Pacific 12? Kevin Hogan is a returning star QB and he has the potential to become the next AJ McCarron. There are no words to describe how good Ty Montgomery will be next season. Coming off of a 958 yard/10 TD season, the 6’2 play-maker should enjoy a fantastic season. On the defensive side, losing Shayne Skov, Trent Murphy, Ed Reynolds and Ben Gardner isn’t ideal, but you have to believe Shaw will find a way to make things work.
Chance of Winning Conference: 25%
- UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins enjoyed their finest season in years. The 10-3 Bruins are led by QB Brett Hundley and LB Myles Jack. Eric Kendricks is another beast at linebacker, and the defensive line will be nasty behind Eddie Vanderdoes, Ellis McCarthy and Owamagbe Odighizuwa. While the team has so much potential, they have learn to put all the talent together and make a championship-caliber team. If they could do that, the UCLA Bruins could hang with anybody in any conference, and is a bomb waiting to explode.
Chance of Winning Conference: 20%
- Arizona State Sun Devils
While the ASU Sun Devils almost ran away with the championship last season in the championship game, a lot of fans and experts agreed that Arizona State should not have been the team in the game. Despite the criticism, they still had a mile high season and should not be left out in this topic. However, the Sun Devils took a great hit with the loss of Marion Grice (RB) and nine starters on the defensive side of the ball. Yes, I said nine! No team has bigger gaps to fill then Arizona State. Jaelen Strong is an accomplished WR that is returning as already one of the best wide receivers in the NCAA. Taylor Kelly returns for his fourth season in Tempe and for the third time as the starting quarterback. In 2013, he accounted for 37 touchdowns and over 4,200 yards of offense. While the chances are slim for the Sun Devils, Kelly and Strong should keep their team optimistic for a title.
Chance of Winning Conference: 10%
- Other Teams to Consider:
- USC Trojans: 8%
- Arizona: 2%
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