It All Starts Here

The 2022 PAC 12 football season starts where it ended last year when Utah claimed its first-ever conference football title.

The Utes are the choice of most scribes to repeat their success this season, although the new regime at USC, led by new head coach Lincoln Riley, is winning over the favor of many.

Along with USC, fellow defector UCLA could be a Top 25 team provided head coach Chip Kelly improves its defense, while also rebuilding a strong offensive line.

Newbies

Four new had coaches take the reins in 20ss, including the aforementioned Riley, along Dan Lanning at Oregon, Kalen DeBoer with Washington and Jake Dickert at Washington State.

Lanning and Dickert make their head coach debuts while DeBoer has won at every level he's been at.

Guttter Balls

How bad has the PAC-12 been in bowl season, you ask?

Dismal, at best, as they've thrown plenty of gutter balls.

Since 2016, the PAC-12 stands 11-25 SU and 2-28 ATS in all bowl games, including 4-15 ATS when favored.

Do not ignore this warning sign. It could be hazardous to your wealth.

Note: Team write-ups are excerpts from the 2022 PLAYBOOK Football Preview Guide magazine – on sale at Barnes & Noble and Books A Million bookstores nationwide or online PlaybookSports.com. A breakdown of the numbers includes the team's national recruiting ranking, of 131 teams, by 247Sports as well as the amount of returning starters on offense and defense, with an asterisk (*) designating a returning quarterback. The number listed alongside the team name designates its preseason projected win total.

2022 PAC-12 POINTSPREAD POWER PLAYS

North Division (California, Oregon, Oregon St, Stanford, Washington, Wash St)

CALIFORNIA – BEAR PRAYERS – 5.5 W - 4 / 5

The Bears will turn the ball over to Purdue transfer QB Jack Plummer in hopes of juicing up an offense that rose from the ashes last season when it averaged 387 YPG, the most since the Sonny Dykes years in 2013-2016. It won't be an easy task, though, not with the WR corps losing four of its five top producers. The good news is that Justin Wilcox's defense tied Utah for fewest Yards Per Play allowed (5.03), but they too are a depleted bunch. It all goes to the fact that Cal returns the fewest number of starters in the Pac-12 in 2022. Wilcox will need plenty of prayers answered early and often.

PLAY ON: as a dog vs. Washington (10/22)

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Bears are 9-0 ATS as non-conference road dogs versus Power Five foes since 2000.

OREGON – PERFECTLY DONE – 8.5 W - *8 / 7

When you're in charge of one of the best defenses in college football history, you're bound to get some job offers. Dan Lanning landed a dream job with Oregon when Mario Cristobal made the move back home to Miami. Lanning, the co-defensive coordinator at Georgia and former Alabama assistant, maintained a top-25 class while also inheriting an offensive line that could the best in the FBS this season. Incoming transfer QB Bo Nix figures to benefit, arriving from Auburn where he passed for over 7,000 yards with 39 TDs and 18 rushing touchdowns in his three-year career with the Tigers. And he dazzled in the Ducks' spring game. Well played, Oregon.

PLAY ON: vs. Utah (11/19)

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Ducks are 12-1 SUATS with rest vs. opponents coming off a double-digit loss.

OREGON STATE – NEXT MAN UP – 6.5 W - *6 / 8

The Beavers finally broke on through to the other side last season, producing a winning record for the first time since 2013. The offense averaged 6.4 Yards Per Play last year, but a shake-up on the offensive line, along with running back B.J. Baylor now playing on Sundays this season, figures to add heat on QB Chance Nolan. However, true freshman running back Damien Martinez appears to be something special. "That kid's a stud. He comes up all over the film," Nolan said of Martinez. "He's a very smooth runner, very effortless with the ball in his hands, makes guys miss and he's a very big body." Stay tuned.

PASS

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Beavers raised 53 places in the 2022 recruiting ranks.

STANFORD – TICK TOCK SHAW – 4.5 W - *10 / 7

After winning 40 games in four seasons from 2015-2018, the Cardinal have tallied just 10 wins the last three years. In the process, they've been outgained in 24 of the 30 games they've played since 2019. Despite a 93-45 record in 12 seasons on The Farm for David Shaw, the feeling here is he's firmly on the hot seat in 2022. The good news is the 10 returning starters back on offense are the most in the conference, including 6' 6" QB Tanner McKee. Stanford will need to improve a stop-unit ranked last in the Pac-12 in 2021 in scoring defense (32.4) and Yards Per Play allowed (6.5). The clock is ticking.

PLAY AGAINST: at Oregon (10/1)

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: Stanford will face 2021 bowl teams in seven of its final nine games of the season.

South Division (Arizona, Arizona St, Colorado, UCLA, USC, Utah)

ARIZONA – LIMBO STICK – 2.5 W - *7 / 8

The Arizona football program debuted with one-win under first year head coach Jedd Fisch in 2021, including a watermark-low loss to FCS entrant Northern Arizona. The scorecard now reads 1-23 in their last 24 contests. That's UConn-UMass-New Mexico State territory, folks, and we're talking a Power 5 program to boot. Even Chubby Checker wonders how low can they go? Former four-star QB Jayden de Laura, a two-year starter for Washington State, transfers in coming off a season in which he threw for 2,798 yards and 23 touchdowns while averaging 7.8 yards per attempt. He's a huge pickup for a Wildcats team that just loaded up with skill talent in the 2022 cycle. Watch for an uptick in Tucson.

PLAY ON: at California (9/24)

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Wildcats are 2-14 SU and 4-12 ATS when coming off a loss and facing an opponent coming off consecutive wins.

ARIZONA STATE – REVOLVING DOORS – 6.5 W - 5 / 4

Safe to say it's not been a good year in Tempe. The 2021 offense was the second-worst in points per game (28.4) since head coach Herm Edwards arrived in 2018. Quarterback Jayden Daniels regressed in his third season, and after recommitting to ASU, surprisingly entered the transfer portal after OC Zak Hill resigned in January with an NCAA investigation taking place. Enter new OC Glenn Thomas, Edwards' answer to fix a broken-down offense. Together they welcome former Florida signal caller Emory Jones from the Transfer Portal. Meanwhile, former NFL coach Brian Billick steps in as Offensive Analyst and Advisor to the Head Coach. That's a lot of revolving doors.

PLAY AGAINST: at Arizona (11/25)

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: ASU is 15-3-1 ATS when seeking revenge against a foe coming off a SUATS win.

COLORADO – WHERE DID THE O GO? – 3.5 W - *7 / 5

The Buffaloes 2021 season went sideways in a hurry under second-year head coach Karl Dorrell. They won as many games last year as they managed in 2020, but it took them twice as many games to do so. Their 4-8 effort was directly attributable to a "Witness Protection Program offense" that literally fell off the map, slipping 158 yards and 10 points per game last season – and that was with 17 starters back from 2020's bowl squad. As a result Dorrell revamped his offensive coaching staff with four new hires. Quizzically, the Buffs finished 3rd in the nation in Red Zone Offense last season. While the conversion percentage was high, they just didn't get there often enough.

PLAY ON: as a dog of 8 or fewer points vs. TCU (9/2)

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: Buffaloes head coach Karl Dorrell is 14-1 ATS as a dog of fewer than 8 points.

UCLA – GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS – 8.5 W - *6 / 2

The Bruins finally shook a 5-year losing skid when QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson improved dramatically last season. He finished with 2,409 yards and 21 TDs with 6 INTs, while averaging a career high 8.5 yards per attempt. When he decided to return for the 2022 season, UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel immediately de-committed and headed instead to Oklahoma. Also, back for the Bruins is star RB Zach Charbonnet, who rushed for a career-high 1,137 yards and 13 TDs last season, after transferring in from Michigan. But coach Chip Kelly's offense lost three key starters on the line, along with three key wide receivers who accounted for 119 receptions last year. Buyer beware.

PASS

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: Head coach Chip Kelly is 23-1 SU and 17-5 ATS in his CFB career versus losing opponents.

USC – HOT ROD LINCOLN – 9.5 W - *8 / 3

The hottest coaching switch that started it all – Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC – is either beloved or hated by everyone. Given his success in the transfer portal, they signed the number-one transfer class this year with 13 incoming transfers. This may be the best offseason in recent memory for USC. With it, in comes superstar QB Caleb Williams, Oregon standout Travis Dye, and Colorado playmaker Brenden Rice (Jerry Rice's son). Players – not just from Oklahoma – want to play with Riley. The conference has sent two teams to the College Football Playoff since the 2014 season. If the Trojans have their way, that could change this season.

PLAY ON: at Stanford (9/10) - *KEY

STAT THAT YOU WILL LIKE: USC's four wins last season were the fewest for the Trojans since 1991.

UTAH – LOVIN' IT - 9 W - *8 / 6

Per Ralph Michaels of Cal Sports, no FBS team started more underclassmen that the Utes last season, as together they accounted for 67.5% of all player team-starts. And you know how we feel about the valuable experience teams gain from one season to the next. In addition, with 14 starters back they will need contributions from each and every one of them to stave off vastly improved USC, and perhaps UCLA in the Pac-12 South this campaign. After winning the conference championship for the first time last season, and landing a major bowl for the first time in over a decade, Utah is finally getting the love it deserves.

PLAY AGAINST: as a favorite vs. USC (10/15)

WASHINGTON – MATCH GAME – 7.5 W - *8 / 5

After starting the 2020 season as the No. 20 ranked team in the nation, the Huskies proceeded to go 4-8, thus missing bowl games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2009. As a result, Jimmy Lake was fired with Kaleb DeBoer assuming the reins. DeBoer, who has won at every level he's been – including as an OC and QB coach at Indiana in 2019 – immediately hit the transfer portal and reeled in former IU quarterback Michael Penix Jr. When DeBoer left for Fresno State in 2020, Penix's completion rate dipped big-time. The reunion is a good match and figures to lead to striking success.

PLAY ON: vs. Colorado (11/19) - *KEY

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: Head coach DeBoer is 3-0 SUATS in his career in games when coming off a SU favorite loss.

WASHINGTON STATE – INWARD MOVES – 5.5 W - 4 / 6

QB Cameron Ward transfers in from Incarnate Word, and according to TheTransferPortal.com he's ready to set the college football world on fire. Ward recorded a ridiculous 77 TDs and only 14 INTs in his first two seasons with UIW in the Southland Conference, and figures to be a breakout player with the Cougars. He'll fit well with WSU's revamped air-raid offense under new head coach Jake Dickert, who was 3-2 as Washington State's interim coach last season. A dominating 40-13 Apple Cup victory in Seattle last season snapped a seven-game skid to Washington, and ended up being WSU's largest margin of victory in series history. Dickert was hired as the permanent coach the next day.

PLAY AGAINST: vs. Arizona State (11/12) - *KEY as a favorite

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Cougars have gone 0-10 SUATS away in conference games versus foes coming off a loss under first-year head coaches since 1987.