Every summer since 2007 I have created an intricate set of college football predictions for each upcoming season.  This year is no exception, as I will be using my blog over the next few hours to publish my 17th annual college football preview guide which will contain 18 entries in all. The records below reflect each team’s predicted regular season overall record followed by their conference record.  These records include conference title games for the two division champions but exclude bowl games which will be previewed later on in a separate column on this blog.  The teams marked in bold font are the ones predicted to gain bowl eligibility.  Without further ado, here are my predictions for the Pac-12 in 2023, which will likely be the last in the 108 year history of the league.

1	Washington (11-2, 7-2)- conference champion

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Defensive Backfield

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs.Oregon (October 14)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Arizona (September 30)- Jeff Fisch gets his statement win with this upset in week 4 as the Huskies get caught looking ahead to their game against Oregon. 

Bottom Line: If this is really all she wrote for the Pac-12 conference, there likely won’t be a better season to end on, as this league features 5 of the top quarterbacks in the country and at least four teams with legitimate national title aspirations.  The Huskies and the Trojans have the easiest pathways to the championship (both play two of the top four teams at home), and given USC’s precarious history in Pac-12 title games, I am calling for Washington to win the conference crown in Kalen Deboer’s second season at the helm.  Unfortunately, I think the top of this league ultimately cannibalizes one another to the point that no one is in the running for the College Football Playoff at the end of the season.

1	Southern Cal (10-3, 7-2)- conference runner-up/regular season champ

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs.Washington (November 4)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at California (November 28)- yes, I realize this would be a shocking upset, but keep in mind that Justin Wilcox’s team almost knocked off the Trojans on the road last season.

Bottom Line: Caleb Williams becomes the latest QB to try to become the first repeat Heisman winner since Archie Griffin in 1975.  Like all those who have failed before him (Tebow, Winston, Jackson, Manziel, etc), I think Williams will fall short of a repeat Heisman, and I think his Trojans will fall just short of the Pac-12 title as well.  I just can’t pick them to knock off a really good Washington team in both the regular season and postseason. 

3	Utah (10-2, 7-2)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Oregon (October 28)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Washington (November 11)

Bottom Line: The two-time defending Pac-12 champions have the talent to contend for a third straight conference crown, but the loss of their best receiver (Kincaid) and running back (Thomas) will ultimately cause them to fall just short.  I am, however, still picking the Utes to finish the season in a New Year’s Six Bowl for the third straight year (see bowl projections in later article).

4	Oregon (9-3, 7-2)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Southern Cal (November 11)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Texas Tech (September 9)

Bottom Line: The Ducks bring back most all of the key pieces from an offense that paved the way for back to back seasons 10 win seasons in 2021 and 2022. However, Oregon’s defense and schedule will likely be their downfall in 2023. They lose their three best defensive playmakers (Williams, Sewell, and Gonzalez), and have to play Texas Tech, Washington, and Utah all on the road.

5	California (8-4, 5-4)

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Southern Cal (October 28)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Stanford (November 18)

Bottom Line: It is a put up or shut up year for Justin Wilcox at Cal, and while the Bears have disappointed me before, I think this could be a breakout season in Berkeley. Cal brings back 17 returning starters, has a stud dual threat QB in Sam Jackson (previously at TCU), and most importantly, no one is paying them one bit of attention. I know this team is coming off three straight losing seasons, but 5 of their 8 losses last season were by one score or less, including narrow defeats to UCLA, USC, Notre Dame, and Washington. Watch out for the Golden Bears this season, as they are my # 1 surprise team for the 2023 season!

5	Arizona (7-5, 5-4)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Washington (September 30)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Colorado (November 11)- the Buffs will struggle early but I think they will pull of an upset or two later in the year, like this one.

Bottom Line: The positive momentum is palpable in Tucson as Jedd Fisch has infused life into a program that has been on a downward spiral for nearly a decade. The next step is for the Wildcats to play in their first bowl game since 2017, and I think they get there this season thanks to a stellar offense that returns eight starters including their quarterback, five out of their top six receivers, and their top five rushers from a year ago.

7	Oregon State (6-6, 4-5)

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. UCLA (October 14)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at San Jose State (September 3)- this seems like a dangerous road opener against a motivated Group of Five program with talent

Bottom Line: I perennially underrate the Beavers, so this pick scares me quite a bit. However, I just don’t have the confidence in a D.J. Uiagaleleli turnaround like a lot of people do. If you struggle at the quarterback position when you’re surrounded by All-American running backs, receivers, and lineman, how much better can you really play with less talent around you? The Beavers won’t be terrible in 2023, but I don’t think they come close to contending for the conference crown like many experts are calling for.

8	UCLA (6-6, 4-5)

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Defensive Backfield

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Washington State (October 7)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Coastal Carolina (September 2)

Bottom Line: Chip Kelly brought respectability back to this program in direct proportionality to Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s development as a quarterback.  Now, UCLA has to start from scratch at that position and could be starting a true freshman in that spot come week 1.  The Bruins have too much talent to completely fall off the map this season, but I think they do take a significant step back in a 2023 campaign that may include a shocking loss to Coastal Carolina in their season opener. 

9	Colorado (4-8, 3-6)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Arizona (November 11)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Washington State (November 17)

Bottom Line: I am not sure there has ever been as much national interest on a team coming off a 1-11 season as this squad.  I don’t think the Buffaloes are going to be one of the worst Power 5 teams of all-time like some people are suggesting, but I also don’t envision an immediate return to respectability either.  The Buffs have too much “Louis Vuiton” talent not to win at least a few games against Power 5 opposition, but their overall lack of depth and continuity could present some major problems.

10	Arizona State (5-7, 2-7)

Positional Strength: Defensive Backfield

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Oklahoma State (September 9)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Colorado (October 7)

Bottom Line: The Herm Edwards experiment failed miserably in Tempe, and now Kenny Dillingham enters the fray as a much safer hire.  He is inheriting an absolute mess, however, as this team only returns eight total starters and has to replace its starting quarterback, running back, and top four tacklers.  The Devils should improve on their dismal 3-9 finish in 2022, but a return to bowl eligibility is probably asking too much in year one under this new regime. 

11	Washington State (3-9, 2-7)

Positional Strength: Defensive Backfield

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Colorado (November 17)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Colorado State (September 2)- I think a lot these mid to bottom tier Pac-12 teams are going to regret going on the road to open their season against a motivated bunch of Mountain West teams (i.e. Stanford, Oregon State, and Wazzu).  

Bottom Line: Jake Dickert’s squad significantly outperformed my preseason expectations the past two seasons, and obviously, this pick is setting me up for a third straight season in which I have underrated the Cougs.  With that being said, I just don’t think this team is as talented as most others in the league, as they struggled on both the recruiting trail and the transfer portal.  Quarterback Cameron Ward is good enough to keep them in a lot of ball games, but they are having to break-in an entirely new receiving corps, linebacking corps, and defensive line.

12	Stanford (2-10, 1-8)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Offensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. California (November 18)- throw out the records when it comes to rivalry games!

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Hawaii (September 1)- the Cardinal have to break-in a brand new offense and defense off of the mainland against a team that gets to play a week zero game in preparation for this one.

Bottom Line: No program has fallen farther in the past decade than the Cardinal, as they have gone for a perennial national title contender to one of the worst Power 5 teams in the country.  It is hard to say exactly why Stanford has fallen so far other than to point the finger at NIL and the transfer portal and conclude that both of those vehicles make it tough for prestigious private schools who aren’t as interested in the business-side of college sports to compete.  Nevertheless, Troy Taylor has been hired to resurrect this struggling program, and while I think he has a chance to succeed there, this season is going to be rough as the Cardinal only bring back five total starters on both sides of the ball.