3 Pac-12 Teams Are in the AP Top 25 but This One Has the Best Chance of Being National Champs
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all this season about the Pac-12 and the conference’s theme may as well have been: Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye.
Well, as Lee Corso says: “Not so fast, my friend.”
Nobody knows what’s going to happen with the league, but here’s a guess of how these teams might fare in 2022 and their current odds (courtesy of DraftKings) to win it all on Jan. 9, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz.
Utah Utes, AP ranking: No. 7 (Odds to win national title: +6000)
First off, these odds are silly. 60 to 1?! Of course, it all depends on the first game of the season: a showdown in Florida against the Gators. But if Utah shows its strength and wins there – and if it doesn’t, then any hopes of a playoff spot are likely drowned in the swamp – it immediately builds confidence, which is what I believe is going to happen after a tragedy-filled 1-2 start last season.
The other challenges are USC at home (Oct. 15) and then, what may be the biggest regular-season game of the year in the Pac-12, another chance to whack the Ducks. But this one’s on the road in Eugene.
Still, it’s not a stretch to envision the Utes running the table this year. Tons of talent and depth to go with it.
It will be 14 years since Utah blasted Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl, but it sure would be a blast to see those two teams clash for a national crown.
Here’s the problem: I’m starting to think that the Crimson Tidesmen are gonna roll through this season, all the way to the top of the mountain. Last year’s beatdown by the Georgia Bulldogs will no doubt motivate them and there’s also the possibility Alabama will have eight players selected in the first round of next year’s NFL Draft. Eight. If I’m doing the math correctly, and that’s never a given, that’s a fourth of all the players picked by the 32 pro teams.
Some believe they will have 20 or more players taken overall.
Sheesh. That team is gonna be a problem, sports fans.
Strangely, USC, which is ranked below both Utah and Oregon (No. 11), has gotten the attention of oddsmakers and betters alike. The Trojans are now +2500 to win it all.
Oregon is +9000. Opening against Georgia doesn’t help their chances, because I’m saying that’s a loss right out of the gate.
Is USC that much better after bringing in new head coach Lincoln Riley and stud transfers Caleb Williams (QB) and Jordan Addison (WR)?
Maybe. That should be a dynamic duo, but USC was just 4-8 a year ago, so the smart play – just for a little sprinkle of dough – is the Utes.
