The announcement last week of the kickoff times/TV lineup for the early weeks of the Pac-12 season is, as it was last year, the launch point for a Hotline examination of the schedules.
We’ll start by ranking all 12, weakest to toughest, and then follow (either Tuesday or Wednesday) with a look at the best games of each week … for all 14 weeks.
(Because of games on Aug. 26, there are 14 weeks of regular-season play.
(And because of games on Aug. 26 and the extension of training camp resulting from the elimination of two-a-days, some teams will start practice in July.
(But adding another playoff weekend in January would, you know, make the season too long.)
12. Washington
Noncon: at Rutgers, vs. Montana, vs. Fresno State
Comment: The parade of creampuffs is followed by a conference lineup that misses USC, has an ideal bye (midseason), four of the last five at home and only one significant challenge: a short-week trip to Stanford. It’s too bad, really, that one of the top rosters in the country will face such modest resistance.
11. Arizona
Noncon: vs. Northern Arizona, vs, Houston, at UTEP
Comment: Another soft non-conference lineup, with depleted Houston (no Greg Ward or Tom Herman) providing the only notable hurdle — and it’s a knee-high one, at that. The Wildcats also miss Washington and Stanford, have a well-placed bye (after Week 4) and no short weeks in Oct./Nov.
10. Washington State
Noncon: vs. Montana State, vs. Boise State, vs. Nevada
Comment: The Cougars open with five in a row at home. That’s right: Five. In. A. Row. They don’t play a roadie until Oct. 7 (Eugene), which means a fast start is essential. They also get USC and Stanford in Pullman. There’s a short-week road back-to-back (Oregon and Cal) and a too-late bye.
9. Colorado
Noncon: vs. Colorado State (Denver), vs. Texas State, vs. Northern Colorado
Comment: Disappointingly-soft non-conference lineup — much like that of the Pac-12’s other defending division champion — gives way to an intra-league schedule that brings USC and Washington to Boulder and misses Stanford. The bye is late, before the season ender at Utah.
8. Utah
Noncon: vs. North Dakota, at Brigham Young, vs. San Jose State
Comment: Plenty to like if you’re a Utes fan, starting with no non-conference flights, an ideal bye (before Stanford/USC back-to-back) and three home games in November, when it will be nice and balmy in SLC. But there is one thing to not like very much: Utah and UCLA are the only teams that play both division favorites, USC and Washington, on the road.
7. Oregon State
Noncon: at Colorado State, vs. Portland State, vs. Minnesota
Comment: The trip to Fort Collins was moved to Week Zero (Aug. 26) to assist CSU, but it creates two open weeks for the Beavers: in late-September, between dates with the Washington schools, and in late Oct. before a Thursday affair at Stanford. For a program hoping to build momentum, the schedule is manageable.
6. Stanford
Noncon: vs. Rice (Sydney), at San Diego State, vs. Notre Dame
Comment: The overseas trip is Aug. 26, which gives Stanford two weeks to prepare for the Sept. 9 date in the Coliseum. There’s a late-season short week against the Washington schools, but the back end of that assignment (UW) is at home. Only two road games in the second half (OSU and WSU).
5. Arizona State
Noncon: vs. New Mexico State, vs. San Diego State, at Texas Tech
Comment: While Arizona dodges Stanford and Washington, the Sun Devils get both as part of a rugged four-games-in-five-weeks stretch that also has USC and Utah. (And as soon as it ends, the Devils get a visit from Colorado.) At least Texas Tech won’t have Patrick Mahomes and SDSU will be without Donnel Pumphrey.
4. Oregon
Noncon: vs. Southern Utah, vs. Nebraska, at Wyoming
Comment: Trip to Laramie to face QB Josh Allen, a potential first-round pick, makes this much tougher than it might look. Then add Nebraska, a too-late bye (mid-November) and the difficult league road lineup (Stanford, Salt Lake City and Seattle). If not for the Ducks missing USC miss, they might have landed in the top spot.
3. Cal
Noncon: at North Carolina, vs. Weber State, vs. Mississippi
Comment: Two dates against quality Power Five opponents? Welcome to Cal, Justin Wilcox. (At least the Tar Heels and Rebels will be breaking in new QBs.) The Bears also have a difficult road slate in conference (Washington, Stanford, Colorado) and the bye comes too late (mid-November) to provide much relief.
2. USC
Noncon: vs Western Michigan, vs. Texas, at Notre Dame
Comment: Potentially one of the toughest schedules in the nation if Texas and Notre Dame prove top-25 worthy. The start is challenging with WMU, Stanford, and Texas in succession, but all three are in the Coliseum. There’s no Oregon and no Washington, but those misses are offset by the fact that there is also no bye (for the fist time since 1995).
1. UCLA
Noncon: vs. Texas A&M, vs. Hawaii, at Memphis
Comment: Not the easiest lineup on which to produce a bounce-back season with Memphis serving as a sneaky-tough assignment (as compared to the obviously-tough duel with A&M). The Bruins also visit Stanford and USC and have the dastardly short-week road back-to-back, with late-season trips to Seattle and Salt Lake City.
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