2019 PAC 12 College Football Preseason Rankings: Utah the Team to Beat

2019 PAC 12 College Football Preseason Rankings – Utah the Team to Beat: I’m not sure any of the Power 5 conferences in college football is as consistently overlooked as the Pac-12. Granted, part of the problem is that no team has emerged as dominant national power on a year-to-year basis like Clemson has in the ACC or Alabama has in the SEC. Still, East Coast bias is real among media members, and it certainly hasn’t helped the Pac-12 put teams in the College Football Playoff. Whether that changes this year remains to be seen, but for better or worse, the Pac-12 once again appears to be one of the most wide-open of the Power 5 conferences heading into the 2019 College Football season. Also, be sure and check out our complete 2019 PAC 12 Football predictions for projected record and finish of each team.

2019 PAC 12 College Football Preseason Rankings: Utah the Team to Beat

1. Utah Utes

Utah welcomes back seven starters, including some All-American candidates, to a defense that was one of the best in the country last season. The Utes should also have one of their best offenses in recent memory led by star running back Zach Moss and dual-threat quarterback Tyler Huntley. Road games against USC and Washington won’t be easy, but Utah dodges Oregon and Stanford from the North DivisionNot only do the Utes look like the clear frontrunners to win the Pac-12 South and the conference title, but they are a dark horse candidate to run the table and compete for a College Football Playoff spot.

2. Oregon Ducks

When you have the potential No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft under center, you have a pretty good starting point. Quarterback Justin Herbert will get most of the headlines for the Ducks, but he will also be playing behind arguably the best offensive outside of Georgia. Oregon will also boast a revamped defense, and both sides of the ball should be helped by an excellent recruiting class. Granted, the schedule does the Ducks no favors as they travel to Stanford, Washington and USC this year. Still, I’d trust that Oregon’s talent allows this group to win the North Division and play for the conference title.

3. Washington Huskies

The Huskies have been the most consistent program in the Pac-12 in recent years, and that has a lot to do with the fact that Chris Petersen is one of the best coaches in the country. Washington should have one of its better offenses in recent years with Georgia transfer Jacob Eason taking over at quarterback, but defense has been this program’s calling card under Petersen, and the Huskies have to break in a bunch of new starters on that side of the ball. Getting Oregon, Utah and Washington State at home should help, and if the Huskies can wrestle the North Division away from Oregon, another conference crown seems likely.

4. USC Trojans

Coming off their first losing season in nearly two decades, the Trojans face one of the toughest schedules in the country in 2019. The silver lining is that while they play all three of the top teams from the North Division, they do get to host Oregon and Stanford. More importantly, new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s brings his pass-happy attack to a team that features a capable quarterback in JT Daniels and one of the best receiving corps in the country. USC should put up points in bunches, giving them a solid shot to win the South Division and reach the conference title game.

5. Stanford Cardinal

This Stanford team doesn’t have a ton of experience, but head coach David Shaw always does a great job on the recruiting trail. The Cardinal also have experience at the most important position in quarterback K.J. Costello. He threw for 3,540 yards and 29 touchdowns a year ago, and he is the best arm Stanford has had under center since Andrew Luck. You know the Cardinal are going to be physical in the trenches, and they get to host North Division frontrunners Oregon and Washington. If Stanford can use home-field advantage to knock off the Ducks and Huskies, they could steal the North and compete for the conference crown.

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