Mandel: Predicting the results for the Pac-12’s conference-only football lineup
Pac-12 North
1. Oregon (9-1)
Wins: Colorado, at Washington State, Arizona State, at Oregon State, Washington, USC, at Arizona, Stanford
Losses: at Utah
Defending Rose Bowl champ Oregon is loaded on defense and just needs new QB Tyler Shough to be decent. But the Pac-12 office surely had an eye for drama when it added Oregon-Utah as the teams’ 10th game. Kyle Whittingham will be clamoring for revenge after last year’s Pac-12 title game humiliation. I wouldn’t give the retooling Utes (nine new defensive starters) much of a shot were the game earlier, by season’s end, sure, they could be Playoff spoiler like Oregon was for them last year.
2. Cal (8-2)
Wins: at Oregon State, Washington, at Washington State, Stanford, at Arizona, Utah, UCLA
Losses: at USC, Oregon
Cal, which returns QB Chase Garbers and nearly every other offensive contributor, has the makings of its first legit conference title contender since the Jeff Tedford era. Even without star LB Evan Weaver, the defense is experienced. I just don’t think the overall talent is quite high enough to sustain a high level of play the entire season. Close, but not quite.
3. Washington (6-4)
Wins: Arizona, Oregon State, Colorado, at Utah, UCLA, at Washington State
Losses: Stanford, at Cal, at Oregon, at USC
Jimmy Lake’s first season at the helm comes under challenging circumstances, starting with the fact he’ll have to navigate a three-man quarterback competition starting next month. The bet here is on sophomore Jacob Sirmon, though FCS grad transfer Kevin Thomson is intriguing. I’d expect it will be a little bumpy.
4. Stanford (5-5)
Wins: at Washington, at Washington State, Oregon State, Colorado, Arizona
Losses: at Arizona State, USC, at Cal, at UCLA, at Oregon
David Shaw’s team should rebound after last year’s 4-8 debacle, buoyed by QB Davis Mills, a strong receiving crops and the return of All-American T Walker Little who missed all of last season. But the Cardinal are still lacking the type of elite guys in the front seven that were once a staple in Palo Alto. 500 feels about right.
5. Oregon State (3-7)
Wins: at Utah, at Arizona, at Colorado
Losses: Cal, UCLA, Oregon, at Washington, at Stanford, Washington State, at Arizona State
Jonathan Smith’s team made impressive strides last season, improving from 2-10 to 5-7, but the Beavers lost not only QB Jake Luton but a whole lot of experience on the offensive line. RB Jermar Jefferson and LB Hamilcar Rashed are bona fide stars, but it’s hard to see the Beavers finishing higher than fifth.
6. Washington State (2-8)
Wins: at Oregon State, at Colorado
Losses: Utah, Oregon, at UCLA, Cal, at Stanford, at USC, Washington
Nick Rolovich was a great hire who will go on to do great things, but man, I do not envy coaches taking over programs this year. Especially when, in Rolovich’s case, he’s attempting to replace Mike Leach’s famed Air Raid with his own prolific Run ’n’ Shoot offense without a regular offseason to install it.
Pac-12 South
1. USC (8-2)
Wins: Cal, at Stanford, Colorado, at Arizona, Washington State, Arizona State, Washington
Losses: at Oregon, at Utah
Kedon Slovis and the Trojans have the pieces to win the league. But it wouldn’t be a USC season unless fan favorite Clay Helton, freed from having to play Alabama and Notre Dame, starts 6-0, rises into the Top 5 in the polls, then loses a couple down the stretch but still wins the division, leaving everyone dissatisfied.
2. Arizona State (7-3)
Wins: at Arizona, Stanford, UCLA, at Colorado, Utah, at Washington State, Oregon State
Losses: at Oregon, at USC, Cal
Herm Edwards has a rising star to build around now in sophomore QB Jayden Daniels, though the Sun Devils’ offense is going to be relying heavily on freshmen at the skill positions and transfers up front. But I could certainly see the defense taking some big strides with the direction of highly overqualified coordinator Marvin Lewis.
3. Utah (6-4)
Wins: at Washington State, at Colorado, at UCLA, Arizona, USC, Oregon
Losses: Oregon State, at Arizona State, Washington, at Cal
Utah lost a whole lot of seniors — including most of its starting defense — from last year’s breakout 11-3 team, but Kyle Whittingham just reloads with more stud D-linemen. The offense may struggle at times with a new QB (South Carolina grad transfer Jake Bentley?) and no Zack Moss. Expect the Utes to be formidable but a bit all over the map.
4. UCLA (5-5)
Wins: at Oregon State, at Washington State, Stanford, at Colorado, Arizona
Losses: USC, Utah, at Arizona State, at Washington, at Cal
Nobody’s happier about playing zero nonconference games than Chip Kelly, who’s gone 0-6 in them to date with the Bruins. (Granted, two were against Oklahoma). Provided QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson continues improving, the Bruins should finally be more consistent on offense.
5. Colorado (1-9)
Wins: at Arizona
Losses: at Oregon, Utah, at USC, at Washington, UCLA, at Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State
Head coach Karl Dorrell didn’t get hired until late February, then he lost spring practice and missed out on months of in-person time with his new players. Oh, and Colorado will be breaking in a completely inexperienced quarterback. Not an ideal formula.
6. Arizona (0-10)
Wins: None
Losses: Arizona State, at Washington, Colorado, USC, at Utah, at Oregon State, Cal, Oregon, at UCLA, at Stanford
The best-case scenario for Kevin Sumlin’s third season is that it gets canceled altogether.
1. Oregon (9-1)
Wins: Colorado, at Washington State, Arizona State, at Oregon State, Washington, USC, at Arizona, Stanford
Losses: at Utah
Defending Rose Bowl champ Oregon is loaded on defense and just needs new QB Tyler Shough to be decent. But the Pac-12 office surely had an eye for drama when it added Oregon-Utah as the teams’ 10th game. Kyle Whittingham will be clamoring for revenge after last year’s Pac-12 title game humiliation. I wouldn’t give the retooling Utes (nine new defensive starters) much of a shot were the game earlier, by season’s end, sure, they could be Playoff spoiler like Oregon was for them last year.
2. Cal (8-2)
Wins: at Oregon State, Washington, at Washington State, Stanford, at Arizona, Utah, UCLA
Losses: at USC, Oregon
Cal, which returns QB Chase Garbers and nearly every other offensive contributor, has the makings of its first legit conference title contender since the Jeff Tedford era. Even without star LB Evan Weaver, the defense is experienced. I just don’t think the overall talent is quite high enough to sustain a high level of play the entire season. Close, but not quite.
3. Washington (6-4)
Wins: Arizona, Oregon State, Colorado, at Utah, UCLA, at Washington State
Losses: Stanford, at Cal, at Oregon, at USC
Jimmy Lake’s first season at the helm comes under challenging circumstances, starting with the fact he’ll have to navigate a three-man quarterback competition starting next month. The bet here is on sophomore Jacob Sirmon, though FCS grad transfer Kevin Thomson is intriguing. I’d expect it will be a little bumpy.
4. Stanford (5-5)
Wins: at Washington, at Washington State, Oregon State, Colorado, Arizona
Losses: at Arizona State, USC, at Cal, at UCLA, at Oregon
David Shaw’s team should rebound after last year’s 4-8 debacle, buoyed by QB Davis Mills, a strong receiving crops and the return of All-American T Walker Little who missed all of last season. But the Cardinal are still lacking the type of elite guys in the front seven that were once a staple in Palo Alto. 500 feels about right.
5. Oregon State (3-7)
Wins: at Utah, at Arizona, at Colorado
Losses: Cal, UCLA, Oregon, at Washington, at Stanford, Washington State, at Arizona State
Jonathan Smith’s team made impressive strides last season, improving from 2-10 to 5-7, but the Beavers lost not only QB Jake Luton but a whole lot of experience on the offensive line. RB Jermar Jefferson and LB Hamilcar Rashed are bona fide stars, but it’s hard to see the Beavers finishing higher than fifth.
6. Washington State (2-8)
Wins: at Oregon State, at Colorado
Losses: Utah, Oregon, at UCLA, Cal, at Stanford, at USC, Washington
Nick Rolovich was a great hire who will go on to do great things, but man, I do not envy coaches taking over programs this year. Especially when, in Rolovich’s case, he’s attempting to replace Mike Leach’s famed Air Raid with his own prolific Run ’n’ Shoot offense without a regular offseason to install it.
Pac-12 South
1. USC (8-2)
Wins: Cal, at Stanford, Colorado, at Arizona, Washington State, Arizona State, Washington
Losses: at Oregon, at Utah
Kedon Slovis and the Trojans have the pieces to win the league. But it wouldn’t be a USC season unless fan favorite Clay Helton, freed from having to play Alabama and Notre Dame, starts 6-0, rises into the Top 5 in the polls, then loses a couple down the stretch but still wins the division, leaving everyone dissatisfied.
2. Arizona State (7-3)
Wins: at Arizona, Stanford, UCLA, at Colorado, Utah, at Washington State, Oregon State
Losses: at Oregon, at USC, Cal
Herm Edwards has a rising star to build around now in sophomore QB Jayden Daniels, though the Sun Devils’ offense is going to be relying heavily on freshmen at the skill positions and transfers up front. But I could certainly see the defense taking some big strides with the direction of highly overqualified coordinator Marvin Lewis.
3. Utah (6-4)
Wins: at Washington State, at Colorado, at UCLA, Arizona, USC, Oregon
Losses: Oregon State, at Arizona State, Washington, at Cal
Utah lost a whole lot of seniors — including most of its starting defense — from last year’s breakout 11-3 team, but Kyle Whittingham just reloads with more stud D-linemen. The offense may struggle at times with a new QB (South Carolina grad transfer Jake Bentley?) and no Zack Moss. Expect the Utes to be formidable but a bit all over the map.
4. UCLA (5-5)
Wins: at Oregon State, at Washington State, Stanford, at Colorado, Arizona
Losses: USC, Utah, at Arizona State, at Washington, at Cal
Nobody’s happier about playing zero nonconference games than Chip Kelly, who’s gone 0-6 in them to date with the Bruins. (Granted, two were against Oklahoma). Provided QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson continues improving, the Bruins should finally be more consistent on offense.
5. Colorado (1-9)
Wins: at Arizona
Losses: at Oregon, Utah, at USC, at Washington, UCLA, at Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State
Head coach Karl Dorrell didn’t get hired until late February, then he lost spring practice and missed out on months of in-person time with his new players. Oh, and Colorado will be breaking in a completely inexperienced quarterback. Not an ideal formula.
6. Arizona (0-10)
Wins: None
Losses: Arizona State, at Washington, Colorado, USC, at Utah, at Oregon State, Cal, Oregon, at UCLA, at Stanford
The best-case scenario for Kevin Sumlin’s third season is that it gets canceled altogether.
but Spurts still deserved it, even tho he was 
He was the best we had. We couldn’t even get a 1st down until coach put him in. 
