Pac-12 Preview: Ranking The Non-Conference Games
Stanford came up inches short last year in its game against Notre Dame. This year, the Cardinal aims to leave no doubt. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
In the quest of winning public perception, non-conference results are king. The Pac-12 has long considered itself on the same plane as the SEC, above leagues such as the Big Ten and Big 12. As the league continues to develop depth, winning big in the non-conference slate grows increasingly important.
The importance of these games will only increase as college football draws closer to the College Football Playoff. For this year, it’s all about reputation. Going forward, there could be at-large berths on the line.
Here are the biggest 10 non-conference games including Pac-12 teams:
1. Notre Dame at Stanford, Nov. 30
The reigning Pac-12 champ – and co-favorite, along with Oregon – takes its shot against last year’s No. 2 team on the final weekend of the season. Last year’s game, played in a torrential downpour, ended on a controversial fourth-and-goal stop from the 1-yard line that fueled both Notre Dame on its way to an undefeated regular season and Manti Te’o on his Heisman Trophy campaign. There figures to be plenty on the line in late November when these two teams play.
2. UCLA at Nebraska, Sept. 14
Two sleeper conference contenders with rosy aspirations meet in Lincoln for one of the season’s most under-the-radar great non-conference matchups. UCLA proved to be a thorn in the Cornhuskers’ side last season, upsetting a ranked Big Red squad 36-30. Both teams went on to win their respective divisions. QBs Taylor Martinez (Nebraska) and Brett Hundley (UCLA) are two of the most dynamic in the nation.
3. USC at Notre Dame, Oct. 19
One of the nation’s top rivalries returns to South Bend this year where it might find two powerhouse programs staving off elimination from BCS consideration. Notre Dame must replenish a dominating defense while also reconfiguring the offense with the news of QB Everett Golson’s stunning departure. The Trojans, with a backup quarterback and little to play for, pushed Notre Dame to the limit last season. It took a patented goal-line stand from the Irish to help secure the victory.
4. Boise State at Washington, Aug. 31
In what could very well be a make-or-break season for Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, the Huskies open with the daunting task of topping Boise State. How strongly the Huskies will contend against the likes of Stanford and Oregon remains to be seen. However, if the league wants to be judged on its depth, these are the types of games Pac-12 proponents will want to point toward while deriding leagues like the SEC and Big 12.
5. Wisconsin at Arizona State, Sept. 14
Another tremendous Pac-12-Big Ten regular-season matchup, these are two teams with middling conference expectations, but high divisional aspirations. The Sun Devils are a viable contender for the Pac-12 South – especially if the defense toughens. Wisconsin will present a formidable early-season, non-conference challenge under first-year coach Gary Andersen.
6. Tennessee at Oregon, Sept. 14
The Ducks went down to Rocky Top and curbstomped Tennessee in 2010. They hope to deliver similar punishment to the Volunteers. This is a battle of first-year coaches who inherited entirely different situations. Oregon coach Mark Helfrich enters an expectation-laced season after predecessor Chip Kelly put the program on the cusp of winning a national championship. Tennessee, meanwhile, simply hopes it can make strides back toward respectability under Butch Jones. From a league perspective, it’s important that Oregon not only wins, but pummels an inferior SEC foe.
7. Arizona State vs. Notre Dame (in Arlington, Texas), Oct. 5
After the showing Notre Dame put up against Alabama during the BCS National Championship Game last year, Pac-12 teams would love to show it wasn’t just SEC teams that can beat up on the Fighting Irish. This is the third most important Pac-12 game against Notre Dame, but the league would surely love to sport a winning record against it.
8. Northwestern at California, Aug. 31
Of the two shots California gets at Big Ten opponents, this seems like the most winnable. (The Golden Bears also host Ohio State two weeks later.) There aren’t any national implications on the line when these two teams square off, but it’s the kind of game that leads to bragging rights between the Rose Bowl partner leagues. Furthermore, this should be a matchup of two tremendous offenses with two different spread offenses running vastly different systems.
9. Washington State at Auburn, Aug. 31
To be the best, must you beat the (worst of the) best? The 2012 cellar-dwellers in arguably the nation’s top two conferences square off at Jordan-Hare Stadium to open the 2013 season. Washington State isn’t supposed to win the division this year, but Auburn doesn’t exactly tout one of the nation’s most prolific defenses. Expect punts to be few and far between with Mike Leach (Washington State) and Gus Malzahn (Auburn) running their customary offenses.
10. Utah at BYU, Sept. 21
One of the most bitter non-conference rivalries, Utah and BYU will meet early in what the Cougars hope will be a special season. The Utes have dominated The Holy War in recent years, having won three in a row and eight out of 11. Utah’s in-state games – both this one and the season opener against Utah State – are important for coach Kyle Whittingham to lead his team back to a bowl game after last year’s team missed the postseason for the first time since 2002.