Pac-12 North: Separating the contenders from the pretenders

Sep 19, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Taj Griffin (5) runs the ball against the Georgia State Panthers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

As we head into the first real week of the conference schedule in the Pac-12, it is time to look at the North division and decide which teams have a shot at making it to the conference championship game. 

The popular media discussion in August was to talk about the Pac-12 South division as being one of, if not the toughest division to play in all of college football. Only the vaunted Southeastern Conference was seen as a competitor for the unofficial title.

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However, as the first few weeks of the season have unfolded, the South is looking not quite as strong. Arizona State, preseason pick by ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit to go to the Playoff cratered in the program’s opening week of 2105, and is effectively an afterthought now.

USC just lost to the Stanford Cardinal, a team that went on the road and got waxed by Northwestern. And the UCLA Bruins barely escaped a home game against BYU, with their hyped up freshman quarterback turning in a disastrous performance.

Meanwhile, the North division is not only looking stronger than imagined, it is also wide open. The juggernaut that is the Oregon Ducks looks vulnerable this year, after losing at Michigan State. The aforementioned Cardinal are unreliable with head coach David Shaw never turning away a chance to punt. The other programs have all stepped up, with Washington State, Washington, and California all winning important non-conference games. While the Oregon State Beavers are clearly on the upswing, even if they did get stomped in the Big House.

Which of these teams is really a contender to play in the conference championship game, though? Sure, they are all good stories, but can they actually capture the North crown? Well, it is time to look through each team and decide if they are a contender, or a pretender. Here we go.

Next: Oregon State Beavers