USC Football: 3 reasons Trojans will win the Pac-12 title in 2020

3. Gap at the top of the conference

If the timing of a Heisman-level quarterback paired with an insanely experienced defense wasn’t enough, USC also sits in a conference where several teams are undergoing transitions. That is especially true at the top of the Pac-12.

Oregon, for example, with have to replace Justin Herbert, a sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft, with Tyler Shough, a sophomore that’s thrown just 15 passes in his time in Eugene. Mario Cristobal and company will be a very good football team in 2020, but do they have the quarterback to win the conference?

There’s also the transition at Washington. The Huskies replace longtime head coach Chris Petersen in 2020 after an 8-5 campaign in which they lost three of their last five games in the regular season. Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake takes over in Seattle, and he’ll be tasked with replacing the quarterback and center positions on offense, as well as both safety spots and both middle linebacker positions. That’s virtually every leadership spot on both sides of the ball.

Utah, who made it to the Pac-12 Championship Game a year ago, isn’t immune. Just two starters are back from a defense that was first in the conference in all four major defensive categories in 2019, including allowing just 15 points per game.

For USC, the opening is there. The conference’s three best teams all have major change to deal with, while the Trojans are set to enter 2020 with most of the team that had such a strong finish to 2020.