The headlines didn't match the product last year out West. A sky-is-falling vibe was unavoidable following the announcement that USC and UCLA would be joining the Big Ten in 2024, leaving the Pac-12 unmoored and scrambling. But just as the Big 12 did in 2021 following its own announced departures (of Oklahoma and Texas), the conference put on a show.
Six Pac-12 teams won at least nine games and finished 22nd or better in SP+, and several first-year coaches, from USC's Lincoln Riley to Washington's Kalen DeBoer, obliterated expectations. USC's dismal defense prevented it from becoming the league's first College Football Playoff team since 2016, but this was an utterly delightful conference to watch.