Pac-12 football preview: The top games each week in a schedule loaded with marquee matchups

The late-season lineup is filled with potential primetime matchups

Long before this season became the Pac-12’s final season as we know it, the conference devised a weekly schedule to draw attention for a different reason. The goal is to maximize exposure for ranked teams, high-profile coaches, and Heisman Trophy candidates.

As a result, the three-month schedule is jam-packed with matchups worthy of primetime slots on ABC and FOX. The second half of the season, in particular, is jam-packed with high-quality games.

With an admitted bias toward the five teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason poll (No. 6 USC, No. 10 Washington, No. 14 Utah, No. 15 Oregon, and No. 18 Oregon State), we identified the top weekly matchups.

Please keep in mind that, once conference play begins in Week 4, kickoff times for Saturday games will be announced either 12 or six days in advance.

(All times are in Pacific.)

Week 1 Top game: Florida vs. Utah (Aug. 31). 5 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN Comment: This is a must-win game for the Utes if they want to compete in the College Football Playoff, as well as a crucial game for the conference to establish a positive narrative. (If you lose to a second-tier SEC team, expect harsh criticism.) With so much focus on quarterback Cameron Rising, don’t overlook the trenches. Trouble is sure to follow if Utah’s linemen spend more time on their heels than their toes.

Week 2’s best game is Nebraska at Colorado (Sept. 9). Kickoff is at 9 a.m. on FOX. Comment: Deion Sanders’ home opener also happens to feature Colorado’s long-time rival and is scheduled to air on FOX. It is a pivotal game, coming one week after the Buffaloes visit TCU. It is a chance for CU to either build on its Week 1 momentum or avoid a deflating 0-2 start.

Week 3’s best game is Washington at Michigan State (Sept. 16). 2 p.m. kickoff on Peacock Comment: The visitors were given a poor visibility platform but an excellent start time, avoiding the dreaded 9 a.m. (Pacific) kickoff in Big Ten country. The Spartans will be determined to avenge last season’s crucial loss in Seattle. This matchup of future conference rivals will be critical for Washington’s playoff chances as well as Michael Penix Jr.’s expected Heisman campaign.

Week 4’s best game is Colorado at Oregon (Sept. 23). Time of start: TBD Comment: Both teams’ conference openers will bring the Deion Sanders Show to Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks should be fresh after hosting Hawaii in Week 3. We considered UCLA-Utah and Washington State-Oregon State, but we can’t overlook the possibility of massive hype in Eugene if the Buffaloes are ranked at the time of kickoff.

Week 5’s best game is Utah at Oregon State (Sept. 29). Kickoff is at 6 p.m. on FS1. Despite several intriguing Saturday games across the conference, this Friday night game was an easy choice. Are the Beavers a championship contender? Has their quarterback play improved to the required standard? OSU dominated the Utes at the line of scrimmage two years ago and will need to do so again this year. On a short week, the home team always has the advantage.

Week 6’s marquee matchup is Washington State at UCLA (Oct. 7). Time of start: TBD If you must miss one Saturday this fall, make it Week 6. While USC hosts Arizona and Oregon State visits Cal, Oregon, Washington, and Utah are idle. In other words, this is the final Saturday without a heavyweight title matchup. Nonetheless, the first meeting between the Cougars and Bruins since 2019 will be crucial for both, with the winner taking a significant step toward bowl eligibility.

Week 7’s best game is Oregon vs. Washington (Oct. 14). Time of start: TBD Comment: We could let the 115th matchup in this magnificent series speak for itself and move on to Week 8’s top matchup. However, the last Pac-12 meeting between Oregon and Washington could have huge implications, even for this rivalry. Our prediction: Memorable with the potential for epic.

Week 8’s top matchup is Utah at USC (October 21). Time of start: TBD The game on the field will take a back seat to the game in their heads, specifically the game in USC’s head. Will the Trojans snap their three-game skid against Utah? Will it be more of the same, with the Utes making all the important plays and the Trojans left scratching their heads? Notable: The Trojans played the previous week in South Bend.

Week 9 Top game: Oregon vs. Utah (Oct. 28). Time of start: TBD Comment: Another marquee matchup with conference title and playoff implications — and the possibility of a primetime broadcast window. The Utes won twice in 2021, only to have the Ducks respond with a late-season win. Given their conference affiliations beginning in 2024, this could be the series’ final meeting for a long, long time.

Week 10’s best game is Washington at USC (Nov. 4). Time of start: TBD Comment: Washington’s first visit to the Los Angeles Coliseum since 2015 — the final game of Steve Sarkisian’s tenure — could feature two playoff contenders and Heisman frontrunners in Penix and Caleb Williams. (It also marks the start of a grueling stretch run for UW.) As the only Week 10 matchup between preseason favorites, this was an easy call.

Top Week 11 matchups: USC vs. Oregon and Utah vs. Washington (Nov. 11). Kickoff times are TBD. Comment: Because there were no easy calls in Week 11, we chose to highlight two games. But one thing is certain: On Nov. 11, the Pacific Northwest will be the center of the Pac-12 universe, and possibly the college football world. Expect ESPN/Fox to exercise a six-day option, which means that the kickoff times for both games will most likely not be set until the previous weekend.

Week 12’s top matchup is Washington vs. Oregon State (November 18). Time of start: TBD Comment: If the Beavers are still in the hunt, this could be one of the most anticipated games of the year, with a significant advantage for the home team: the Huskies will be coming off back-to-back games against USC and Utah, while the Beavers will have faced Colorado and Stanford in recent weeks. Also on the Week 12 schedule: the Pac-12’s final crosstown showdown in Los Angeles.

Top Week 13 matchups: Oregon at OSU (Nov. 24) and Washington at WSU (Nov. 25). Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on FOX/TBA. Comment: The animosity that usually accompanies these rivalries should be off the charts as a century of tradition comes to an end with the’state’ schools being abandoned by their Big Ten-bound counterparts. And what a story it would be if the Beavers and Cougars played spoiler — one of the two games will undoubtedly have title implications.