This week we’re going to be looking at what’s been going on in the PAC-12 since the end of last year regarding recruiting in addition to what the odds makers are predicting. However, before we get started let’s take a look back at how the 2018 season ended. Regarding the PAC-12 Championship Game, the Washington Huskies defeated the Utah Utes 10-3 in a game at Levi Stadium that could generously be called a borefest if you like a lot of offense—or any offense at all for that matter as the only TD in the game was scored by the defense. MSN Sports referred to the game between the two stingiest defenses in the PAC-12 as, “ugly, nasty, offensively challenged football . . . almost unwatchable.” There was no score until almost the break as Washington’s freshman walk-on kicker Peyton Henry connected on a 29 yard field goal to give Washington a 3-0 lead at the half. Needless to say the game, in general, did little to change the perception of the PAC-12 by the talking heads who are mostly cheer leaders for the SEC and Big 10.
As far as the bowl games played out, it was hard for the PAC-12 to do any worse than they did the prior year when they placed a record 9 teams into the post season but were only able to muster one win. 2018 ended on a better note even though we only had seven teams participating and lost the majority of the games, winning three and loosing four. However two of those losses were only by a combined eight points and very well could have been wins. Arizona State lost to a very good Fresno State team 20-31 in the Las Vegas Bowl; Cal lost to TCU 7-10 in the Cheez-It-Bowl; Washington State defeated Iowa State 28-26 in the Alamo Bowl; Utah, a team that was 10-0 in bowl games under Coach Whittingham going into the game, lost to Northwestern 20-31 in the Holiday Bowl; Stanford defeated Pitt 14-13 in the Sun Bowl; Oregon defeated Michigan State 7-6 in the Redox Bowl; and Washington lost to Ohio State 23-28 in the Rose Bowl.