This is the weekend that college football fans on the West Coast have been waiting so patiently for during the past few weeks.

The final Power Five conference has arrived after the COVID-19 pandemic initially forced the Pac-12 to cancel its season in August before opting in late September to play a seven-game season.

The Pac-12 will make its debut on Saturday.

The action gets underway much earlier than you would expect to, with the Arizona State Sun Devils set to clash with the USC Trojans at noon ET,  9 a.m. Pacific.

Here’s a closer look at what to expect from teams in the Pac-12 this season.

 

OREGON DUCKS

Odds to win Pac-12: +180
Players to Watch: RB CJ Verdell, DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, QB Tyler Shough

Oregon enters the season as the betting favourite to win the Pac-12 at +180 odds. This is the consensus despite some key opt outs, including offensive tackle and potential top-10 NFL draft pick Penei Sewell, safety Jevon Holland out of Coquitlam, B.C., and Rose Bowl MVP Brady Breeze.

The Ducks also have the tall task of replacing quarterback Justin Herbert, who was drafted sixth overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2020 NFL Draft. Despite all of this, Oregon is still favoured to win the conference, which speaks to their depth in recruiting. The Ducks appear to be high on QB Tyler Shough and they also have the best running back in the conference in CJ Verdell.

On the defensive side, defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux lived up to the hype as a freshman, recording nine sacks. Thibodeaux should be on every All-American team watchlist this season ­- he is that good.

With so much talent on both sides of the football, the Ducks should once again be a contender to win the Pac-12 as the betting favourite.

 

USC TROJANS

Odds to win Pac-12: +200
Players to Watch: QB Kedon Slovis, WR Amon-RA St. Brown, WR Tyler Vaughns

Kedon Slovis is considered the best quarterback in the conference for a reason. His strong play led to the transfer of JT Daniels after he threw for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns last season.

Slovis also has a luxury of weapons at his disposal as Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the country and Tyler Vaughns had 912 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. Another Intriguing option for this offence is six-foot-five athletic freak Drake London, who spent some time with the basketball team in the winter and will be used as a TE/WR hybrid.

While head coach Clay Helton has been on the hot seat for what seems like forever, he brings back Graham Harrell in his second year as a play caller for the Trojans. Harrell is a coach on the rise worth keeping an eye on.

The most likely scenario in this conference sees the Trojans and Ducks meeting in the Pac-12 championship.

 

WASHINGTON HUSKIES

Odds to Win Pac-12: +500
Players to Watch: DB Elijah Molden, LB Ryan Bowman, TE Cade Otton

Washington has been a perennial favourite in the Pac-12 for a while now, but after a disappointing 2019 season led by quarterback Jacob Eason - now a member of the Indianapolis Colts - they will have a lot of turnover to deal with on the offensive side of the ball. Kevin Thomson, a Sacramento State grad transfer, appears to be the leader in a four-man race for the quarterback position.

Jimmy Lake takes over from longtime coach Chris Petersen, who retired in the off-season. Lake is well known for churning out elite talent in the secondary and Elijah Molden should carry that torch this season. The Huskies defence was hurt by the opt outs of Levi Onwuzurike and Joe Tryon, who were both preseason All Pac-12 picks.

There are a lot of question marks for the Huskies this season. It will be very interesting to see how Lake does in his first season under these unique circumstances.

 

ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS

Odds to win Pac-12: +850
Players to watch: QB Jayden Daniels, WR Frank Darby, DL Jermayne Lole

Critics laughed when the Sun Devils hired Herm Edwards in 2018, but he has surprised in his two seasons on the job and on the recruiting trail as well. Jayden Daniels impressed as a true freshman starter last season and developed some good chemistry with wide receiver Frank Darby who is his top returning target after registering eight touchdowns last season.

On the defensive side of the ball, ASU has two familiar names listed as co-defensive coordinators in former NFL linebacker Antonio Pierce and former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. One thing we know for sure is that there will be plenty of NFL experience on this coaching staff.

Overall, the Sun Devils do have a big void to fill in the running game with Eno Benjamin graduating, but if Daniels can take a leap this is certainly a team to watch in the Pac-12 and my dark horse pick to win the conference.

 

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS

Odds to win Pac-12: +2500
Players to Watch: QB Chase Garbers, RB Christopher Brown, DB Cam Bynum

The Golden Bears return their entire offence from last season led by veteran quarterback Chase Garbers and running back Christopher Brown. They have veterans at wide receiver as well, which always helps the continuity of the offence.

However, for the Golden Bears to be a surprise team this year it will come down to their defence. Justin Wilcox might be the most underrated coach in the country and is an elite defensive mind. The Bears defence gave up just 21 points per game last season. If they can maintain that level of play, this team could have a chance to compete in the conference at long odds.