The most ironic thing about the 2023 season? It’s not that the No. 3-ranked Michigan Wolverines appear to be headed for NCAA jail before a possible national championship run.
It’s not that Georgia is trying for a third straight national championship, only to have – of all people – Nick Saban standing at the goal line, motioning at them to come and get it in a couple of weeks at the SEC Championship Game.
It’s not even that Florida State tragically has lost quarterback Jordan Travis at the worst possible time, before it gets to the heart of the season and might end up having its ranking taken away largely because of it.
It’s the resurgence of a conference – the Pac-12 – that soon won’t exist, at least not in the form that we have known it (Pac-12 winds down possible final season with 2 teams in playoff hunt).
When the explosion that has been the 2023 season goes off, and the dust cloud settles, whatever that may look like, the Pac-12 will be no more. Washington, Oregon, Southern Cal, and UCLA are all headed to the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are all headed to the Big 12.
Washington, led by one of the nation’s most dynamic offenses and its trigger-man, quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Michael Penix, is undefeated, No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings, is poised to enter the top four at any time. And right behind it: No. 6 Oregon, with another Heisman candidate, quarterback Bo Nix, whose played (seriously) more college football games than anyone in the history of the sport.
They met earlier this season, and they’ll meet in the Pac-12 title game in what would likely be a heck of a rematch in Las Vegas if Nix and Oregon can beat Oregon State this Friday.
Arizona is trending up. Southern Cal, well, what of reigning Heisman Trophy-winner Caleb Williams? Will he head to the NFL, as most think (Will Caleb Williams play again for USC? Why QB might be done with college football career)? It’s apparently not a given, as someone (likely his representation) leaked a list (RUMOR: Caleb Williams Has List Of 5 NFL Teams He’ll Play For).
The Pac-12 has certainly had a heck of a final year, one we’ll remember forever. Oh, well. They were lackluster for a long time.
Last one out, turn out the lights. Cue Jon Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory,” baby.
