Note: This is the first of a five-part Pac-12 preview I’ll be pushing out this week. Check back tomorrow (Tuesday) for a look at the conference’s Heisman hopefuls.
The Pac-12’s teams will play a total of 36 nonconference games during the regular season, the vast majority of them during the first four weeks of the year. Some of them will be tight, some blowouts; some will have potential national-title implications, and some will be Oregon State vs. Idaho State. This is a ranking of the eleven that will be the most enjoyable to watch.
11. Sept. 1: Oregon State at Minnesota, 6 p.m.
The action on the field is secondary here: This is the contest mascot aficionados and tooth obsessives have been waiting for their entire lives. Benny the Beaver vs. Goldy Gopher. Rivers vs. dry land. Dams vs. tunnels. Only one rodent can survive.
10. Sept. 17: Texas at Cal, 7:30 p.m.
I think we’re all ready for a repeat of last year’s absolutely loony game between the Longhorns and Golden Bears, in which Texas quarterback Jarrod Heard totaled more than 500 yards and led his team back from a three-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter, only for the poor Longhorn kicker to duff an extra point with 71 seconds left and for Cal to escape with a 45-44 win. Plus, the idea of prosecuting the Great 2005 BCS Lobbying Controversy on the field is always a fun subplot.
9. Sept. 2: Kansas State at Stanford, 6 p.m.
On paper, the Cardinal should be able to roll in this one. But gosh darn it, if anybody can dream up a way to contain Christian McCaffrey with an entire offseason of preparation to do it, it’s the wizard of Manhattan himself, Bill Snyder. Kansas State will be within a touchdown after three quarters, and they’ll probably do it despite being outgained by 100 yards or more, and we’ll scratch our heads and wonder how the Wildcats seem to do it year after year after year.
8. Sept. 17: UCLA at BYU, 7:15 p.m.
Another rematch of a one-point game from last season, this time a 24-23 UCLA victory earned largely by 219 yards on the ground from Paul Perkins and despite of three Josh Rosen interceptions. As is by now tradition, the Bruins are uproariously talented, and this date could be an early indication of whether the results on the field will reflect the well-stocked cupboard.
7. Sept. 10: Washington State at Boise State, 7:15 p.m.
Y’all ready for some pass plays? We know the Cougars are gonna chuck it around, and Boise State is led by sophomore Brett Rypien, who threw for 3,353 yards last season as a freshman and earned first-team all-Mountain West honors. In the process, he reminded plenty of Kellen Moore, another former Broncos signal caller who played his high school football in Washington. And as the son of former WSU quarterback Mark, we’re guessing Rypien the Younger might have a little something special in store for the Cougs.
6. Sept. 17: Oregon at Nebraska, 12:30 p.m.
An old-fashioned intersectional showdown, with the added twist that second-year Nebraska head coach Mike Riley is more familiar with Oregon than just about any coach in the country. The Ducks will be favored, but Nebraska could do more than just hang around, especially on its home turf. A 6-7 record last season belies the talent on hand in Lincoln. Led by quarterback Tommy Armstrong, receiver Jordan Westerkamp and an experienced back seven, the Cornhuskers should mount a real charge at winning the Big Ten West.
5. Sept. 10: BYU at Utah
The Holy War resumes after a two-year hiatus, which means tensions should be at a boil. The early placement on the schedule means BYU may well still be sorting out its quarterback position, although having two options the quality of Tanner Mangum and Taysom Hill is probably a good problem to have (Hill earned the early starting nod from new head coach Kalani Sitake). By the way, a complete collection of the relevant non-conference rivalry games involving Pac-12 schools: USC-Notre Dame, Stanford-Notre Dame, Colorado-Colorado State (not that relevant lately), and Utah-BYU. That’s it. That’s the list. You’d sort of think there would be more.
4. Nov. 26: Notre Dame at USC, TBD
The first of two appearances by the Fighting Irish on this list, and by far the game scheduled the latest on the calendar. This will be the regular-season finale for both teams. And with the quality of both rosters, it’s not difficult to imagine there being playoff implications. Notre Dame will be in many a preseason top 10, and the Trojans could contend for the Pac-12 title if new starter Max Browne adjusts quickly at quarterback and an inexperienced front seven rounds into shape.
3. Sept. 3: UCLA at Texas A&M, 12:30 p.m.
It may get lost in the shuffle of a gloriously crowded national slate on the season’s opening Saturday, but this is the perfect nonconference college football game, right down to the contrast in uniform colors. In a battle of two uber-talented teams with a history of underperforming their potential, either team could win by 20 points and it wouldn’t be a surprise. The A&M offense will test the Bruins secondary, and the matchup of Aggies defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall against mammoth Bruin offensive tackle Connor McDermott could be one of the best battles of the year.
2. Oct. 15: Stanford at Notre Dame, 4:30 p.m.
Stanford has the best shot of any Pac-12 team at earning a spot in the playoff, and a victory on the road over the Fighting Irish could be the linchpin of their résumé. But it won’t be easy. This contest comes at the end of a killer stretch of the schedule for the Cardinal: the previous four weeks are at home vs. USC, at UCLA and Washington in consecutive weeks and then back home to face Washington State. The second half of the Stanford slate is a comparative walk in the park.
1. Sept. 3: Alabama vs. USC, 5 p.m. in Arlington, Texas
This matchup isn’t quite as mouthwatering as it appeared it would be when it was scheduled, considering USC’s decline from superpower status. But it still does the trick, and this is still the sort of zesty blue-blood battle of which college football fans dream. In Adoree’ Jackson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Davis and plenty of others, the Trojans have the sort of premium skill that might be able to give the Crimson Tide some trouble. The matchup between Jackson and Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley alone might be the price of admission. The presence of Lane Kiffin will titillate. Add it all up, and it’s enough to earn top billing on this list, despite the fact the Trojans probably have a snowball’s chance in hell of beating ‘Bama with a first-time starting quarterback. Roll Tide roll.