The 2021 Pac-12 football season will be remarkably like 2020, if you believe the media poll.
Oregon was picked to win the North. USC to win the South. And the Ducks were picked with a USC-Oregon by 27 voters. USC was picked by 10 voters. Three voters picked Utah to win the Pac-12 title game.
| North Division | South Division | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| School | Points | School | Points |
| 1. Oregon (38) | 238 | 1. USC (27) | 223 |
| 2. Washington (2) | 189 | 2. Utah (6) | 183 |
| 3. California | 140 | 3. Arizona State (6) | 170 |
| 4. Stanford | 137 | 4. UCLA (1) | 135 |
| 5. Oregon State | 71 | 5. Colorado | 88 |
| 6. Washington State | 65 | 6. Arizona | 41 |
PAC-12 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WINNER: Oregon (27 votes)
Others receiving votes: USC (10), Utah (3)
Here is the all-time media-poll results:
| Year | Media Poll Pick | Actual Finish | Rose Bowl / CFP / BCS Representatitve | Predicted Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | UCLA | 1st | UCLA | 1st |
| 1962 | Washington | 2nd | USC | 2nd |
| 1963 | USC | 2nd | Washington | 2nd |
| 1964 | Washington | 3rd | Oregon State | 6th |
| 1965 | USC | 2nd | UCLA | 7th |
| 1966 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1967 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1968 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1969 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1970 | USC | 6th | Stanford | 2nd |
| 1971 | USC | 2nd | Stanford | 2nd |
| 1972 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1973 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1974 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1975 | USC | 5th | UCLA | 3rd |
| 1976 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1977 | USC | 2nd | Washington | 3rd |
| 1978 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1979 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1980 | USC | 3rd | Washington | 3rd |
| 1981 | USC | 2nd | Washington | 4th |
| 1982 | USC | 3rd | UCLA | 3rd |
| 1983 | Arizona | 5th | UCLA | 5th |
| 1984 | UCLA | 3rd | USC | 3rd |
| 1985 | USC | 4th | UCLA | 5th |
| 1986 | UCLA | 2nd | Arizona State | 4th |
| 1987 | UCLA | 2nd | USC | 4th |
| 1988 | UCLA | 2nd | USC | 2nd |
| 1989 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1990 | Washington | 1st | Washington | 1st |
| 1991 | Washington | 1st | Washington | 1st |
| 1992 | Washington | 1st | Washington | 1st |
| 1993 | Washington | 4th | UCLA | 6th |
| 1994 | Arizona | 2nd | Oregon | 8th |
| 1995 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 1996 | USC | 5th | Arizona State | 2nd |
| 1997 | Washington | 4th | Washington State | 7th |
| 1998 | UCLA | 1st | UCLA | 1st |
| 1999 | Arizona | 6th | Stanford | 8th |
| 2000 | Washington | 1st | Washington | 1st |
| 2001 | Oregon | 1st | Oregon | 1st |
| 2002 | Washington State | 1st | Washington State | 1st |
| 2003 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 2004 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 2005 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 2006 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 2007 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 2008 | USC | 1st | USC | 1st |
| 2009 | USC | 5th | Oregon | 3rd |
| 2010 | Oregon | 1st | Oregon | 1st |
| 2011 | Oregon (N) USC (S) | 1st not eligible | Oregon (N)* UCLA (S FCG rep) | 1st 5th |
| 2012 | Oregon (N) USC (S) | tie – 1st tie – 2nd | Stanford (N)* UCLA (S) | 2nd 3rd |
| 2013 | Oregon (N) UCLA (S) | tie – 1st tie – 2nd | Stanford (N)* Arizona State (S) | 2nd 2nd |
| 2014 | Oregon (N) UCLA (S) | 1st tie – 2nd | Oregon (N)* Arizona (S) | 1st 4th |
| 2015 | Oregon (N) USC (S) | 2nd 1st | Stanford (N)* USC (S) | 2nd 1st |
| 2016 | Stanford (N) UCLA (S) | 3rd tie – 4th | Washington (N)* Colorado (S) | 2nd 6th |
| 2017 | Washington (N) USC (S) | 2nd 1st | Stanford USC* | 2nd 1st |
| 2018 | Washington (N) USC (S) | tie – 1st tie – 3rd | Washington* Utah | 1st 2nd |
| 2019 | Oregon (N) Utah (S) | 1st 1st | Oregon* Utah | 1st 1st |
| 2020 | Oregon (N), Washington (N)** USC (S) | 1st, 3rd 1st | Oregon | 1st |
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
Bright Side: These predictions should make owners of the “USC Pac 12 South Champions!” t-shirts very happy —
#AnotherFullYear’sUse
LikeLike
How are you not writing about the conference re-alignments? The very core of college football is being re-written right now and this blog has nothing.
USC to Big 10 along with UCLA, Washington, Oregon and maybe one other Pac-12 team. Or could USC go independent? Or could the Pac-12 somehow reconstitute itself?
Whatever happens, change is good. Change will force USC to compete at a higher level and that means Helton must go soon.
Take Back the West recruiting has FAILED to lock down the top prospects in California or across the country. We lost nearly every head-to-head recruiting battle. Every recruit knows that this is Helton’s last year, so why sign up?
It might be time to fire Helton and hire a new coach BEFORE the season even starts, or as soon as we can lock down a top coach. We need a new head coach to have a chance at getting these recruits to reconsider. Matt Campbell maybe. Luke Fickell. Or is there some other great coach that will want to move with these conference re-alignments? USC in the Big 10 would make it an even more desireable head coaching job. More money for TV rights. Or we stay in the Pac-12 and hold them hostage for a bigger piece of the pie – maybe 20% of the total?
The whole world is being re-aligned. Will USC step up and take a swing at living up to its potential, or just continue to get mired in the Caruso/Folt/Helton shitshow?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Somebody asked yesterday what would keep Scott from criticizing USC. Here’s the answer: USC goes undefeated —meaning beats Notre Dame at South Bend, beats Oregon (or Washington) in the Pac 12 Championship and wins it’s Bowl or Playoff Games.
#WeDoThat&ScottHasToSay”JobWellDone”
#IfWeGetBeatByNotreDame&LosePac12WeDeserveCriticism
LikeLike
Now the Fans and Alumni rave about winning the PAC 12 South….
Oh, how far the Proud have fallen…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Winning the PAC 12 south is a job half done. I am getting old because I remember when there was no fear of Oregon, Oregon State or WSU. Occasionally we had mild respect for Washington, but that was because of a star player.
USC has become a shadow of their former self. Schools don’t even blink about playing Helton’s pasty puffs from the passing league.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Cue “Me and My Shadow.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
In other words, which mid to lower tier Big 10 team will be sent to the Las Vegas bowl to play USC and mop the floor with Clay Helton this season?
A .500 Illinois team would match up well against an 8 or 9 win Helton/USC team.
The Illini would probably open as a 7.5 pt. favorite, which would seem about right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed —but PLEASE detach Tebow from your name. Obama has done so much for peace –he even won the Nobel Peace Prize….so everyone knows how wonderful he is…
#WhereasTebowIsEvil…
#..NotOneSingleNobelPrizeToHisName…
#[NotEvenInPhysics]
LikeLiked by 2 people
IF SC WINS , WILL THEY GO TO A BOWL GAME?
sc has become the laughing stock of football,and if they actually do win the south it will be a great accomplishment for this for this charade…I have thought even 3rd would be an accomplishment,behind Utah and Arizona St….means beating the rest,which may not happen. Anything with the hellton/folt label is an undesirable product…feel sorry for the team to be under such miserable losers.
LikeLiked by 1 person