Pac-12 Conference Championship Odds: Can USC take crown? 5/29/17
Can quarterback Sam Darnold lead the USC Trojans to a Pac-12 Conference Championship next season?
The Favorite: USC Trojans
According to oddsmakers, no team has better odds to win the Pac-12 Conference Championship next year than Southern Cal. The Trojans are currently listed at 11/10, which best the odds of defending champ Washington, which is 11/4.
No team disappointed and delighted like USC did in college football last year. The Trojans got off to an ugly 1-3 start due to blowout losses to No. 1 Alabama (52-6) and No. 7 Stanford (27-10), as well as a narrow 31-27 loss at No. 24 Utah. But the team rallied behind Darnold, who replaced starter Max Browne at the conclusion of the loss to the Cardinal.
Under Darnold, a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender this season, the Trojans rattled off nine consecutive wins to close out the 2016 season. Of those wins, one was a 21-17 upset of then-No. 21 Colorado, one was a 26-13 upset over then-No. 4 Washington, as well as a 52-49 victory over then-No. 5 Penn State in an epic Rose Bowl. The Trojans also defeated hated Notre Dame 45-27 at home.
The Challenger: Washington Huskies
Even though Darnold and USC are the flavor of the month, they’ll still need to get past an angry Washington program. The Huskies had an incredible season, one that saw them go 12-1 during the regular season. But all anyone remembers is the 26-13 loss to USC at home, as well as the lackluster 24-7 defeat to Alabama in the semi-finals of the playoffs.
That said, the Huskies return quarterback Jake Browning, who threw for 3,430 yards with 43 touchdowns passes and just nine interceptions. A Heisman candidate himself, Browning is ready to take yet another step in his third season as a starter. Washington’s defense also figures to give opponents headaches again.
The Rest of the Field
UCLA is 15/2 to win the Pac-12 next season. If Josh Rosen can stay healthy and finally live up to the hype that surrounded him as a freshman, then the Bruins could be a sleeper to win the conference in 2017.
As always, Stanford figures to be in the mix and is 10/1 to win the conference next year. Oregon and Washington State are both 12/1, followed by Utah at 14/1. Colorado is 20/1, Arizona State is 25/1, and Arizona is 60/1. The two biggest long-shots to win the Pac-12 crown in 2017 are Cal and Oregon State, who are both 80/1, respectively.
