Pac-12 football schedule 2020 – what are the five things you need to know? What are the five things that matter?

Pac-12 Football Schedule 2020: 5 Things You Need To Know

– The big deal about open dates

– Pac-12’s travel schedule

– The big non-conference games

– The 9-game schedule: who’s missing?

– Pac-12 schedule winners, losers

5. The big deal about the two week breaks

It’s always the big deal in every conference scheduling season – who has to play the rested teams?

It doesn’t always work out that the team with two weeks to prepare comes out roaring – more on that in a moment – but in general, you’d rather catch an opponent that’s a tad battered and bruised.

In theory, it would be fair if everyone in the Pac-12 had to play one conference game against a rested team. However, it gets extra-quirky this year.

Cal starts the season on August 29th at UNLV, and it gets time off before two of its Pac-12 games (Utah, Stanford). However, on the flip side, Cal has two games against rested teams, with Oregon and Oregon State both getting two weeks to get ready.

UCLA is the other conference team that starts in August and gets two open weeks, but only one of them is before a Pac-12 game (Utah).

The Utes (Cal, UCLA) and Colorado (Arizona State, USC) join Cal as the only others that have to deal with two rested Pac-12 teams.

And then there’s the other side of the coin – Stanford’s week off comes before facing Notre Dame. It’s the one Pac-12 team that doesn’t get some rest before a conference battle.

Arizona (Colorado), Arizona State (Washington State), Oregon (Washington), Oregon State (Arizona) and Stanford (Cal) all have one game against a rested Pac-12 team.

Who gets the massive break by not facing anyone in conference play coming off a break?

Washington, Washington State, and USC.

Why does this matter? After all, Pac-12 teams with two weeks off to prepare for other Pac-12 teams were 7-8 last year. Okay, but …

Utah got two open dates before games, and won them both. Oregon got two open dates before games, and won them both. Of course, those two ended up playing in the Pac-12 championship.

Two other teams got two open dates before Pac-12 games – Washington and Washington State, and now both of them catch this break of not facing anyone coming off a break.

UW lost both of those games last year, by the way.

Pac-12 Football Schedules, Analysis, Toughest Games

North Cal | Oregon | Oregon State

Stanford | Washington | Washington State

South Arizona | Arizona State | Colorado

UCLA | USC | Utah | Composite

NEXT: The Pac-12 doesn’t leave home all that often