Paul Myerberg

USA TODAY Sports

Tenth in an 11-part series. Read previous entries on the AAC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt and Independents.

As a whole, the Pac-12 Conference will play 12 games against fellow Power Five competition during non-conference play, a fact that should earn our undying affection — and our respect.

Texas. Michigan. Alabama. Notre Dame — twice. Texas A&M. Nebraska. Despite playing nine league games, the Pac-12 as a whole annually plays a far more intimidating non-conference slate than any of its Power Five peers. Not that anyone else even tries.

And not that it always works out in the league’s favor. Remember Stanford at Northwestern last September? Kudos for the Cardinal for scheduling a season opener against Big Ten Conference foe; sorry about the loss. Largely amid an otherwise superb season: If Stanford had swapped Northwestern for Northwest Missouri State, the Cardinal are in the College Football Playoff.

2016 college football TV schedule

That’s the give and take of a brutal non-conference schedule. This year, it’s even more vital that the league take advantage of the opportunity.

The Pac-12 was the lone major conference to be shut out of last year’s Playoff field. The conference as a whole seems to have few true believers, with many questioning Stanford’s title credentials, brushing off Oregon, doubting UCLA and criticizing Southern California.

The push for national respect — and a seat at the Playoff table — begins in early September. These Pac-12 teams must do more than merely play good teams outside of league play — they need to win.

Projected order of finish

Rank among 128 FBS teams in parentheses

NORTH

1. Stanford (No. 10)

2. Oregon (No. 18)

3. Washington (No. 20)

4. Washington State (No. 58)

5. California (No. 80)

6. Oregon State (No. 118)

SOUTH

1. UCLA (No. 5)

2. Southern California (No. 34)

3. Arizona (No. 36)

4. Utah (No. 46)

5. Arizona State (No. 47)

6. Colorado (No. 97)

Preseason all-conference

OFFENSE

QB: Josh Rosen, UCLA

RB: Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

RB: Royce Freeman, Oregon

WR: Gabe Marks, Washington State

WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC

TE: Pharaoh Brown, Oregon

OL: Conor McDermott, UCLA

OL: Johnny Caspers, Stanford

OL: Riley Sorensen, Washington State

OL: Damien Mama, USC

OL: Zach Banner, USC

DEFENSE

DL: Solomon Thomas, Stanford

DL: Lowell Lotulelei, Utah

DL: Elijah Qualls, Washington

DL: Kylie Fitts, Utah

LB: Azeem Victor, Washington

LB: Cameron Smith, USC

LB: Peter Kalambayi, Stanford

CB: Sidney Jones, Washington

CB: Adoree’ Jackson, USC

S: Budda Baker, Washington

S: Jaleel Wadood, UCLA

SPECIALISTS

K: Andy Phillips, Utah

P: Nick Porebski, Oregon State

RET: Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

Best units

Quarterback: UCLA. Through one season, Josh Rosen has been everything most expected him to be — and he’s only getting better.

Running back: Stanford and Oregon (tie). There’s no one quite like Christian McCaffrey, but Oregon’s backfield is about more than just Royce Freeman; the Ducks have very good depth in the running game. Both teams have breakout candidates in Bryce Love and Tony Brooks-James, respectively.

Why Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey will be Heisman-worthy again

Wide receiver and tight end: Southern California. February brought yet another crop of talented receivers to join the established top group of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steven Mitchell, Darreus Rogers and the incomparable Adoree’ Jackson.

Offensive line: Southern California. To me, nothing speaks to the potential for the Trojans’ post-sanctions resurgence than the rebuilding of this offensive line, which is easily among the top three or four units in the country.

Defensive line: Utah and Stanford (tie). The Utes have more star power, but Harrison Phillips’ return from injury and the influx of several impressive newcomers gives the Cardinal a very strong foundation up front.

The good and mostly bad of boffo predictions for Washington football

Linebacker: Washington and Stanford (tie). Stanford’s strong front seven continues with this position group, while Washington’s terrific back seven begins with Azeem Victor, Keishawn Bierria and the rest of the Huskies’ linebackers.

Secondary: Washington. Having Budda Baker and Sidney Jones share the same secondary is ridiculous and, at times, ridiculously unfair.

Special teams: Stanford and Utah (tie). McCaffrey is, well, McCaffrey, and Utah’s Andy Phillips is one of the nation’s top kickers.

National award candidates

Heisman Trophy:Christian McCaffrey, Stanford; Royce Freeman, Oregon; and Josh Rosen, UCLA. McCaffrey’s presence could make it difficult for Freeman to get the national recognition he needs to be a major Heisman contender, while Rosen would benefit from UCLA’s projected push for the Playoff.

Doak Walker Award (best running back): McCaffrey and Freeman. While we’re at it, let’s just include McCaffrey on the list for every national award possible.

Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback): Rosen. Again, his candidacy does rest in some large part on whether or not the Bruins get out of their own and contend for a top-four finish.

The changing faces of Oregon football’s offense

Biletnikoff Award (best receiver):Gabe Marks, Washington State, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC. Marks will put up the numbers, while Smith-Schuster might do the same against a higher level of competition.

Outland Trophy (best interior lineman):Conor McDermott, UCLA, and Zach Banner, USC. The league’s top offensive tackles, standing a combined 13 feet 5 inches will be in contention for the award, though there will be some seriously stiff competition.

Thorpe Award (best defensive back): Budda Baker, Washington. I fully expect the glue of Washington’s outstanding defense to become a national name should the Huskies charge toward the Rose Bowl.

Groza Award (best kicker): Andy Phillips, Utah. He’s flown under the radar as a result of his former teammate, all-everything punter Tom Hackett, but Phillips is ready to shine as a senior.

Ranking the starting quarterbacks

1. Josh Rosen, UCLA. He has all the tools to be the best quarterback in college football.

2. Jake Browning, Washington. Browning needs another season to develop his entire skill set, but the potential is obvious.

3. Luke Falk, Washington State. Falk will rank among the nation’s most productive passers in total yards and touchdowns, and should once again do an outstanding job limiting his turnovers.

4. Davis Webb, California. Webb might not be as effective as Jared Goff, but he’ll have a very strong season as a result of his own talent level — somewhat forgotten after sitting behind Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech — and Sonny Dykes’ deft touch with quarterbacks.

5. Max Browne, USC. Browne fended off a huge challenge from redshirt freshman Sam Darnold and should develop into an all-conference performer during his final two seasons.

6. Anu Solomon, Arizona. Remember when Solomon was the answer for Arizona? Now just a junior, he still has time to recapture his previous form.

7. Dakota Prukop, Oregon. Will the Ducks land another all-conference season from its latest Football Championship Subdivision transfer? I have my doubts.

8. Troy Williams, Utah. The former Washington transfer has the tools and athleticism to be a good fit, though the Utes’ decline in experience at the position is reason for some level of concern.

9. Ryan Burns, Stanford. Burns won the job late in camp, but it was close enough with Keller Chryst that coach David Shaw says both will play, at least early.

10. Sefo Liufau, Colorado. There’s no question that he makes Colorado far more competitive, but injuries have been a concern.

11. Darell Garretson, Oregon State. Familiar with Gary Andersen’s style from his time at Utah State, Garretson marks a definite upgrade under center for Oregon State.

12. Brady White, Arizona State. It won’t always be pretty for the redshirt freshman, but look for ASU to tailor the offense to his strengths and wait for the former top-100 recruit to match his potential.

Top newcomers

Arizona State WR N'Keal Harry. There is every expectation that Harry will be an indispensable part of the Sun Devils’ offense beginning with his true freshman season.

UCLA LB Mique Juarez. The Bruins beat out local rivals and national program from coast to coast to land this unbelievably gifted young defender.

USC WR Tyler Vaughns. Any number of players from the Trojans’ impressive recruiting class could fit in this spot, but Vaughns could grab a sizable role as one of the team’s secondary receiving options.

Washington RB Sean McGrew. He could lend a hand in the Huskies’ running game and take some pressure off of sophomore Myles Gaskin.

Stanford TE Kaden Smith. There will always be playing time for a gifted tight end in Stanford’s offense.

UCLA WR Theo Howard. He has the talent an opportunity to be the Pac-12's Freshman of the Year.

Games of the year

USC vs. Alabama (in Arlington, Texas), Sept. 3. It won’t be easy for the Trojans.

UCLA at Texas A&M, Sept. 3. A loaded opening-weekend slate has this game flying under the radar, but don’t discount how vital it will be for the Bruins to get off on the right foot.

Brigham Young at Utah, Sept. 10. A new coach joins the rivalry — Kalani Sitake replaces Bronco Mendenhall — but the bitterness will remain the same.

Oregon at Nebraska, Sept. 17. Oregon has had Mike Riley’s number, but there’s a difference between Oregon State and Nebraska.

Stanford at Washington, Sept. 30. The first of two games to decide the North Division and potentially which team from the Pac-12 is a Playoff contender.

Washington at Oregon, Oct. 8. Oregon fans will be quick to remind you that it’s been some time since the Huskies beat the Ducks.

Stanford at Notre Dame, Oct. 15. When it comes to the Pac-12, no non-conference game will be more impactful in the Playoff hunt.

Stanford at Oregon, Nov. 12. Washington has joined the mix in the North hunt, but don’t be surprised if this game once again decides the division.

USC at UCLA, Nov. 19. The Bruins should be nervous about one thing in particular: USC will be playing its best football during the second half of the season.

Best chance at the playoff

Betting on UCLA to do anything more than win nine or so games and disappoint is never a wise decision. I’m going to do it anyway.

I’m going to gamble on this being the Bruins’ breakout season, with all due respect to the program’s steadiness since Jim Mora’s arrival: UCLA has been good but not great under Mora, though there have been flashes of the consistency needed to be counted among the nation’s best. Could this be the year it comes together?

The talent is there. The experience is there. The quarterback is certainly there: Josh Rosen is going to be absolutely fantastic, as predicted in some corners before he even threw his first college pass. All that’s left are the misgivings over the coaching staff’s ability to handle the pressures of matching these immense expectations; those fears won’t disappear until September at the earliest.

But it’s a good year for UCLA to take the next step. Stanford is going to be terrific, as always, but I don’t totally buy into the Cardinal’s wherewithal as a championship contender. Oregon will again hover around double-digit wins, but the Ducks are not without their concerns. Washington is poised to make noise — but I think the Huskies’ national breakthrough is a year away.

It’s all coming together for the Bruins. Can the team take advantage of this opportunity? Maybe there’s one other concern: UCLA’s greatest enemy is UCLA.

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