10 Pac-12 Football Games To Watch During 2020 Season

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Now that the Pac-12 released their schedule, it will be interesting to see how the season plays out.

The battle for the Pac-12 Championship begins Saturday, November 7 with a full slate of games beginning with a morning contest between Arizona State and USC at 10 a.m. MT.

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The conference will have plenty of competitive games throughout the first six weeks.

Here are 10 games to watch for this season.

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1. USC at Utah (Nov. 20)

Over the last handful of seasons, the south division in the Pac-12 has come down to Utah or USC. The Utes have had the edge over the last two years but USC is favored this year.

Leading up to that game, Utah will have had one extra day to prepare for Clay Helton’s team after playing UCLA on the previous Friday. USC will be coming off of a road contest against Arizona.

In 2019, the Trojans gave the Utes their only regular season conference loss. Despite a 3-6 record against USC since joining the conference, Utah is 3-1 at home which is where the game will take place in 2020.

2. Oregon at California (Dec. 5)

This game will be really fun to watch. Many will overlook the Golden Bears in 2020 but this is Justin Wilcox’s best opportunity to have a great season with nearly every starter from 2019 returning. The Ducks will also have a talented team this season as they are likely the favorites to win the conference title.

Leading up to this game, Oregon will have had an extra day to prepare after facing their rival Oregon State on the previous Friday. California will be in the same boat as they will be coming off of a Friday night clash with Stanford.

Last season, Oregon knocked off Cal, 17-7 in Eugene.

3. Arizona State at USC (Nov. 7)

The south division could be won by three teams in 2020 (technically 6) but either Arizona State, USC and Utah are likely to win the division. This game will have massive implications for the south division title chase. It’s also the game that will kickoff the season at 10 a.m. MT on FOX.

In 2019, USC went to Tempe and beat the Sun Devils, 31-26.

4. Utah at Arizona State (Nov. 28)

Like the ASU/USC game, this game will also have massive Pac-12 south division title implications. The Utes will have the role of young team while the Sun Devils bring back more experience and a talented quarterback.

Utah is 3-6 against ASU since 2011 and are 1-3 in Tempe. Leading up to the 2020 clash, Utah will have played USC at home the previous week while ASU will be coming off of a road trip to Colorado.

5. Washington at Oregon (Dec. 12)

The North Division title could be on the line here as it’s the final week of the regular season. Jimmy Lake has a really talented team coming back particularly on defense that is full of veterans.

Entering this game, Washington will have hosted Stanford in Week 5, while Oregon will have faced Cal on the road.

Last season, Oregon beat the Huskies, 35-31 in Seattle.

6. UCLA at Oregon (Nov. 20)

The Bruins drew the short straw as far as the crossover games are concerned. Will be interesting to see how Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Chip Kelly will handle Oregon’s defense.

UCLA will be coming off of a Friday night game against Utah the week prior and will have to travel to Oregon.

The Ducks didn’t face UCLA last season. In 2018, they beat the Bruins, 42-21 at home.

7. Stanford at Washington (Dec. 5)

The Cardinal had a tough season in 2019 but hope to turn things around in 2020. This is a prime test for them on the road.

Washington will be coming off of their Apple Cup matchup with Washington State on the previous Friday. Stanford will have played Cal on the previous Friday.

Stanford beat Washington last season, 23-13 in Palo Alto, California.

8. Washington State at USC (Dec. 4)

USC’s crossover game was with a team with a similar offensive philosophy. The football will be thrown a lot in this one.

No short turnaround for Washington State in this one as they will have played the previous Friday against rival Washington. USC will have a short turnaround after facing Colorado at home during Week 4.

USC did not play Washington State last season. In 2018, the Trojans beat the Cougars, 39-36 at home.

9. Washington at California (Nov. 7)

A young team on offense against a extremely veteran team. The south division will go through Washington, Cal or Oregon. This is a big game as both teams will want to start the season strong.

The first chance to see a young and talented Washington team facing a veteran Cal team as it will be the opener for both teams.

Washington will look for payback after losing to Cal at home, 20-19 last season during Week 2.

10. UCLA at USC (Dec. 12)

Nothing like a rivalry game in Southern California to finish the six-game portion of the season. Kedon Slovis vs. Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Chip Kelly vs. Clay Helton. Should be fun.

USC will have an extra day to prepare for this game after playing on the previous Friday against Washington State. UCLA will be coming off of a road game against Arizona State.

The Trojans dominated the Bruins last season, 52-35 at home.

Crossover Games

The six game schedule features five games against division opponents and one matchup with a team in the opposite division. Here are the “crossover games” in the Pac-12.

• Arizona at Washington (Nov. 21)
• Arizona State vs. California (Nov. 14)
• Colorado at Stanford (Nov. 14)
• Oregon vs. UCLA (Nov. 20)
• Oregon State at Utah (Dec. 5)
• USC vs. Washington State (Dec. 4)

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.