Going into 2019, many expected the PAC 12 to once again be the worst of the Power Five conferences. The PAC 12 was abysmal in 2018 and many questioned whether it had a ghost of a chance to send a team to the playoff in 2019.
This perception was quickly enforced when Oregon (the pre-season consensus best team in the conference) lost to Auburn to open the 2019 season. As the 2019 season winds into its final month, it looks like the conference has shown only marginal improvement.
But it has two teams that can still make a last gasp bid for the playoff.
The Oregon Ducks and Utah Utes each have one loss already, but they are nonetheless the No. 7 and No. 8-ranked teams in the nation heading into Week 11. If the two teams each win the remainder of their regular-season games and reach the PAC 12 championship, the winner of that game has a legitimate shot at the playoff.
The committee is likely to rank a couple of teams ahead of them heading into conference championship week, so they’re going to need some help, but the Ducks and Utes could sneak in if some chaos ensues. Should Clemson be upset, Ohio State or Penn State fall short, or something weird happens in the SEC championship, west coast fans might have a meaningful postseason game to cheer for.
