Pac 12 Welcomes Two New Members, Creates Conference Championship

Written for Chalk Them Up.
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In 2011, the Conference of Champions will finally have a conference championship.

After being spurned by iconic programs like Texas and Oklahoma, conference commissioner Larry Scott announced in June that two new teams – Colorado and Utah – would be joining the Pac-10. It will be the first expansion for the conference since 1978, when the Arizona schools moved from the WAC. The two newcomers will be placed in the South division – which many view as the weaker half overall – to compete with Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA and USC.

Scott initially had visions of creating one of the first mega-conferences in college football, coveting both the Longhorns and Sooners, as well as other fellow Big 12 schools like Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. Ultimately, he fell short of that goal, but seemed confident that adding Colorado and Utah will be a step in the right direction for the Conference of Champions.

No matter what the commissioner says though, the Buffaloes and Utes were certainly not his first choices for new additions. But twelve teams is the minimum number for such a contest to take place, and I’m positive that Scott took notice of the monetary benefits associated with conference championships for the Big 12 and SEC.

Regardless of financial gain, however, will these new teams be able to rise to the required level of on-field performance necessary in the Pac-12? Probably not, at least at the outset. What do they bring to a conference that is looking for an even greater amount of national spotlight? Not much yet, if you ask me. I’m not saying they will be 2008 Washington atrocious, but the won’t set the conference on fire.

Stanford and Oregon attract eyeballs on Saturdays because they both scored points in bunches last season (40.3 and 47, respectively, including bowl games). The anticipation of which uniform combination the Ducks would wear probably helped ratings too (although some fans might be loathe to admit this). For these reasons, along with the return of Andrew Luck and more Chip Kelly-isms in Eugene, there is ample reason to pay attention to the Pac-12 North.

Down in the Pac-12 South, USC is grabbing a lot of headlines, despite a down year in 2010, due to the Trojans’ outspoken head coach and the continued impact of NCAA sanctions. A lot of people will also be keeping a close eye on Matt Barkley to determine his 2012 NFL Draft prospects.

Scott and the rest of the Pac-12 brass are hoping that the new additions to the conference generate both greater on-field competitiveness and a sense of intrigue for college football fans this year, but they best not hold their breath – at least with the Buffaloes.

Colorado and Utah will initially create some buzz simply because fans will want to see if the programs can play through an entire season in which virtually opponent will present a challenge. Utah’s Jordan Wynn can most likely remain competitive with the other arms in the South division, which is rather weak with the exception of Barkley. Wynn threw 17 touchdowns last season – more than UCLA’s three passers combined – and spread the ball well, throwing at least 30 completions to four different receivers.

Defensively, the Utes rank best when compared to other Pac-12 teams in run defense, so that might be their brightest spot this season. The question for Utah will be its secondary, where Coach Wittingham will have many inexperienced players. With a 10-3 overall mark in 2010, Utah’s only conference loss was to then-number-3 TCU and they should be the better of the two acquisitions in 2011.

Colorado has a longer road ahead of them to be on par with the elite Pac-12 programs. The Buffaloes compare poorly in most major statistical categories against others in the conference. The best ranking I could find for Colorado was seventh in passing yards per game (222.7).

Of course, the did play in the weaker half of the Big 12 as well, and while having to face the likes of Blaine Gabbert, Taylor Martinez and Ndamukong Suh in recent years isn’t fun, it probably beats competing against the Texas defense, Ryan Broyles or other foes in the South division. Still, Colorado finished fifth in its division in 2010.

Ultimately, don’t expect either new member of the Pac-12 to compete for a spot in the conference championship game in Year One. Or maybe even Year Two or Three. Transitions take time, and if USC doesn’t jump to the top in the South, I would look for another established team in the conference like Arizona to win the division, rather than either of the new teams.

There will still be plenty of storylines to talk about in the Conference of Champions (the new television deal comes to mind), but I doubt that Colorado or Utah will be the subject of much discussion by season’s end.