Pac-12 football prediction: USC picked to win conference in media poll
The Pac-12 Conference released its annual media poll for the 2023 season ahead of Media Day on Friday and USC is the favorite to win the conference in its final year in the Pac-12.
The Trojans received 25 of 36 first-place votes. They are scheduled to leave the Pac-12 next season for the Big Ten, with UCLA joining them.
The Bruins came in sixth in the poll.
USC was followed by Washington, which received four first-place votes. Utah, the defending conference champions, received six first-place votes, but came in third overall.
Oregon was picked to finish fourth. The Ducks received one first-place vote.
Oregon State came in fifth in the poll.
The media has correctly selected the Conference Champion in 33 of 62 previous preseason polls, including six times in the 12-year Football Championship Game era.
It correctly picked Utah to win the conference last season.
How Arizona, Arizona State, rest of conference stand in Pac-12 football media poll
Washington State was picked seventh in the conference, following UCLA, with Arizona coming in at No. 8 and California at No. 9.
Arizona State, under new coach Kenny Dillingham, was picked to finish 10th, with Colorado and new coach Deion Sanders 11th and Stanford 12th.
Points for the media poll were determined by votes. A first-place vote gave that team 12 points, a second-place vote gave a team 11 points, all the way down to a 12th-place vote resulting in one point for that team.
The conference's annual media day will be held in Las Vegas Friday.
The Pac-12 season kicks off on Aug. 26 when USC hosts San Jose State.
USC will host Stanford in the first Pac-12 game of the season on Sept. 9.
2023 Pac-12 media poll results
- 1. USC (25 first-place votes): 413 total points
- 2. Washington (4): 367
- 3. Utah (6): 359
- 4. Oregon (1): 344
- 5. Oregon State: 309
- 6. UCLA: 248
- 7. Washington State: 186
- 8. Arizona: 176
- 9. California: 132
- 10. Arizona State: 122
- 11. Colorado: 98
- 12. Stanford: 54
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