Top 5 Pac-12 football predictions: Washington wins conference, Caleb Williams winds up in NY for Heisman, Colorado outperforms expectations, and more

The 2023 season will mark the final year the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans are members of the Pac-12. Both schools will join the Big Ten on July 1, 2024, while the conference is also reportedly targeting the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes and Utah Utes have all reportedly been in contact with the Big 12.

While the Pac-12 could lose their Power Five status, they will enter 2023 as one of the deepest conferences in the nation. The conference finished tied with the SEC for the most teams, six, to finish ranked in the Final AP poll.

Ahead of the season, here's five predictions for how things could unfold.

#1 The Washington Huskies win the conference

The Washington Huskies finished the 2022 season with an 11-2 record and ranked eighth in the Final AP poll. Washington won their final seven games of the season, but did not qualify for the Pac-12 Championship game. The Huskies had one of the best offenses in the nation, finishing seventh in scoring.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who finished eighth in Heisman voting, will return in 2023. While the Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans and Utah Utes will all compete for the conference title, look for the Huskies to emerge victorious.

#2 Caleb Williams is back in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony

Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after throwing for 4537 yards, 42 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Williams completed 66.6% of his passes while adding 382 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

He will look to become the second player in NCAA history, and first since Archie Griffin in the mid-1970s, to win the award twice.

Williams enters the season as the favorite to repeat as the Heisman. While he may fall short of doing so, and others in the conference should be in contention for the award, expect the USC Trojans quarterback to be in New York on December 9.

#3 Colorado Buffaloes exceed expectations

The Colorado Buffaloes finished last in the Pac-12 last season as they were just 1-11.

There is plenty of long-term excitement surrounding the Buffaloes after they hired Deion Sanders and he brought in a stacked transfer class. Despite this, their over/under win total sits at just 3.5 wins, with +130 odds, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

While Colorado is still not ready to compete for the conference title, they should easily exceed expectations that have them finishing last or second-to-last in the conference. The Buffaloes roster will look much different in the first year under Sanders as they brought in 51 transfers and 22 recruits.

#4 The Pac-12 will fail to have a school reach the College Football Playoff

The Pac-12 has had just two schools, the 2014 Oregon Ducks and 2016 Washington Huskies, reach the College Football Playoff in the nine-year history of the format.

While that will change in 2024 when the field expands from four to 12 teams, the conference will be too competitive in 2023 to send a school to the postseason.

#5 The Pac-12 will reach a media rights deal before the season

The Pac-12 remains the only Power Five conference without a long-term media rights deal. There have been several delays in a deal being struck leading fans to question the conference's future.

Look for conference officials to reach a deal with one of the major networks prior to the season, which begins on August 26.