The Pac-12 has been arguably one of the top two football conferences the last few seasons. The SEC is still considered the King of the Hill in college football with good reason, but the Pac-12 will not be right behind them this season or even next. The conference is going through a change at the most important position on the field. Quarterback turnover will be affecting the Pac-12 this year.
Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Utah, and USC will be undergoing the change under center. With those concerns with some of the conference powers the media has eased off on pronouncing any team from the Pac-12 to be playoff worthy.
The other aspect that gets forgotten by many people is that the Pac-12 plays a nine game conference schedule. By playing this type of conference schedule, the Pac-12 puts themselves at a disadvantage compared to the SEC who plays an eight game schedule and gets one extra cupcake of a game during the year.
By not getting one of those extra games against a lower division opponent or weaker Power 5 opponent the Pac-12 puts another potential loss on their playoff teams record. Having that possibility gives plenty of reason in the minds of plenty of people about how the Pac-12 doesn't belong. The irony is that a potential playoff team from the Pac-12 with two losses doesn't mean that they aren't worthy of a birth in the playoff.
The only conference getting the benefit of the doubt with two losses is the SEC. They have built up plenty of benefit from dominating the national championship count.
That thought may bug many people in the Pac-12, but it is simply the truth.
The other issue with getting to the playoff for the Pac-12 is the starting times for their games. 50-60% of the country is asleep already by the time games start out here. The television contract that the Pac-12 has is not the greatest and basically dictates when teams play. If the conference wants to get paid, this is what they have to do.
Larry Scott said as much when asked at Arizona State/Arizona baseball game.
"If we want to get paid, we play when the networks tell us. It simply is what we have to do." Scott explained.
Finally, the Pac-12 is a carnivorous type of football conference. They beat up on each other with conference play. Any team can beat any team on any given Saturday. There really isn't a bye week in terms of competition in the Pac-12. Ask anybody who pays attention to the Pac-12 which means you have to talk to somebody from the West Coast. East Coast people really don't care about what happens out here. Not even sure they know what is west of Arkansas.
With all these things going on with the Pac-12 Conference in football, they will be left out of the playoff for a second straight year in 2016.
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