It is that time of year when college football season is getting dangerously close to beginning. With a national title contender in the USC Trojans, and Jim L. Mora ushering in a new era for the UCLA Bruins, the Pac-12 Conference should be very exciting this season. Dan Rubenstein previewed the conference for SB Nation.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley, who decided to return for his senior season rather than enter the NFL draft, was tabbed as a Heisman frontrunner.
Rubenstein also mentioned Oregon sophomore De'Anthony Thomas as a player to watch in the conference, along with quarterbacks Brett Nottingham of Stanford and Matt Scott of Arizona, as well as Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei.
Three of the five games to watch in the conference involve USC, including road battles on September 15 at Stanford and October 4 at Utah. The game of the year in the conference will be November 3 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with USC hosting Oregon in what could be a battle of top five teams.
But perhaps most important of all, the Pac-12 could gain more national attention this season.
"The Pac-12 Network now exists, so people outside of the west coast are going to be able to watch Pac-12 football," RUbenstein said. "This feels important."
For more news and notes on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.
