ESPN College GameDay crew select their 2023 Pac-12 dark horses

Ahead of the final year of the Pac-12 as we know it, six high-performing squads from the 2022 season return to try and stake their claim on the final conference crown race for many of the league’s longstanding powers.

USC and Utah have to be the favorites, since they were the top dogs in the conference a year ago, with the Trojans finishing with the best overall season in the league, while Utah had their share of stumbles but rallied to defeat USC twice and win a second straight Pac-12 title last year.

However, beyond those two, ESPN’s College GameDay Crew went around on Saturday morning and selected teams not named USC or Utah that have a chance to win it all.

First to answer was Desmond Howard: “I’m going Oregon State,” he declared, emphasizing the addition of a former Clemson quarterback as his reason to believe.

“These guys went 10-3 a year ago. Check this out: two of their losses were by only three points to USC and to Washington. They get DJ Uiagalalei as their quarterback, and so I think that this team can be a dark horse, man. Jonathan Smith has the culture to make a run, and I think he has the quarterback that’s going to take him there.”

Kirk Herbstreit had no complains with the former Wolverine’s answer and even agreed.

“I’m with Des,” Herbstreit commented. “Oregon State demolished Florida in the bowl game. They return almost everybody. They got, of course, DJ Uiagalalei stepping in. But they can run the ball. Jonathan Smith is kind of with Kyle Whittingham as one of the more under-appreciated head coaches in the country in my opinion. So keep an eye on Oregon State.”

Pat McAfee wasn’t all aboard the Beavers like his cohorts, and instead picked a different west coast dark horse that’s replacing their quarterback.

“Look out for the dark horse, it is the UCLA Bruins,” says the former NFL punter. He likes that rookie QB and the relatively soft schedule UCLA faces in-conference.

“Now listen, Dante Moore is going to have to do his thing, and they’re saying he is electrifying. They lose Dorian Thompson-Robinson and that’s going to be tough to fill. But as far as Pac-12 schedules go, they’ll be favored in all but two or three games, okay. So they should be able to really rattle off some games. Maybe that offense clicks, the defense stunts, and the UCLA Bruins go on a run.”

Washington, Oregon, Utah and USC may all return awesome quarterbacks, but these GameDay hosts are calling for a new signal caller to break through in Pac-12 country.

“I’m with Des. Oregon State demolished Florida in the bowl game. They return almost everybody. They got, of course, DJ Uiagalalei stepping in. But they can run the ball. Jonathan Smith is kind of with Kyle Whittingham as one of the more under-appreciated head coaches in the country in my opinion. So keep an eye on Oregon State.”