JD PicKell predicts participants, winner of 2022 Pac-12 championship

The Pac-12 experienced quite a bit of turbulence this offseason. However the same group of teams that played Pac-12 football last year will be playing it again in 2022. However, the schools recognized in the conference championship game may be a little different this time around, according to On3 analyst JD PicKell.

PicKell broke down the conference title race over on the On3 YouTube channel. Where he predicted one program with a new coach to make it while the other is more of an established brand in Pac-12 play. You can watch his comments in the video right here or read what he had to say in full below.

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JD PicKell predicts Pac-12 championship and winner

“Then we move on to the Pac-12, who took advantage of the rule change and said: no divisions, we don’t need those anymore. Okay great. May the best team win. I think you see Utah and USC in the Pac-12 Championship game.

“USC just has so much firepower. Like if they rolled the ball out tomorrow and just cut the rest of fall practice short. Said okay, you know, that’s enough time, go play. USC has so many playmakers, to where I think they’d still be able to score 30 a game, if not 40. Like they have that much firepower.

“Now, the issue with USC is the toughness and the trenches. It’s not a knock on USC. It’s just a matter of getting your guys in. So they could do it. I’m not saying they can’t do it, but I think USC gets the Pac-12 championship game.

“But the toughness and experience of Utah is ultimately what gets it done. Utah is a team that is probably the most sure of itself in the entire country. I love that about Kyle Whittingham and what he’s done at Utah. The kind of program and culture he’s built. And they’re going to play good defense. They’re going to play tough on offense in the trenches. They’re going to run the ball at you and they’re going to throw it when they need to. That’s Utah.

“Unfortunately for USC, I think that’s the exact formula that they can account for just yet under Lincoln Riley. They’re going to get there. I truly believe they will. They’re gonna get there, but in year one under Lincoln Riley I think it’s a Pac-12 title appearance, not a Pac-12 title win.”