Every year, college football brings upsets on an almost weekly basis, and Pac-12 Football has not been immune to unexpected victories in recent years. 2 FCS schools claimed victory of Pac-12 opponents last year when NAU knocked off Arizona and Montana took down Washington. Looking ahead to this Fall, what are the biggest non-conference "trap games" for teams across the league?
On this episode of Locked On Pac-12, Spencer McLaughlin and Cindy Robinson discuss which under-the-radar non-conference games could cause some teams to stumble. Even with new Head Coach Lincoln Riley raising the expectations back to where USC Football is used to them being, if the Trojans want to avoid an ugly early-season headline they'll have to do what UCLA failed to do in 2021: beat Fresno State. Oregon has the toughest non-conference schedule in the league, and when BYU goes to Autzen Stadium on September 17th it will be a real test for Dan Lanning and his new staff.
If Arizona State isn't able to knock off Eastern Michigan this Fall, it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back for Herm Edwards down in Tempe. Montana State will have a chance for a power-5 conference win against Oregon State, but the Beavers offense might be too much for them to handle with Jonathan Smith--who has done very well to change the culture in Corvallis. After falling to NAU a season ago, Jedd Fish and his Arizona Wildcats will look to get back on track as a program in 2022. Avoiding a loss to the 2021 FCS National Champions (North Dakota State) would be a good start for the rebuilding program.
USC defensive end Drake Jackson has been a very productive member for the Trojans over the last couple of seasons, even as USC's defenses (and overall team) struggled under Clay Helton. Now he's getting ready for the 2022 NFL Draft . His draft profile projects him as a high-end reserve or a low-end starter in the NFL, but with his physical tools he could turn into a starting-caliber player if he's able to land in the right situation.
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