Media predicts USC to win 2023 Pac-12 Football Championship

USC has been chosen as the favorite to win the 2023 Pac-12 Conference Championship, presented by 76®, in a vote of 36 media members who cover the league.  The Trojans received 25 of the 36 first-place votes to earn the preseason selection.

WASHINGTON, who received four first-place votes, finished second to edge  two-time defending champion UTAH which actually received more first-place votes (six) than the Huskies.  OREGON, who finished fourth in the poll, was the only other school to receive a first-place vote.

This will be the second season that the Pac-12 Football Championship Game will be played between the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage.  This change came about following the NCAA Division I Council decision in May 2022 to deregulate the rule that had limited an individual conference’s autonomy to determine their football championship game participants.  It was based on a motion brought by the Pac-12 and unanimously supported by all FBS conferences

The media has correctly selected the Conference Champion in 33 of 62 previous preseason polls, including six times in the 12-year FCG era.

2023 Pac-12 Football Media Day will be held in Las Vegas on Friday, July 21.  For all materials needed during media day please go here.

Following are the results of the preseason media poll (points 12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 with first-place votes in parentheses): 

 Total Points
1.  USC (25)413
2.  Washington (4)367
3.  Utah (6)359
4.  Oregon (1)344
5.  Oregon State309
6.  UCLA248
7.  Washington State186
8.  Arizona176
9.  California132
10.  Arizona State122
11.  Colorado98
12.  Stanford54

The 2023 Pac-12 Football Championship Game, presented by 76, featuring the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage, will take place on Friday, Dec. 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. The game will be telecast to a national audience on ABC.

The 2023 Pac-12 football season kicks off in Week Zero on Saturday, Aug. 26 when USC and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams host San Jose State at 5:00 pm PT on Pac-12 Network. The first Conference showdown features Stanford at USC on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. PT on FOX. Click here for the complete Pac-12 Football schedule.

YearMedia Poll PickActual FinishActual winnerPredicted Finish
1961UCLA1stUCLA1st
1962Washington2ndUSC2nd
1963USC2ndWashington2nd
1964Washington3rdOregon State6th
1965USC2ndUCLA7th
1966USC1stUSC1st
1967USC1stUSC1st
1968USC1stUSC1st
1969USC1stUSC1st
1970USC6thStanford2nd
1971USC2ndStanford2nd
1972USC1stUSC1st
1973USC1stUSC1st
1974USC1stUSC1st
1975USC5thUCLA3rd
1976USC1stUSC1st
1977USC2ndWashington3rd
1978USC1stUSC1st
1979USC1stUSC1st
1980USC3rdWashington3rd
1981USC2ndWashington4th
1982USC3rdUCLA3rd
1983Arizona5thUCLA5th
1984UCLA3rdUSC3rd
1985USC4thUCLA5th
1986UCLA2ndArizona State4th
1987UCLA2ndUSC4th
1988UCLA2ndUSC2nd
1989USC1stUSC1st
1990Washington1stWashington1st
1991Washington1stWashington1st
1992Washington1stWashington1st
1993Washington4thUCLA6th
1994Arizona2ndOregon8th
1995USC1stUSC1st
1996USC5thArizona State2nd
1997Washington4thWashington State7th
1998UCLA1stUCLA1st
1999Arizona6thStanford8th
2000Washington1stWashington1st
2001Oregon1stOregon1st
2002Washington State1stWashington State1st
2003USC1stUSC1st
2004USC1stUSC1st
2005USC1stUSC1st
2006USC1stUSC1st
2007USC1stUSC1st
2008USC1stUSC1st
2009USC5thOregon3rd
2010Oregon1stOregon1st
2011Oregon (N)
USC (S)
1st
not eligible
Oregon (N)*
UCLA (S FCG rep)
1st
5th
2012Oregon (N)
USC (S)
tie – 1st
tie – 2nd
Stanford (N)*
UCLA (S)
2nd
3rd
2013Oregon (N)
UCLA (S)
tie – 1st
tie – 2nd
Stanford (N)*
Arizona State (S)
2nd
2nd
2014Oregon (N)
UCLA (S)
1st
tie – 2nd
Oregon (N)*
Arizona (S)
1st
4th
2015Oregon (N)
USC (S)
2nd
1st
Stanford (N)*
USC (S)
2nd
1st
2016Stanford (N)
UCLA (S)
3rd
tie – 4th
Washington (N)*
Colorado (S)
2nd
6th
2017Washington (N)
USC (S)
2nd
1st
Stanford
USC*
2nd
1st
2018Washington (N)
USC (S)
tie – 1st
tie – 3rd
Washington*
Utah
1st
2nd
2019Oregon (N)
Utah (S)
1st
1st
Oregon*
Utah
1st
1st
2020Oregon (N)
USC (S)
1st
1st
Washington**, Oregon* USC3rd, 1st
1st
2021Oregon (N) USC (S)1st tie- 4thOregon Utah*1st 2nd
2022Utah1stUtah*1st
Bold – Predicted FCG winner* – BCS / CFP / Rose Bowl participant ** – Unable to participate in FCG