Determining who is under the most pressure in the Pac-12 moving after the first five weeks

We are now almost halfway through the college football season, which is pretty crazy to think about considering how long it felt like it was taking for the season to start.

Prior to the season, I predicted who would be under the most pressure in the Pac-12. A conference that is full of talented and competitive teams vying for two spots in the conference championship, with a few of the teams having their sights set on a playoff bid. While I believe I was correct about the teams/players/coaches that I picked, now that we are nearly at the halfway point the pressure has somewhat shifted off of some, and has now been passed to others.

For reference, the teams/players/coaches I had under the most pressure were Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee, Utah, UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, and lastly USC coach Lincoln Riley. Let's take a look at who I think is under the most pressure now that we have seen five weeks of play.

Utah

The current pressure on No. 11 Utah is higher than it was prior to the season in my opinion. The Utes and the Pac-12 in general do not get the benefit of the doubt that a school in the SEC may get when it comes to the Playoff committee. Following their Week 1 loss to Florida, the Utes now need to have a perfect season in order to even get a chance at making the playoff. Finishing 12-1 as the conference champion with wins over UCLA, USC, and Oregon would be an impressive feat that should get them some consideration, but they are now playing from behind the eight ball.

The team has looked great after the loss to Florida, but the loss certainly hurt them. Had they won that game they would easily be a top seven team at worst. The expectation for this team this season was to win the conference and make the playoff, but after losing a game so early they do not have anymore room for error. These next two weeks can essentially end their playoff hopes, as they play both No. 18 UCLA and No. 6 USC. One loss will likely prevent them from making the Pac-12 Championship, which would mean no shot at the playoff.

USC

As I suspected prior to the season, the Trojans have faired really well and have found themselves in the thick of playoff talks. They have one of the best offenses in the country, as they rank No. 10 in scoring offense and No. 19 in total offense, and their defense is t-No. 1 in the country at taking the ball away. They are still viewed as somewhat of the villain in the Pac-12 due to leaving the conference, sabotaging expansion, and of course their method of bolstering their roster.

While I don't think the pressure from before the season has increased by a lot, I still think that they are feeling it. The whole Pac-12 is essentially rooting for them to slip this season before they leave for the Big Ten, and USC is as close to being "back" as any of the premier programs hoping to do the same. Not to mention the Oklahoma factor. With Oklahoma struggling as much as they are, facing their first three game conference losing streak since 1998, they may be praying on the downfall of USC more than they want Oklahoma to win. The Trojans as it stands, have the best shot at making the playoff and while it is just the first year in the Riley tenure, the expectations for the program are already sky high. I would say them making it to the Pac-12 Championship is the floor for the season, anything other than a conference title appearance would be a disappointment.

David Shaw, Stanford Head Coach

Our first individual on the list who also is replacing his quarterback Tanner McKee. I genuinely thought that if McKee was healthy, that Stanford would be at least 2-2 or even 3-1 by this point. I was completely off the mark in believing in this team. They turn the ball over at one of the highest rates in the country, their defense struggles to prevent big plays, and it appears that there is simply no other answer given than we need to be better.

Shaw was already one of the coaches put on the hot seat by DraftKings, and there is a possibility that this team doesn't win again if something isn't fixed. I'm not sure if there will be a coordinator adjustment, or if the administration will be coming for Shaw. I do know that if Stanford's serious about winning football games, that changes will be made. The Cardinal still theoretically have a chance to string together some wins, but based on what they have shown us in their first three Pac-12 games, I just don't know if it will happen. Especially considering they have to play three more ranked teams. Shaw hasn’t led Stanford to a winning season since 2018 not counting the 4-2 pandemic-reduced 2020 season, and I would imagine that another losing season with no signs of improvement will not bode well.

When it comes to McKee, I still think he is feeling some pressure as a potential first round pick, but he plays well when his offensive line isn't getting demolished every play, and is doing the best he can in what has been a poorly called offense. He is doing the best he can given the circumstances.

Another quarterback who I am taking the "under pressure" label off of is, Oregon's Bo Nix. He has proven the doubters (me) wrong, and is on track to finish this season as his best college football season yet. I think the first week loss to Georgia should be erased from consideration, as Georgia is just elite and realistically might win another championship. Nix is leading Oregon to a successful season, and the Ducks are improving each and every week.

Chip Kelly and UCLA have done what they needed to do thus far, which is win. Even if they lose against Utah, Oregon, and USC they still can easily secure nine wins, which would be their best season since 2014. Kelly finally has this program trending upward, it just took longer than many thought.