Ranking UCLA, Former Pac-12 Schools One Year Since Conference Departure

Now that one year has passed since the end of the old Pac-12 conference as we knew it, let's look back and see how the conference's former programs handled the exit.

Rankings are based on record in accordance with their strength of roster along with strength of schedule. While Washington State and Oregon State are still members of the Pac-12, they will be on the rankings since their schedule was severely disrupted by the departures.

1. Oregon

Big Ten champions, undefeated regular season. No need to say more.

2. Arizona State

Kenny Dillingham may become the next Nick Saban if ASU can get its money up as Dillingham does the right things the right way. He understands the current landscape of college football which helped the Sun Devils win the Big 12 during their first year in the conference, their first outright conference title since 1996. They were also a stop on fourth down away from winning the program's first College Football Playoff bowl game.

3. Colorado

Deion Sanders has completely turned around a perennial loser like Colorado into a nine-win program. Heisman winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders are expected to be top-six draft selections this year, and the Buffalos had one of the most underrated pass-catching units in college football.

4. USC

If the fourth quarter didn't exit, USC might be No. 1 on this list but multiple blown leads sunk the Trojans season. USC had Penn State and Notre Dame on the ropes but somehow snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. If newly minted mobile quarterback Jayden Maiava can take a step up next season and former UCLA defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn can build on an impressive opening campaign in Southern California, the Trojans could be playoff-bound in 2025.

5. Washington State

At one point, the Cougars looked like they would walk into the College Football Playoff. Duel threat quarterback John Mateer was exposing defenses in ways expected number one pick Cam Ward never could, and a shocking win over Washington in Seattle for the Apple Cup would mean that if they won out, they were in. Even with their loss to Boise State, they were in. However, a late-season collapse saw them lose four straight games, including three against teams with losing records paired with the departures of Mateer and head coach Jake Dickert, which has left Cougars fans with a sour taste in their mouth.

6. Washington

It was a rough transition from the national runner-up squad that the Huskies had a year ago but Jedd Fisch is slowly working the magic he had at Arizona. The Huskies struggled with the travel of the Big Ten but their offense could be one of the best in college football come next season.

7. UCLA

The Bruins underwent a series of transitions within their program, and thus, their 2024 season start was poor. However, wins over Midwest blue bloods Nebraska and Iowa, along with a shocking win over Rutgers in New Jersey, saw a positive end to a tough season. Now, will the Bruins build upon that success, or was that just a flash in the pan? We'll have to see as UCLA tries to replace multiple starters on defense.

8. Cal

The Golden Bears were bowl-eligible for the fourth time under head coach Justin Wilcox but constant meltdowns ruined what should have been a breakout year in Berkeley. Cal had the college football social media world by the neck to the point College Gameday came in for their game against Miami, and despite dominating the Hurricanes, the Golden Bears surrendered a fourth-quarter lead in heartbreaking fashion to exemplify what was a year of hope and heartache in Northern California.

9. Utah

For only the third time in the tenure of Kyle Whittingham, the Utes would suffer a losing season. To their credit, their roster was severely injured but a second year without a succession plan for Cam Rising isn't acceptable. The Utes do have a new offensive coordinator and considering their history, they should be much improved in 2025.

10. Oregon State

It was a bad year for the Beavers. Multiple losses to the portal combined with a first-year head coach saw a former Power-Five team struggle against Mountain West opponents. It's going to be interesting as several of those opponents will be members of the new Pac-12 in the coming years.

11. Stanford

Another three-win season for Troy Taylor led to continual disappointment for the Cardinal, but with Andrew Luck as their general manager, things are slowly looking up for a team that needs something positive to hold on to.

12. Arizona

There was no bigger disappointment in 2024 than Arizona. The Wildcats were in position to win the Big 12 and to make a deep run in the College Football Playoffs. Despite having Heisman hopefuls Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillian, head coach Brent Brennan and defensive coordinator Duane Akina did not modernize their schemes effectively, and as a result, they ended the season getting blown out at home for the Territorial Cup. Four wins with the squad left behind by Jedd Fisch, considering all the returning starters they had is simply unacceptable.

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