Colorado Football Spring Game
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The final season of Pac-12 football as we know it is approaching as the league prepares to bid farewell to UCLA and USC. Though some of the old blood is on the way out, some new energy is infusing the league's coaching ranks at Arizona State, Colorado and Stanford. In particular, the beginning of Deion Sanders' tenure in Boulder, Colorado, is already captivating the sports world.

As the Buffaloes revamp their roster with sights set on a new era after last season's 1-11 campaign, they do so with a daunting schedule on the horizon. Up first is a road game against a TCU team that played in the College Football Playoff National Championship last season. In total, 11 of Colorado's games are against Power Five foes, and the other is against in-state rival Colorado State.

While the tough schedule may not be ideal for Sanders, it ensures Colorado will be in the spotlight early and often during the 2023 season. The Buffaloes aren't the only team with a tough schedule in the Pac-12, however. Utah is also playing 11 power conference opponents. On the flip side, some teams have relatively easy slates in comparison to their league peers.

As the 2023 season creeps closer, here's our ranking of the Pac-12's schedules from toughest to easiest.

2023 Pac-12 Strength of Schedule Rankings
1
Colorado
Eleven of Colorado's 12 games in Sanders' first season come against Power Five opponents, starting with a road game against TCU. The Buffaloes play just six home games and are on the road for five of their Pac-12 contests. Home games against Colorado State, Stanford and Arizona and a game at Arizona State look like Colorado's best chances to hit the win column during Coach Prime's debut campaign. Otherwise, the Buffaloes are poised to be hefty underdogs on a regular basis.
2
Arizona St.
Arizona State gets eight home games in Kenny Dillingham's first season, but this schedule is nonetheless a tough introduction to the world of head coaching for the 33-year-old former offensive coordinator. With Pac-12 heavyweights Oregon, Washington, USC and Utah all on the schedule, and a nonconference slate featuring challenging games against Oklahoma State and Fresno State, the Sun Devils are going to be hard-pressed to make early strides.
3
California
A Week 2 home game with Auburn highlights the nonconference schedule. A win there would give the Bears breathing room in the program's quest to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019. It could be a necessity because the conference slate is tough. The Bears play five road games in the Pac-12, including four brutal tests against Washington, Utah, Oregon and UCLA. With six total road games, the path to a bowl appearance is narrow in coach Justin Wilcox's seventh season.
4
Utah
The Utes open with Florida and then play at Baylor in Week 2. Though they have only four road games in Pac-12 play, three of them are against teams that won 10 or more games last season (Oregon State, USC and Washington). Thankfully, the Utes get Oregon at home, but this is a tough slate for the two-time reigning conference champions.
5
Washington
With nonconference games against Boise State and at Michigan State, the Huskies are challenging themselves early. The league slate features just four road games, but home games against Oregon and Utah will be huge. A road game vs. USC on Nov. 4 is the toughest test on this slate.
6
Arizona
Arizona is playing five Pac-12 road games, but three of them are against Arizona State, Colorado and Stanford, all of whom are breaking in new coaches after terrible 2022 seasons. The season will likely hinge on how well the Wildcats can defend their home turf in the six home contests; visiting Pac-12 foes are Washington, Oregon State, UCLA and Utah. Those four were a combined 40-13 last season, and Arizona may need to win at least one of those games to reach bowl eligibility in Year 3 under coach Jedd Fisch.
7
Stanford
The positives are that Stanford gets five Pac-12 home games and doesn't have to play Utah, but the Cardinal still face major challenges in Year 1 of the Troy Taylor regime. Reaching bowl eligibility is going to be an uphill climb requiring at least a couple of upsets. With road games at Hawaii and USC in Weeks 1 and 2, Stanford is the only team in the conference that doesn't play at home until Week 3.
8
USC
USC should be a double-digit favorite in every game it plays until traveling to Notre Dame on Oct. 14, and the Trojans could be big favorites in that one, too. Closing with games against Washington, Oregon and UCLA is a tough ask, but this schedule is gettable for a Trojans program looking to break through and reach the College Football Playoff. Of their four toughest league games (Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA), three are at home.
9
Oregon
Oregon gets the bottom-feeding trio of Arizona State, Colorado and Stanford. The Ducks also play just four Pac-12 road games. Though a Week 2 contest at Texas Tech could be a challenge, the schedule sets up reasonably well for the Ducks to build off last season's 10-win debut for coach Dan Lanning. Road games against Washington and Utah will be challenging, but Oregon will at least be coming off a bye before traveling to face the Huskies.
10
Washington St.
Washington State misses USC and Utah and gets the three bottom feeders (Arizona State, Colorado and Stanford). While the conference slate features challenging road games against Oregon and Washington, the absence of the Utes and Trojans is enough to land this schedule firmly on the "easy" side relative to some others in the league.
11
Oregon State
Oregon State closes against Washington and then at Oregon six days later. Leading up to that tough finishing stretch, there is a great opportunity for the Beavers to rack up some wins. Nonconference games against San Jose State and San Diego State aren't gimmes, but Oregon State should win. Utah and UCLA are on the schedule, but both games are at home. The Beavers and Bruins are the only Pac-12 teams without a nonconference game vs. a Power Five school or Notre Dame.
12
UCLA
UCLA plays the three Pac-12 schools with first-year coaches (Arizona State, Colorado and Stanford) and misses both Oregon and Washington. The Bruins do play five Pac-12 road games, including contests at Utah and USC. On the whole, however, this is one of the more manageable slates in the league, especially now that nonconference foe Coastal Carolina is going through a coaching transition from Jamey Chadwell to Tim Beck.