Dan Mullen explains excitement to follow PAC-12 in 2023
Count ESPN analyst Dan Mullen as one of the biggest supporters of PAC-12 football this fall.
As the former leader of the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Florida Gators, many would expect Mullen to be excited to watch the SEC slate over the next couple of months. While he’ll certainly be tuned in for those games, it’s the PAC-12 that’s ticking his fancy at the moment, and the conference he’s most excited to watch take the field.
“There is not a league I’m more excited to watch than the PAC-12 this year,” said Mullen, via The Matt Barrie Show. “… I think USC’s a legitimate Playoff contender, a legitimate Playoff contender, and they’ve got to deal with Utah, who’s the two-time defending (champions), and then they have to go to Oregon and deal with Oregon and Washington, who are two explosive teams with veteran quarterbacks and play-makers all over the place. And don’t forget about Oregon State.
“They found a way to win with a great offensive line, DJ Uiagalelei coming in at quarterback. The running back’s coming back. And better than all of that, they all play each other.”
Some may be thinking Mullen’s crazy for that statement, as the SEC is loaded with the usual suspects, like Georgia, LSU and Alabama, and some up and coming squads are looking to make some noise once again, like Tennessee and Ole Miss. Still, Mullen is choosing the PAC-12, mainly because of their schedule, and the unpredictability within the conference.
“They all — like, I’m looking at you saying, ‘Okay, the SEC this year,’ well Georgia’s going to represent the East, that’s already done, and probably, it’ll be either LSU or Alabama you assume in the West, and that’s done. But imagine if they all — everybody is playing each other,” added Mullen. “It is going to be the most entertaining conference, in it’s final year, the swan song of 100 years of PAC-12 footballs, could be one of the most exciting years in the league.”
While there’s much uncertainty as to whether the PAC-12 will continue beyond 2023, Mullen put it perfectly, adding that the most exciting season for the conference may be it’s last. If you’re going to go out, you might as well go out with a bang.
Time will tell if Dan Mullen’s conjecture is correct, but he makes some salient points, and you can bet the PAC-12 will have viewers tuning in for what looks to be one final season in 2023.