That was then (summer):
• Utah was picked by the media to finish fifth in the Pac-12 Conference's South Division.
• Oregon had hopes that quarterback Vernon Adams, a graduate-student transfer, could help lead the Ducks back to the national title game.
• Banana slug, boring, conservative Stanford was looking to increase the role for tailback Christian McCaffrey, who had only 42 carries as a freshman.
• USC was picked to win the Pac-12 because it had the best talent — returning and incoming — and was finally free of NCAA sanctions that kept it from competing for national titles.