Pac-12: UCLA Coach Jim Mora sees division race as hefty challenge

UCLA Coach Jim Mora watches the Bruins at spring practice in March.

July 30, 2015 8:53 AM PT

Don’t wait around for UCLA Coach Jim Mora to start waxing poetic about national championships, or even Pac-12 titles.

The headache that tops the list is the Pac-12 South.

A year ago, the argument could be made that the division was the best in college football (the squeal you just heard came from the SEC). This season, it could be again.

USC was picked by the media to win the division and the conference.

“Look at every team in the South, and on any given weekend, you can get beat,” Mora said. “It’s challenging, it motivates you and it lends legitimacy to the conference. I also think it’s very dangerous. If you win the Pac-12 South, you’re a darn good football team because you will have weathered tough games.”

That’s a big change from when the conference first split in two in 2011. UCLA won the first South title, but it was hardly a team for the ages. The Bruins were 6-8 and finished the regular season with a 50-0 loss to USC, then fired Coach Rick Neuheisel before the Pac-12 title game.

Things have picked up since.

UCLA won the South in 2012. A year later, Arizona State went to the Pac-12 title game, with the tipping point being the Sun Devils’ victory over UCLA. Last season, the division went down to the last game. UCLA was denied the title when it lost to Stanford in the season finale, sending Arizona to the championship game.

No one from the South has been able to claim the Pac-12 title in four seasons, as Oregon (2011, 2014) and Stanford (2012, 2013) were too formidable.

USC returns 16 starters, including quarterback Cody Kessler, considered a Heisman Trophy candidate.

UCLA returns 18 starters, but is the only team in the division that is not set at quarterback, although freshman Josh Rosen is expected to win the job.

Arizona State is set at quarterback with Mike Bercovici and returns nine of 11 starters on defense.

Arizona, the defending division champion, returns quarterback Anu Solomon.

Utah remains formidable and Colorado is expected to be improved.

Still, Mora said, “Whether you win the Pac 12 or not, if you win the South, that’s a heck of an accomplishment right there.”