Pac-12 Championship Game 2020: Early Preview for USC vs. Washington

Barring a shocking turn of events, the Pac-12 will miss out on the College Football Playoff for the fourth consecutive year and will have only had one of its teams make it twice in the seven years since it started in 2014.

Much of that has to do with the league's talent disparity compared to the Big Ten, ACC and SEC. But more than anything, the Pac-12's shortened schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it almost impossible for any of its teams to prove they belong among college football's elite.

No. 15 USC, the only remaining undefeated team in the league after six weeks, doesn't have a single Top 25 win, and it barely squeaked by an Arizona team that lost by 63 points to Arizona State on Saturday. Now the Trojans, who were only able to play five of their six scheduled games, will face a 3-1 Washington squad that also has no quality wins to its name.

Following Saturday's come-from-behind 43-38 win over UCLA, it's possible that the Trojans move up a spot or two in the College Football Playoff rankings, but even a dominating win over Washington wouldn't get them close to the resumes of one-loss teams like Texas A&M and Clemson. And even Ohio State, which itself has only played five games, at least has a win over a top-15 team, Indiana.

The Trojans will, though, still be playing for a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game, which offers a significant financial boost to a conference that was already suffering in that regard before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It also provides a chance for much-maligned head coach Clay Helton a way to show his program's progress a year after finishing 8-5 and having rumors swirl about his job status for most of the season.

Chris Petersen's Washington squad was the most recent Pac-12 representative in the playoff, but that was all the way back in 2016-17. After finishing 4-5 in the Pac-12 last season, Petersen decided to step away from football and hand over the reins to assistant Jimmy Lake.

Key Matchups

Kedon Slovis vs. Washington Pass Defense

Kedon Slovis came in as the least heralded—by quite a large margin—of USC's recent quarterback signees in 2019.

The Trojans had just signed JT Daniels, the No. 2 ranked signal-caller in the 2018 class and already had 4-star Jack Sears on the roster. Both Sears and Daniels ended up transferring, and Slovis, just a sophomore, has blossomed into arguably the best quarterback in the Pac-12.

He finished his freshman campaign with the third-highest completion percentage in the country (71.9), and he's maintained his performance level in 2020, throwing for 1,601 yards and 15 touchdowns, while completing just under 71 percent of his passes.

USC's passing offense as a whole ranks among the top 15 nationally, and none of the Trojans' five regular season opponents have had much luck slowing down Slovis and Co. Five USC receivers have caught at least 15 passes, but the Trojans' big-play target is Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has 36 catches and six touchdowns in five games.

The Huskies have been one of the best units in the country against the pass, though, allowing just 185 yards per game through the air while also forcing three interceptions in four games. Much like the Big Ten Championship Game, this will come down to one team trying to win in a knockdown, drag-out slugfest and another trying to light up the scoreboard as many times as it can.

Washington Run Game vs. USC Defense

Part of the Huskies' defensive success has been limiting the number of opportunities opposing offenses get, and leaning on its backfield by committee will be one of the biggest keys to frustrating the Trojans.

Washington's run-heavy offense—nearly 40 run plays per game compared to 28 passes—relies on the trio of Sean McGrew, Kamari Pleasant and Richard Newton, who have run for nine of the Huskies' 11 rushing touchdowns and account for nearly 175 yards per game on the ground.

For a team that doesn't throw the ball around the yard, Washington has been surprisingly good on third down, converting 48 percent of the time, which ranks them right around the top 20 nationally in that category. Keeping that going—and keeping their defense off the field—will be key to nullifying Slovis and his band of receivers.

Prediction

Talent has never been a problem for USC, which regularly ranks among the top 10 in recruiting each year. And that's what makes the difference here. The Trojans' offensive horses will be too much for Washington.

USC 35, Washington 24

Follow Keegan on Twitter, @ByKeeganPope.