Pac-12 midseason awards: Michael Penix Jr., Kyle Whittingham, Jonah Elliss lead way

The final season of Pac-12 football as we know it doubles as the most compelling season of Pac-12 football in eons. With seven weeks down and seven remaining, the Hotline examines the best and worst from the first half:

Top storyline I: Stellar success

The conference entered 2023 with lofty expectations and met them, easily. It owns a 29-6 record in nonconference play and has a winning record against Power Five opponents. It has six teams in the current AP Top 25 poll – at one point, there were eight – and two in the top 10. It claims three favorites for the Heisman Trophy and five College Football Playoff contenders (i.e., teams with fewer than two losses). Put another way: After so many subpar seasons, the Pac-12 is the best conference in the land.

Top storyline II: QB play

What might be the most talented lineup of quarterbacks in conference history has excelled under the national spotlight. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. is the betting favorite for the Heisman, with USC’s Caleb Williams and Oregon’s Bo Nix also on the top tier. The conference has seven of the top 30 quarterbacks in the country based on efficiency rating, with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Washington State’s Cam Ward, Arizona’s Noah Fifita and Oregon State’s DJ Uiagalelei joining the three aforementioned stars.

Top storyline III: Colorado’s rise

The Buffaloes and first-year coach Deion Sanders dominated the college football universe in September, generating massive TV ratings and drawing new fans to the sport. Sanders has appeared on “60 Minutes” and been spoofed on “Saturday Night Live” – this, despite a mediocre team that might not become bowl-eligible. We point to the season-opening victory over TCU as the spark for the Sanders craze. If that game wasn’t on the schedule, or if the CU coaching staff hadn’t done a masterful job preparing the Buffs, the spotlight on CU wouldn’t have been nearly as bright.

Top storyline IV: Legal chaos

As a riveting season plays out on the field, an internecine fight unfolds in the courtroom. Washington State and Oregon State, the only schools not committed to another conference next season, filed a lawsuit against the Pac-12 over control of the governing board. The “Pac-2” and the “Pac-10” later agreed to enter mediation and have a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for Nov. 14.

Top offensive player: Washington’s PenixPenix picked up where he left off last season with big numbers, superb efficiency and the ability to deliver the ball accurately anywhere on the field. He leads the country in passing yards (383.5 per game) – nobody else is even close – and is second in yards per attempt and third in passer rating. Oh, and we should mention: He’s the heavy favorite for the Heisman Trophy, per the latest odds from BetMGM.

Top defensive player: Utah DE Jonah Elliss

Elliss was not on our bingo card when the season began, but his impact has been momentous. The son of former Utah All-American Luther Elliss is second in the country in sacks (nine) and tackles for loss (13). His relentless pressure has keyed a defense that’s carrying the two-time defending conference champions while their offense slogs along.

Top coach: Utah’s Kyle Whittingham

This selection will be poorly received in some corners but is based on our expectations: The Hotline picked Washington to win the conference back in January, so UW’s performance thus far was expected. We would never have predicted the Utes would be 5-1 with four wins over Power Five opponents – Florida is 5-2, by the way – without the services of injured quarterback Cam Rising. Utah also is without a slew of key offensive playmakers, including tight end Brant Kuithe, and generally has been slammed by injuries. And yet, Whittingham’s team is smack in the middle of the race.

Top offensive coordinator: Washington’s Ryan Grubb

Sure, coach Kalen DeBoer has immense input, but Grubb calls the plays for an offense that’s averaging 44.3 points and 544 yards per game. We continue to be amazed by the frequency with which Husky receivers are wide-open downfield, a testament to the scheme and Grubb’s ability to anticipate tactics used by opposing coaches. Honorable mention: Oregon’s first-year coordinator Will Stein, whose work with Nix has been seamless.

Top defensive coordinator: Arizona’s Johnny Nansen

No unit on either side of scrimmage has improved more than Arizona’s defense, especially considering the level of competition. Nansen’s unit, a mix of returnees and transfers, was No. 126 in the country last season in yards allowed per play; this season, it’s 57th. The Wildcats shut down WSU in Pullman, held Washington to 31 points, flummoxed USC’s aerial game and limited Mississippi State to 24 points in regulation despite five turnovers by Arizona’s offense. Honorable mention: Utah’s Morgan Scalley and UCLA’s D’Anton Lynn.

Top position coach: Oregon State’s Jim Michalczik

The Pac-12 veteran oversees Oregon State’s offensive line and coordinates the Beavers’ first-class running game. Everyone knows what’s coming, yet OSU still averages 195 rushing yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry despite the absence of blue-chip recruits and elite NFL prospects. A smart hire by Jonathan Smith in December 2017 only looks more shrewd six years later. Michalczik coaches the most important position (aside from quarterback) better than anyone in the conference year after year.

Best game: Washington 36, Oregon 33

Hyped as the game of the year, Saturday’s collision of top-10 teams easily cleared the bar as the bitter rivals produced a riveting three-hour duel that was decided in the final seconds. In addition to being well played (minimal penalties and turnovers), it featured solid defense on both sides. In our view, the showdown would not have been as compelling if both teams had scored in the 40s. (The fact that 36 points was enough in a matchup of high-powered offenses is proof of the extraordinary level of play.) Honorable mention: USC’s 43-41 victory over Arizona in triple overtime.

Best comeback: Stanford

The Cardinal trailed host Colorado 29-0 at halftime last week in Boulder and appeared headed for their third thrashing in four conference games. But Stanford’s second half was like few we have seen before. The Cardinal scored on every possession, pulled even on the final play of regulation and won 46-43 in double overtime to secure the fourth-largest comeback in Pac-12 history.

Best week: Week 1

All 12 teams were victorious on the first full weekend of the regular season, marking just the third undefeated week for the conference since 1980 (with a minimum of four games played). What’s more, the Pac-12 was a remarkable 8-1 against the spread in FBS games in the opening week. If that’s not the sign of a juggernaut, we don’t know what is.

Worst day: Sept. 27

Days before its season opener, Arizona State announced it had self-imposed a bowl ban for NCAA recruiting violations committed during the tenure of former coach Herm Edwards. First-year coach Kenny Dillingham was visibly shaken hours later when he addressed reporters but handled the situation as well as possible. As we wrote at the time, the decision marked “an epic administrative failure.”

Best call: Oregon’s Dan Lanning

Lanning’s fake punt in the first half of the Colorado game was a stroke of genius that buried the Buffaloes.

Worst call: Oregon’s Dan Lanning

His decisions to eschew field goals in the red zone Saturday in Husky Stadium were flawed, not egregious. But refusing to punt on fourth-and-3 near midfield with 2 minutes left, a four-point lead, a stout defense and a hobbling quarterback across the line of scrimmage (Penix)? That qualifies as egregious.

Best T-shirts: Washington State

In the Week 2 victory over Wisconsin, their first home game since the death of Mike Leach, the Cougars honored their former coach in numerous ways, including T-shirts that featured pirate swords and the WSU logo.

Best quote I: USC’s Lincoln Riley

• Asked to explain USC’s sloppy play (10 penalties) in the closer-than-expected victory at Arizona State, Riley went the R-rated route: “Shcoaching.” We applaud the honesty and can only presume many USC fans have shared that sentiment in recent weeks.

Best freshman QB: UCLA’s Dante Moore

Yes, Moore has struggled, especially on the road, but his arm talent is off the charts. The 2026 NFL draft awaits.

Best backup QB: Arizona’s Noah Fifita

The freshman has been fabulous since he replaced injured starter Jayden de Laura. In fact, Fifita has been so good, we expect him to retain the job once de Laura is 100%.

Most underrated player: Cal RB Jaydn Ott

He’s the only Pac-12 tailback – and just one of six in the entire Power Five – who’s averaging at least 100 yards per game on the ground. Imagine how good Ott would be if defenses had to worry about Cal’s passing game.

Best region: Pacific Northwest

The conference is indisputably top-heavy. Washington, Oregon and Oregon State have been ranked all season, while WSU has moved in and out of the AP Top 25. Combined, the quartet is 21-4 overall and 9-4 in conference. Runners-up: The Mountain schools. Last, because of the Bay Area: The California schools.

Worst field storming: Colorado

We understand all the excitement in Boulder, but the Buffaloes were 23-point favorites over Colorado State, a Group of Five opponent that lost its season opener 50-24 (to Washington State). CU fans understandably have a low bar for success.

Biggest surprise: Officiating

The Pac-12 lost several referees to the Big Ten and added an eighth crew to its lineup, and the results have been … fine. The Hotline watches large portions, if not every play of each game, and we have been fairly impressed by the state of officiating. Yes, there have been some awful calls, but awful calls occur every week in every conference. The Pac-12 has thus far avoided the calamities it experienced last year with horrifying frequency. Then again, there are six weeks of regular-season play remaining, which is plenty of time for the officials to live down to expectations.