Some might call it College Football Playoff season, as the 12-team tournament field is set. Others may deem it Heisman Trophy season, as the four New York-bound finalists have been revealed.
But nostalgic West Coasters may see something different right now: This looks a lot like Pac-12 season. And that's in past future tense.
It's been several months since the majority of the schools from the 109-year-old conference dispersed into new leagues. Washington State and Oregon State remain as the only members of the relic that, for now at least, exists in name only.
But the conference that ran on Pacific and Mountain time zones for so many seasons -- a conference that will also add several members in the coming years -- is still thoroughly represented on the awards and playoff fronts.
Undefeated Oregon is the top seed in the College Football Playoff bracket after knocking off Big Ten titans Penn State and Ohio State this season. Fourth-seeded Arizona State also has a first-round bye after shellacking Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 Championship Game. Third-seeded Boise State, which is set to join the Pac-12 before the 2026-27 season, is the No. 3 overall seed with an 11-1 record. That's three Pac teams, past and future, that are guaranteed to be in the final eight.
It's difficult to say this proves these programs are on par with some of the country's perennial powers. The last time the Pac-12 won a national championship in football, after all, was when USC did it in 2004. Plus, it's doubtful that Boise State or ASU will even be favored in their quarterfinal matchups, as the College Football Playoff committee rewards conference championships in its seeding more than it does championship potential. But this is still impressive ... and likely satisfying for a lot of fans out this way.
What may be even more notable is how well the Pac-12 -- in one form or another -- is represented in the Heisman Trophy race.
The finalists? 1) Travis Hunter, the Colorado cornerback/wide receiver who's projected to go No. 1 overall in the NFL draft. 2) Dillon Gabriel, the Oregon quarterback who has 28 touchdown passes, seven TDs on the ground, and 273.7 passing yards per game -- good for 10th in the country. 3) Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State running back whose 192 rushing yards per game are over 50 yards more than anyone else in the country. 4) Cam Ward, the former Washington State QB -- now playing for Miami -- whose 343 passing yards per game are second in the country and whose 36 touchdown throws are first.
That's two players from schools that were in the Pac last season, one from a school that will be there in two seasons, and another that used to star in Pullman. That has to engender some pride, even if many are still mourning the splitting of the conference.
So who do you root for if you're out this way? To me it seems like Arizona State would have the most fanfare. For one, few Washington fans are going to root for Oregon, even if the Ducks rep the Pacific Northwest. Second, if you're a Coug fan it's unlikely you feel much hostility for the Sun Devils. It was UCLA and USC, followed by Washington and Oregon, that departed and left the conference in disarray. ASU didn't actively seek a new home; it found one out of necessity and, for now at least, is thriving there.
As for the Heisman? Well, that one feels settled. Hunter is the overwhelming favorite at -4000, meaning a $40 bet would earn you a buck. Colorado doesn't share the Pac-12 history of most of its former contemporaries, and coach Deion Sanders -- while earning every dollar he's paid -- is polarizing. But Hunter is one of the most talented college athletes to ever suit up. Would have been nice if he had achieved this two-way gem of a season in the Pac-12, but his feats are appreciated nonetheless.
How the college football landscape shakes out over the next few years, or even decade, will be fascinating. Will the Big Ten and SEC monopolize the national championship? Will NIL trump tradition or coaching quality when it comes to recruiting? Do the Boise States or ASUs really have any chance to make a dent? We don't know.
But right now, the departed and incoming Pac-12 schools and players are at the forefront of the discussion. Maybe that won't last, but it will be nice while it does.