USC or Utah? Pac-12 Network analysts predict the 2022 Championship Game

No. 11 Utah will try to defend its conference title when it rematches No. 4 USC in the 2022 Pac-12 Football Championship Game on Friday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. PT at Allegiant Stadium. If the second contest between these teams is anything like the first, Pac-12 fans are in for a treat in Las Vegas.

On Oct. 15, the Utes erased a 14-point deficit and scored a touchdown and two-point conversion with 48 seconds left to beat the Trojans, 43-42, in front of 53,609 fans in Salt Lake City. Star quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Cameron Rising accounted for five touchdowns apiece, and it was Rising who scampered for the game-winning TD and two-point conversion.

That was the only loss of the season for USC, which has been a revelation in Lincoln Riley's first season as head coach, heading to Las Vegas with a 11-1 record that includes a league-best 8-1 conference record.

The Utes (9-3, 7-2) have won five of their last six and have been a regular in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game, also appearing in 2021, 2019 and 2018. Their 31-10 victory over Oregon in 2021 marked their first Pac-12 championship.

Will Utah repeat or will USC avenge its lone loss? Pac-12.com polled 12 Pac-12 Networks analysts for their predictions.

Catch The Pregame ahead of the matchup on Pac-12 Network starting at 3:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. MT on Friday, Dec. 2, as well as an hour of postgame coverage from the crew.