The Pac-12 was the last of the Power 5 schools to resume action when it unanimously voted to start play the first weekend of November. This was a reversal of an August decision to postpone the season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement laid out a seven-game, conference-only schedule that featured five divisional contests and two cross-division matchups. Winners of the North and South divisions played in the Pac-12 Championship on Friday, Dec. 18th. Fans were not allowed to attend any Pac-12 football games.
Southern Cal faced Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship, although the Ducks were only there because the Washington Huskies had to drop out. The Ducks won the title after holding off the Trojans, 31-24. No Pac-12 team appeared in the playoffs for the fourth-straight season.
2020 Pac-12 Game of the Year
Stanford – 48, UCLA – 47
Played in the final week of the regular season, this classic battle between two California universities was an epic double-overtime thriller. Sure this wasn’t a matchup of top-25 teams vying for CFP hopes, but it was entertaining nonetheless.
Stanford forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter and drove 72-yards on nine plays to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining. The contest went to overtime, with both teams trading touchdowns in the first extra period. Stanford scored quickly in the second overtime, and the Bruins answered with their own score but went for two and failed to convert, sealing the victory for the Cardinals.
2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year
Safety Talanoa Hufanga – USC Trojans
The junior safety was a preseason first-team selection and was recently drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 5th round. Hufanga led the conference with four interceptions and a team-high 62 tackles.
Hufanga’s best game came against its crosstown rival, UCLA. The 6-1 safety registered 17 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception. He was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week following that performance. Collected four-straight games with an interception and logged 10-or-more tackles in four games as well.
2020 Pac-12 Rookie of the Year
RB Ty Jordan – Utah Utes
The freshman running back saw action in five contests in 2020, compiling 723 yards and six touchdowns. Jordan rushed for 597 yards, ranked fourth in the league, and his touchdown total ranked third overall. The first-year player wrapped up his rookie season, rushing for over 100-yards in the final three games of the season, the first freshman to do so at Utah since 1995.
Jordan finished the season ranked third in the conference in both yards per carry (7.1) and yards per game (119.4). He ended the season with 154 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a victory over Washington State.
2020 Pac-12 Coach of the Year
Karl Dorrell – Colorado Buffaloes
Karl Dorrell is the Pac-12 Coach of the Year after turning around the Colorado football program and leading them to its first winning season since 2016. Dorrell, who had a previous stint as head coach at UCLA, is the first coach to win the honor in their first season as head coach since Chip Kelly did it at Oregon in 2009.
The 58-year old head coach came to Colorado after spending the past five seasons in the NFL. Dorrell had served two stints as a Buffalo assistant coach during the 1990s.
