D.J. Uiagalelei Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Pac-12 picked a bad time to be at its best

Is it too late for the Pac-12 to stick together?

As Associated Press preseason No. 18 Oregon State quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei put the finishing touches on a sublime debut against San Jose State, he ensured the Pac-12's last season as we know it would get off to a perfect start.

Not bad for a conference no network wanted to pay. But enjoy your overpriced and unwatchable Northwestern and Indiana Big Ten games, Fox.  

The Pac-12 was 12-0 in Week 1 and is 13-0 overall, with No. 6 USC also claiming a win over San Jose State in Week 0.

Uiagalelei, a former five-star Clemson recruit, was 20-of-25 for 239 yards and five total touchdowns in a 42-17 route on Sunday.

It was just one of several blowouts at the hands of the Pac-12. Overall, the Pac-12 has outscored its opponents 604-244, an average score of 46.1-21.3.  

No. 15 Oregon's 81-7 win over FCS Portland State was the largest blowout, followed by USC's 66-14 demolition of Mountain West's Nevada. No. 10 Washington dismantled Boise State 56-19, which tied with Cal's 58-21 win over North Texas as the third-largest blowout in the Pac-12 in Week 1.

No. 14 Utah (vs. Florida) and unranked Colorado (vs. TCU) scored the only wins against Power Five opponents, with the Buffaloes' thrilling 45-42 win over No. 17 TCU being the only one against a ranked opponent. It was also tied for the closest margin of victory with Arizona State, which held on to beat FCS Southern Utah 24-21 on Saturday.

This season is the end of the Pac-12 as we've historically known it (if it doesn't fold entirely). At the end of the season, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are moving to the Big Ten; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are headed to the Big 12; and Stanford and Cal are going to the ACC.

The conference fell apart when it couldn't land an acceptable media rights deal. ESPN originally offered $30 million per school per year, which the conferences balked at, instead asking for $50 million.

Who could blame them based on Week 1's results? 

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Cavaliers make decision on head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s future
Two young stars get hefty bonuses for making All-NBA teams
Mavericks star duo joins exclusive club with Game 1 win
Mavericks ride 'Luka Magic' on both ends late to win Game 1
Panthers shut out Rangers 3-0 in Eastern Conference Final opener
NBA announces 2023-24 All-NBA teams
Star Padres infielder to miss significant time with shoulder injury
LeBron James, Charles Barkley passionately defend Caitlin Clark from 'petty' haters
Roger Goodell discusses factors for possible 18-game NFL season
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has intriguing comment on his contract situation
Celtics toying around with surprise Jayson Tatum move in conference finals
Former teammate warns Tee Higgins about pitfalls of playing on franchise tag
Watch: Timberwolves and Mavericks trade dunks in third quarter
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner tempers expectations for Juan Soto extension
Canucks' Rick Tocchet wins 2024 Jack Adams Award
Incredible Orioles streak finally comes to end against Cardinals
Raiders QB shares surprising reason for switching jersey number
New Jersey Devils to hire just-fired head coach to lead bench
Latest announcements show how deep Knicks' injury issues ran
Veteran WR announces retirement after nine seasons

Want more sports news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.