Odunze laments Pac-12’s representative as weak conference

Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Personnel WriterJan 6, 2024, 05:15 PM ET

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• Covers the Pac-12.
• Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
• Attended Washington State University.HOUSTON– Ahead of Washington’s

last game as a Pac-12 school, receiver Rome Odunze stated he hopes Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship game can help alter what he believes is an incorrect perception about the quality of college football in the conference and on the West Coast.

“I believe the Pac-12 has been slept on for the whole time that it has actually existed,” Odunze stated. “Sadly, it’s pertaining to an end.”

The Huskies, in addition to Oregon, UCLA and USC, will depart for the Big 10 next season, while six others will leave for the ACC (Cal and Stanford) and Huge 12 (Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah). Oregon State and Washington State will continue to play as Pac-12 schools with the hopes of restoring the conference in the future, however they will play the bulk of their games against Mountain West challengers next season.After its collapse

prior to the start of the season, the Pac-12 went on to have its best season in numerous years. Throughout the routine season, the conference’s collective winning percentage in nonconference regular games (.806) and versus Power 5 opponents (.583) was the best of any conference.Still, Odunze stated

, there has actually been a sense that Pac-12 football as whole isn’t provided the exact same attention as other conferences nationally.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated”I believe

that’s the

olden question today,”Odunze said of the Pac-12’s reputation as a weaker conference.” I believe that’s something I have actually been attempting to answer, my household’s been attempting to respond to, West Coast has actually been attempting to answer for a very long time.”It’s something that I do not think can be

really responded to besides the truth I don’t believe people are viewing enough football out on the West Coast, point blank, period.”Odunze acknowledged he’s prejudiced as someone who matured on the West Coast enjoying Pac-12 football, however he feels the conference does not get as much limelights as college football performs in the South and on the East Coast.” That’s just the nature of it,”he stated.”But at the end of the day, what occurs in between those lines is what takes place between those lines and groups that actually prove it on the field are going to rise to the top which’s what’s happened this season. “Part of that attention problem is because of the Pac-12’s lack of participation in the four-team playoff. Washington is the first Pac-12 group to reach the College Football Playoff given that the Huskies ‘look in 2016 and the conference’s third participant, together with Oregon in 2014, in the playoff’s 10-year history.Without an advancement team, there has not been a team to bring the banner for the conference like Washington is doing this season. The conference’s depth this season is

something coach Kalen DeBoer said was essential in preparing the Huskies for Monday’s game versus top-ranked Michigan. “We’re proud of where we come from and the conference we represent and everything that has actually resulted in us having our success this year,” DeBoer stated.” We got put through the wringer with our conference schedule playing a lot of good teams. I believe it assisted us prepare for a semifinal game. And it will have assisted us prepare for this championship game on Monday.”Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who started his profession at Indiana in the Big 10, expressed a similar perspective about the strength of the Pac-12 and its function in forming the Huskies.” The Pac-12, I feel like in my viewpoint was the most difficult

conference this year all around, “he stated. “At one point in time we had eight groups ranked in the leading 25. I seem like that speaks for itself. We had a great deal of competitors, a lot of excellent opponents each and every week.” Washington is a 4.5-point underdog in the championship game, according to ESPN BET.