There will no-longer be a Pac-12 following the end of this college football season.

This has been established, bemoaned, and something we’ve all come to grips with as conference realignment wrecks decades of norms within the sport. Perhaps in one of the best games of the year, the Washington Huskies, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. beat the Oregon Ducks and Penix Jr. is the clear front runner for the Heisman Trophy.

What the Pac-12 has done this season in its dimming twilight — not just from Washington but schools like Oregon State and Colorado show the potential of how good this league can be. I’ve been beating the drum for this conference for a long time, and not just because I’ve lived in Pacific Northwest.

There’s always been a passion and love for college football out west, but in instances controlled and out of their control, they’ve been perhaps the biggest casualty in this changing sport.

Which makes the scene at Husky Stadium so meaningful, if it happens next season, it won’t feel as organic. So, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the here and now for west coast college football.

OK, let me climb off my college football romanticism soap box and rank some teams.

No. 25 James Madison (6-0): So, they’re not eligible for a conference title game or a bowl since they’ve been elevated from FCS-level football. Still, they deserve to be ranked.

No. 24 Louisville (6-1): Last week, Louisville looked like they’d emerge as not only an ACC favorite, but perhaps a playoff sleeper as well. Yeah, a really bad loss to Pitt all but ends that.

No. 23 Wyoming (5-2): Despite the loss at Air Force, they’re still one of the 25 best teams in the country from my point of view.

No. 22 UCLA (4-2): Not too worried about the Bruins following their loss at Oregon State, the biggest goals are still in front of them.

No. 21 Duke (5-1): Without Riley Leonard on Saturday, the Blue Devils still punched NC State’s lights out in a 24-3 win.

No. 20 Missouri (6-1): Look, I don’t think Missouri is going to win the SEC East, but if the Tigers are playing on New Year’s Day, don’t be shocked. This team is very good.

No. 19 Air Force (6-0): If the season ended today, the Air Force Falcons would be playing in a New Year’s Six game.

No. 18 Ole Miss (5-1): Ole Miss comes off a bye week and travels to face Auburn and head coach Hugh Freeze. Might want to order an extra box of popcorn this week.

No. 17 Oregon State (6-1): The Beavers could very well be in position for a sleeper New Year’s Six bid, with a few games coming up to validate it.

No. 16 LSU (5-2): The ultimate get-right game for the Tigers, we will know how legit this team is in a few weeks when they face Alabama at the beginning of November.

No. 15 Notre Dame (6-2): We all knew USC was due a loss, but for Notre Dame to issue the roundhouse kick to them in the fashion they did? It may have saved Notre Dame’s season.

No. 14 Tennessee (5-1): The last time Tennessee has beat Alabama in back-to-back seasons? 2003-2004. Good luck, Vols.

No. 13 USC (6-1): The Pac-12 title isn’t gone, but knowing what we’ve seen from USC so far and what is coming down the road? It may be a very long month and a half to end the season.

No. 12 Utah (5-1): The most dangerous thing USC, Oregon, and Washington don’t want to see on their schedule….A Utah team getting their swagger back.

No. 11 North Carolina (6-0): Just fast forward to mid-November, that’s when we will see the Tar Heels in an interesting spot.

No. 10 Alabama (6-1): They faced a close call vs. Arkansas but I still like how the Crimson Tide have rebounded from a struggling month of September.

No. 9 Oregon (5-1): Did Oregon lose? Yes, do I still love this Oregon team and think they could reach the playoff? Absolutely.

No. 8 Texas (5-1): Coming off of a bye, facing the Houston Cougars, their unofficial rival? This is quite intriguing.

No. 7 Oklahoma (6-0): Following their emotional victory over Texas, OU needed a bye week in the worst way. This week, another fascinating matchup, this time against UCF.

No. 6 Penn State (6-0): Dear James Franklin, you came to Penn State to beat teams like this Ohio State squad. Can you do it? Let’s find out.

No. 5 Ohio State (6-0): Ryan Day’s post-Notre Dame rant was subliminally pointed at some of his biggest critics. Those critics can be silenced a bit longer with a win over Penn State.

No. 4 Washington (6-0): The Heisman, the CFP, Pac-12 title is all in front of them. Take it one game at a time, and they’ll be playoff bound.

No. 3 Florida State (6-0): FSU looked really good in a sleepy early kickoff game vs. Syracuse. A great spot for a team that wants to reach the playoff. Up next? Duke, I can’t wait.

No. 2 Michigan (7-0): Michigan does what they do best, beat up on really bad teams.

No. 1 Georgia (7-0): The Bulldogs are on a bye week, after that? Florida in Jacksonville. A game that’s much more interesting following the Gators victory at South Carolina.

What does next season’s 12-team playoff look like in 2023?

Projected 12-team CFP seedings and matchups (The Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl are the semifinal sites this season)

No. 12 Air Force (highest ranked G5) at No. 5 Ohio State

No. 11 North Carolina at No. 6 Penn State

No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Oklahoma

No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Texas

Projected CFP Quarterfinals

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 vs. No. 9 winner

Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 6 vs. No. 11 winner

Orange Bowl: No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 7 vs. No. 10 winner

Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Washington vs. No. 5 vs. No. 12 winner