The big Pac-12 football preview for 2016, from Oregon State to Stanford

Check out the advanced-stats glossary here. Below, a unique review of last year’s team, a unit-by-unit breakdown of this year’s roster, the full 2016 schedule with win projections for each game, and more.

I enjoy it when my numbers get a little bit weird. For the most part, putting together 2016 S&P+ projections was a predictable exercise. It was obvious that Alabama and Clemson would be near the top. (Slight surprise: a massively experienced LSU slipping between them at No. 2.) Oklahoma and Florida State were close. USC’s experience and recruiting bumped the Trojans into the top 10.

Check out the advanced-stats glossary here. Below, a unique review of last year’s team, a unit-by-unit breakdown of this year’s roster, the full 2016 schedule with win projections for each game, and more.

I’ve been spending a good portion of this offseason diving into college football’s strange history. I’m done with about three-quarters of the chapters for my second book (The 50 Best* College Football Teams of All-Time), and to accompany that, I’ve crept back to the early-1970s in what is basically a year-to-year Study Hall almanac of sorts.

Check out the advanced-stats glossary here. Below, a unique review of last year’s team, a unit-by-unit breakdown of this year’s roster, the full 2016 schedule with win projections for each game, and more.

This time a year ago, Oregon was the defending Pac-12 champion and national runner-up. The Ducks had won at least nine games for each of the last eight seasons and would start 2015 as the AP’s No. 7 team, tops in the Pac-12.