Last Friday night in Los Angeles, the Colorado football team was beaten by a USC team led by a quarterback who a year ago didn’t expect to be in the Pac-12.

The Trojans’ Caleb Williams, who had a hand in five touchdowns in USC’s 55-17 rout of the Buffaloes, was a star freshman at Oklahoma a year ago. Now he’s a Heisman Trophy candidate at USC.

A week earlier, CU was routed by Oregon, led by Bo Nix, a former Auburn quarterback who has revitalized his career in Eugene.

This week, the Buffs (1-9, 1-6 Pac-12) will take on another conference title contender in Washington (8-2, 5-2), which is led by Michael Penix, Jr. From 2018-21, Penix quarterbacked the Indiana Hoosiers.

“The thing I’m seeing that I think is so important is when you do add a portal quarterback to do so (with someone) that’s had success and gone through the ups and downs of being either a freshman or sophomore or even a junior starter,” CU head coach Mike Sanford said. “And I think that’s what you’re seeing with, particularly, Washington, Oregon and USC.”

Those three schools aren’t alone, however.

Arizona’s Jayden de Laura (Washington State); Arizona State’s Emory Jones (Florida); California’s Jack Plummer (Purdue) and Washington State’s Cameron Ward (Incarnate Word) all started at other schools a year ago.

Utah’s Cam Rising is in his fourth season with the Utes, but began his career at Texas, and CU’s JT Shrout played his first three seasons at Tennessee.

The only Pac-12 teams playing quarterbacks they recruited out of high school are UCLA (Dorian Thompson-Robinson), Oregon State (Ben Gulbranson) and Stanford (Tanner McKee).

It’s the big three of Williams, Nix and Penix that have dominated the conference this year, though.

Williams and Penix, in particular, have transformed teams that were only 4-8 in 2021. Both are now ranked in the top 15 in the Associated Press poll.

CU could potentially look in the portal for quarterback help this winter, but getting that transformational player requires money.

“The NIL (name, image and likeness) space is going to have to become a part of that,” Sanford said. “I think that’s an incredibly important piece of the puzzle.”

Smith close to return

Running back Deion Smith was in uniform Friday but did not play as he recovers from a leg injury. He was injured early in the Buffs’ Nov. 5 loss to Oregon.

Sanford said Smith, who leads the Buffs with 381 rushing yards, could return this week.

“He truly was a game time decision (at USC),” Sanford said. “We wanted to see how he looked in warmups. He’s wearing a knee brace and he looked a little gingerly. I do anticipate him playing this week.”

Notable

CU had hoped Inglewood, Calif., native Montana Lemonious-Craig would have a big impact in the USC game, but the sophomore receiver caught just one pass for six yards. Sanford said Lemonious-Craig is healthy and, “I do think that he’ll have a big role in these last two (games) for sure.” … True freshman Simeon Harris has grown in the nickel role and Sanford praised his fearless play and tackling ability. “He’s gonna be a great player,” he said. … Receiver Chase Penry returned to the field against USC and caught a pass, but Sanford said the Buffs still plan to sit him the last two games so he can redshirt this season.