thing keeping the Pac-12 out of the playoffs the last 2 full seasons was Oregon beating Utah, then Utah beating Oregon.
That's it. If those outcomes are reversed, the P12 is in the playoffs both years.
With the new change, it seems like the opportunity is higher.
For example, Utah and USC are going to be the two highest ranked teams going into the season. It's now possible they play each other again in LV. Who knows? But if they both start top 10 and play well throughout the season, that's going to be a marquee game that likely has better playoff odds than North South.