Pac-12 Power Rankings: New team takes No. 1 spot after USC struggles to put away Beavers
It was nearly a disastrous week for the Pac-12 conference, but the top teams prevailed, keeping the chances for a College Football Playoff berth alive and well.
The marquee game of the weekend was between the No. 7 USC Trojans and the Oregon State Beavers. It certainly lived up to the billing. Lincoln Riley’s squad needed a late score to secure the 3-point win over a dangerous Beavers squad that will likely find a way into the top 25 this week. Will USC see its ranking fall after struggling to put away the Beavers?
Up north, the No. 18 Oregon Ducks avoided a major letdown against Washington State, scoring 21 points in the final 4 minutes of the game to seal the victory.
The Washington Huskies and Utah Utes took care of business, while California and Arizona got into a shootout in the desert.
After four weeks of action, we’ve had some movement in the Pac-12 power rankings, including a new team at the top this week. Let’s get into it:
Colorado Buffaloes (0-4) (Last Week: 12)
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At this point, there’s not much left to say about Colorado. You knew it was bad when the athletic director sent a letter to the fan base last week that told everyone how dire the situation was in Boulder. It is really starting to look like an 0-12 season is possible for the Buffs.
Arizona State Sun Devils (1-3) (Last Week: 11)
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The bad times don’t always leave with the head coach. A week after Herm Edwards was canned, the Sun Devils struggled to do much on the field against an admittedly great Utah team. I fear the future is going to get much worse before it gets better in Tempe.
Arizona Wildcats (2-2) (Last Week: 9)
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This was a toss-up between Arizona and Stanford, but the fact the Cardinal played a really good Washington team impressed me more than the Wildcats losing by double-digits to a mediocre Cal team.
Stanford Cardinal (1-2) (Last Week: 10)
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As I said with Arizona, this ranking feels pretty fluid. Stanford hung with Washington a bit, but the result was still a blowout. Whether the Cardinal came in at No. 9 or No. 10 in our rankings, the point still remains — they are in the bottom tier of teams in the conference.
California Golden Bears (3-1) (Last Week: 8)
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California has been relatively impressive so far this year, showing an adeptness of offense that hasn’t been seen in a few years. With 274 yards and 3 TDs from Jayden Ott, the Golden Bears look to have something going down in Berkley.
UCLA Bruins (4-0) (Last Week: 7)
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Have you ever seen a less impressive 4-0 team? With wins over Bowling Green, Alabama State, South Alabama and Colorado, it’s clear that the Bruins have yet to be tested. We’ll see what they look like next week against a really good Washington team. I don’t have high expectations.
Washington State Cougars (3-1) (Last Week: 5)
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The Cougars were a couple of plays away from upsetting the Ducks on Saturday afternoon. Despite the loss, they should earn some top 25 votes this week. Cameron Ward is the real deal, and that defense is no joke. Watch out for Washington State in the Pac-12.
Oregon State Beavers (3-1) (Last Week: 6)
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Moving up in the rankings despite a loss? That’s how impressive the Beavers were against USC on Saturday night. Holding an offense that had been averaging over 50 points per game to 17 is no small feat. OSU nearly pulled off this massive upset, and proved it is a legit team under Jonathan Smith.
Utah Utes (3-1) (Last Week: 4)
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It’s hard to take much away from Utah’s performance on Saturday. The Utes boat-raced a coachless Arizona State team and looked as good as the No. 13 team in the nation is supposed to look. Let’s see how they look next week against Oregon State. That’s a game that will tell us a lot.
Oregon Ducks (3-1) (Last Week: 3)
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The Ducks avoided disaster on Saturday, somehow pulling out a victory in a game they seemingly tried hard to lose. Scoring 21 points in the final 4 minutes put the win away for Oregon, and Dan Lanning’s squad is still in the hunt for a Pac-12 title race that is heating up quickly.
USC Trojans (4-0) (Last Week: 1)
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Sure the Trojans won and kept their undefeated record on Saturday, but they sure didn’t look good doing it. Being held to 17 points on the road against OSU is unbecoming of a USC team that has averaged over 50 points per game. It has all of the offensive firepower in the world, but it didn’t show up this week.
Washington Huskies (4-0) (Last Week: 2)
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It’s partly because of USC’s uninspiring performance, and partly because Washington has looked nothing short of flawless so far this year. With a rout over Stanford, the Huskies continue to plow their way through the early part of their schedule and are starting to pick up some buzz as a College Football Playoff team.
