Pac-12 Power Rankings: Ducks separate from Huskies as best team out west
We’re about to flip over from October to November, which in college football means that we’ve got a big enough sample size to know what each team is really giving us.
We also know enough to definitely say that the Oregon Ducks are the best team out west.
Dan Lanning and the Ducks once again impressed on Saturday, beating the No. 13 Utah Utes 35-6 in Salt Lake City, a place where Kyle Whittingham has lost just once in the last 30 games. Elsewhere in the Pac-12, the USC Trojans got pushed to the brink once again, barely holding on to beat California 50-49, and the Washington Huskies once again struggled to beat one of the worst teams in the conference, outlasting the Stanford Cardinal 42-33.
As the night-cap, the Arizona Wildcats pulled off the upset win over No. 11 Oregon State, winning 27-24.
Going into November, it feels like we have a clear picture of where the power lies in the Pac-12. Here’s our updated look at the conference power rankings leaving October:
Stanford Cardinal | (2-6) (1-5)
Previous Ranking: 12th
Game Result: L 42-33 to Washington
AP Poll: N/A
Next up: @Washington State
Analysis: While Stanford has been at the bottom of the Pac-12 for most of the year as we expected, they made stronger efforts in big games than I expected they’d be able to. This weekend, they nearly took down the No. 5 Washington Huskies, but they failed to convert on 4th and 2 with a few minutes left in the game.
Colorado Buffaloes | (4-4) (1-4)
Previous Ranking: 10th
Game Result: L 28-16 to UCLA
AP Poll: N/A
Next up: Oregon State
Analysis: If there was a game that was going to help the Colorado Buffaloes rebound, it was this week’s game against UCLA. Usually, Colorado’s struggles are on the defensive side of the ball, but on Saturday, they struggled to put points on the board and suffered their 4th loss of the season.
Arizona State Sun Devils | (2-6) (1-4)
Previous Ranking: 11th
Game Result:
AP Poll: N/A
Next up: @Utah
Analysis: Arizona State is finding new life this season via the state of Washington. Last week, the Sun Devils nearly upset the No. 5 Washignton Huskies in Seattle, and on Saturday, they beat the Washington State Cougars at home. For Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State’s first-year head coach and former Oregon offensive coordinator, it has to be gratifying for the pieces to start coming together at the end of the season.
Washington State Cougars | (4-3) (1-3)
Game Result:
AP Poll: N/A
Next up: Stanford
Analysis: After losing to the Oregon Ducks in Week 8, the Washington State Cougars failed to bounce back down in Tempe, Arizona. Despite a decent offensive effort from Cam Ward and company, the Cougars lost by double-digits to Arizona State as their season continues to become derailed
California Golden Bears | (3-5) (1-4)
Game Result: L 50-49 to USC
AP Poll: N/A
Next up: @Oregon
Analysis: California and USC had an absolute shootout in Berkeley on Saturday, and the Golden Bears were inches from victory. After scoring a touchdown in the waning moments of the game, Justin Wilcox opted to go for the 2-point conversion to win the game, and the Bears failed to convert. Despite the loss, Cal impressed, nonetheless.
UCLA Bruins | (6-2) (3-2)
Game Result: W 28-16 over Colorado
AP Poll: No. 23
Next up: @Arizona
Analysis: UCLA defended their home field against the Colorado Buffaloes, due to some solid defensive play. Dante Moore is no longer the starting QB for the Bruins, and Ethan Garbers came in and played well. UCLA heads down to Tuscon next week to try to win their 7th game of the season.
USC Trojans | (7-2) (5-1)
Game Result: W 50-49 over Cal
AP Poll: No. 24
Next up: Washington
Analysis: For much of this season, the AP Poll considered the USC Trojans the 6th best team in the country. Now, I think they are only the 6th best team in the Pac-12. While they won their game against Cal, it was not an impressive effort from the Trojans and their season continues to disappoint.
Oregon State Beavers | (6-2) (3-2)
Arizona Wildcats | (5-3) (3-2)
Game Result: 27-24 Win over Oregon State
AP Poll: N/A
Next up: UCLA
Analysis: Are we really ranking Oregon State as the No. 4 team in the Pac-12? You can argue that they certainly deserve it. The Wildcats have won back-to-back games, and they barely lost to both USC and Washington in the two games before that. Jedd Fisch upset the No. 11 Beavers on Saturday night, and Arizona is as hot as almost any team in the conference.
Utah Utes | (6-2) (3-2)
Game Result: L 35-6 to Oregon
AP Poll: No. 13
Next up: Arizona State
Analysis: While Vegas picked the Utah Utes to lose this week for what would be their first home loss in three years, I don’t think anyone expected them to lose the way they did. The Oregon Ducks went up by several scores quickly, and Utah showed they aren’t a team built to come back.
Washington Huskies | (8-0) (5-0)
Game Result: 42-33 Win over Stanford
AP Poll: No. 5
Next up: @USC
Analysis: For the second straight week, Washington has struggled against the bottom of the Pac-12’s barrel. I was willing to call it a fluke last week, but now it seems that the Huskies have trouble maintaining focus on the less marquee matchups. Maybe they’ll be able to rediscover the level they were at against the Ducks, but the last few weeks have not looked good for Washington.
Oregon Ducks | (7-1) (4-1)
Game Result: W 35-6 over Utah
AP Poll: No. 8
Next up: Cal
Analysis: Saturday, the No. 8 Oregon Ducks took on the No. 13 Utah Utes in Salt Lake City, and early on it was clear that the game wouldn’t be much of a fight. After their 36-33 loss to Washington on October 14th, the Oregon Ducks are coming back strong. They looked good against Washington State last week, but they looked elite against the Utes today, and Oregon fans should be encouraged for the rest of the season. It has become clear that, despite a close loss to Washington, the Ducks have separated as the best team out west. If given the chance to play the Huskies again, there should be no doubt that Oregon is favored.
