Pac-12 Power Rankings: The final week of Pac-12 play brings near chaos to the rankings
The writing was on the wall for the Pac-12 before the 2023 football season began. This would be the final year of Pac-12 football as we know it, and it did not disappoint. With as many as eight Pac-12 teams being ranked in the AP Poll at a time, this was one of the most elite seasons the conference has ever seen.
The quarterback play across the Pac-12 was a big reason for its dominance. Bo Nix and Michael Penix are finalists for the Heisman Trophy, Caleb Williams and Shedeur Sanders are high NFL Draft prospects, and there are several young QBs around the conference who’ve shown tremendous promise in 2023.
On Friday, the Pac-12’s final game will be played: The conference championship between the Oregon Ducks and the Washington Huskies. Oregon and Washington have been the Pac-12’s best teams all season, and it’s only fitting that the bitter rivals will battle it out in Las Vegas for a spot in the College Football Playoff. It surely will be a great game to end on.
The final day of a full Pac-12 slate gave us a lot of great games, including a thrill ride in the Apple Cup that nearly ended the Huskies’ perfect season. In the end, it left us with these rankings for the conference in the final week of Pac-12 play:
Arizona State Sun Devils | (3-9) (2-7)
Game Result: L 23-59 to Arizona
Previous Ranking: 10th
College Football Playoff Ranking: N/A
Analysis: This was never going to be the year for Arizona State, but they did exceed my expectations. They stole some big wins against UCLA and Washington State. This was only season one as head coach for Kenny Dillingham, and hopefully, he’ll be able to take some steps forward in year two.
Stanford Cardinal | (3-9) (2-7)
Game Result: L 23-56
Previous Ranking: 12th
College Football Playoff Ranking:
Analysis: Like Arizona State, I think Stanford overachieved this season. Going into the year, I expected Stanford to beat Sacramento State and no one else. Their comeback win in Colorado was the highlight of the season, and they do have a good incoming recruiting class, so things should improve for the Cardinal next year.
Colorado Buffaloes | (4-8) (1-8)
Game Result: L 17-23
Previous Ranking: 11th
College Football Playoff Ranking: N/A
Analysis: After a hot start, the Buffaloes cooled off hard. It all started with their big loss to Oregon but was compounded when they blew a big lead to lose to Stanford in overtime. I still see this season as a victory for Colorado though. For a team that was so historically bad in 2022, this season was a step in the right direction, and I think they’ll continue to grow in 2024.
Washington State Cougars | () ()
Game Result: L 21-24 to Washington
Previous Ranking: 9th
College Football Playoff Ranking: N/A
Analysis: After a disappointing second half of the season, Washington State closed out 2023 on a high note. While they didn’t win, they made the No. 4 team in the country sweat and almost took the game to overtime. Conference realignment means the future is murky for Washington State. Hopefully, the Cougars and the Beavers can find a home.
USC Trojans | (7-5) (5-4)
UCLA Bruins | (7-5) (4-5)
Game Result: L 7-33 to Cal
Previous Ranking: 6th
College Football Playoff Ranking: N/A
Analysis: UCLA had limited expectations placed on them for this season, but it would be hard not to call this season a disappointment. Highlighted by their loss to Arizona State a few weeks ago and their blowout loss to Cal this weekend, UCLA struggled to find consistency all season. Chip Kelly was already on the hot seat before the Bruins’ final loss, and his job status may see changes in the next few weeks.
California Golden Bears | () ()
Game Result: W 33-7 over UCLA
Previous Ranking: 8th
College Football Playoff Ranking: N/A
Analysis: For the first time since 2019, the California Golden Bears are headed to a bowl game. Despite being underdogs in their final game, Cal destroyed UCLA in Week 13 to get to the six-win mark. It wasn’t an easy road for Justin Wilcox and the rest of the Golden Bears, but they did what they needed to do to call this season a success.
Utah Utes | (8-4) (5-4)
Game Result:
Previous Ranking:
College Football Playoff Ranking:
Analysis: With a win this weekend over Colorado, Utah finished their season 8-4. It certainly isn’t the finished Kyle Whittingham and the utes hoped for, but they did make the best of a bad situation with QB Cam Rising out for the year. Rising has announced that he’ll return for the 2024 season, and with how Utah’s playing, they’re my pick to win the Big 12 in 2024.
Oregon State Beavers | (8-4) (5-4)
Arizona Wildcats | (9-3) (7-2)
Game Result: W 59-23 over Arizona State
Previous Ranking: 4th
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 15
Analysis: The Arizona Wildcats being one of the three best teams in the Pac-12 this season was not a possibility I even considered before the season began. After moving from Jayden de Laura at QB to Noah Fifita, this team came alive. Ducks fans should be grateful that they didn’t have to travel down to Tuscon this season because the Wildcats were a scary team.
Washington Huskies | () ()
Game Result: W 24-21 over Washington State
Previous Ranking: 2nd
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 4
Analysis: The Huskies have slowed down since playing Oregon but despite some close calls, they finished the regular season as one of four undrafted Power 5 teams. They’ll take on the Ducks in Vegas on Friday in a rematch of the game of the year. There are some questions about Michael Penix’s health, but he played every snap in Washington’s Apple Cup win on Saturday.
Oregon Ducks | (11-1) (8-1)
Game Result: W 31-7 over Oregon State
Previous Ranking: 1st
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 6
Analysis: The mantra for the Oregon Ducks all year has been, “We’re playing Oregon. We’re trying to beat Oregon.” And, while the Ducks suffered one loss to Washington, they’ve done a great job of playing disciplined, fast, and powerful football. On Friday, they’ll get another chance at their rival up north, and if they win, they’ll almost certainly put themselves in the College Football Playoff — for the first time since 2014.
