Pac-12 Power Rankings: Oregon State is last in the Pac-12 and might beat Arizona this weekend

As if last week didn't have enough movement in the Power Rankings

1. USC Trojans

Previous Ranking: 2

A UCLA loss bumps USC to the top. They're really in the drivers seat for the Pac-12 South now, considering that their loss came from Stanford, which still puts them in control of their own destiny against South teams. They now get the Huskies at home in this upcoming week, who should cause no trouble.

2. Utah Utes

Previous Ranking: 3

Utah also had a bye week, which must be nice. I'm bumping them up one spot with the UCLA loss because they haven't shown any signs of weakness at all this season. They're hosting College GameDay this week for their showdown with Cal. I said this last week and I'll say it again, Utah is the Arizona of last year. People will continue to doubt them and they will continue to find a way to win, even with Travis Wilson as quarterback.

3. Stanford Cardinal

Previous Ranking: 5

It's hard to believe that this team dropped one to Northwestern in week one, but Northwestern continues to win as well, albeit against not-so-great opponents. It's also hard to truly gauge Stanford's status, because Arizona is absolutely terrible right now and the Cardinal took advantage. But, from the looks of it, Stanford seems to be the most complete team in the conference as of now.

4. UCLA Bruins

Previous Ranking: 1

UCLA just came out flat versus Arizona State, and last week I said that I would expect the Devils to catch the Bruins off guard. Josh Rosen showed that he cannot handle pressure and doesn't really know what to do when the defense brings more than the offensive line can handle. Is UCLA the playoff team I thought they were? Not exactly, but they're still a solid, top-15 team that will compete for a Pac-12 South Championship.

5. Arizona State Sun Devils

Previous Ranking: 9

ASU came out with a big win in Los Angeles, taking down the No. 7 Bruins. I can't wait to see all of the media hype surrounding the Devils now. Todd Graham is going to be talking his team up again and pretty soon the "Mike Bercovici for Heisman" chants will be coming out of Tempe. They draw Colorado this week, and we'll see which ASU team shows up -- the one that beat UCLA, or the one that struggled against Cal Poly.

6. California Golden Bears

Previous Ranking: 4

Okay, maybe I had Cal one spot too high last week at No. 4. It's hard for me to not like Jared Goff, which is why the Golden Bears will probably be highly ranked in these Power Rankings week in and week out if they perform anywhere close to their potential. But they did almost lose to Washington State at home, which might say more about Wazzu or Cal, I can't decide. But nonetheless, Cal is still a solid Pac-12 team and will get a big one with Utah this weekend in Salt Lake.

7. Oregon Ducks

Previous Ranking: 6

The Ducks kept it close vs Colorado for a bit, but pulled away. Their quarterback situation is shaky at best, and they'll get Wazzu this weekend, in what will be a battle of terrible defenses. If the over/under isn't at about 85, I'll be severely disappointed.

8. Arizona Wildcats

Previous Ranking: 7

It will be hard for the Wildcats to win any games without Anu Solomon, though he may not be out for much longer. Nonetheless, this team is a mess right now. The defense is a complete liability, with or without the missing linebackers, and they'll just have to hope for bowl eligibility at this point.

9. Washington State Cougars

Previous Ranking: 10

Washington State battled against Cal, and although at times I think Cal is a touch overrated, I was impressed with the Cougars for staying competitive throughout. With a solid performance versus Oregon, they could jump Arizona.

10. Washington Huskies

Previous Ranking: 8

Washington was on a bye week, and Washington State had a pretty good game. I also had Arizona State behind the Huskies, but obviously the Sun Devils were able to come away with a huge win, so here is Washington at No. 10.

11. Colorado Buffaloes

Previous Ranking: 11

The Buffs hung in there against Oregon, and they could be on the verge of moving up depending on how things shake up ahead of them. It's hard to think of Colorado as being competitive, so this game against Arizona State this weekend will be much more telling.

12. Oregon State Beavers

Previous Ranking: 12

They had a bye week, and they got to watch the Arizona-Stanford game in all its glory. They are probably drooling at the possibility of pulling off a win in the Pac-12 on the road. I would not be surprised at all to see Oregon State beat Arizona this weekend.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts http://ift.tt/1MbcBd2
via IFTTT