Pac-12 Football: Midseason report cards for every Pac-12 team

Oct 10, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff (16) shakes hands with Utah Utes quarterback Travis Wilson (7) following their game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah won 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2015 college football season halfway over, here are the midterm grades for every team in the Pac-12 and the Utah Utes are throwing off the curve.

The Pac-12 is a vicious conference, where anyone can beat anyone on a given week. The Pac-12 South had four teams in the preseason capable of winning the Pac-12 South Division, and none of those four are in contention. Instead, it’s Utah in the driver’s seat, and there can’t be too many people in this world that predicted a 6-0 record for the Utes.

Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, and USC, all had the potential to win the Pac-12 South, with all three having legitimate shots at the College Football Playoffs.

In the North, there were some questions, but it seemed as if Stanford and Oregon would be the two battling it out for the division. Now, it’s Stanford’s rival, the California Golden Bears, contesting the Cardinal for the division crown.

And gone are the bottom feeders of Washington State and Colorado. While Colorado has yet to win a Pac-12 game, they’ve been competitive this season.

And Washington State is already looking at four wins so far, with a bowl game in their sights. Their rivals from Seattle, have been able to give some of the top teams trouble, downing USC, and being within one possession of California and Oregon, failing to convert on the final drive of those games.

We have Utah and Stanford running away with the conference lead, but with the parity in the Pac-12, there’s no saying what happens over the course of the second half of the season.

And a total collapse to give up their lead could be in store if they’re caught off guard. California is hot on Stanford’s tail, and you never know what could happen in the South, considering that it’s the toughest division in college football.

Next: Arizona State