Pac-12 Power Rankings: Stanford on top as USC, UCLA look to rally

Oct 22, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) passes against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Stanford has taken over as the clear No. 1 in the Pac-12, and Utah’s loss has opened up the door for three Pac-12 South rivals.

The Pac-12 is a weird, crazy conference. With a Utah loss, the doors have suddenly opened for other Pac-12 South rivals. USC, UCLA and Arizona State all sit with just two losses, with Arizona State owning the tiebreaker over both of those teams.

But for those teams to even have a chance, Utah will have to drop another game, and those teams will have to continue to win out.

As of now, Utah is in pretty good position to keep their lead, with UCLA being their most difficult matchup. And even then, that’s a game that Utah should win. The Pac-12 South is way too competitive to tell what can happen next, and any team can beat any team on a given day. As of now, it’s still Utah’s lead to lose, and everyone else is playing catch up.

Meanwhile in the South, Stanford has clear control of the conference, but a loss at Washington State this weekend could change the entire landscape. That would put the Cougars on top of the conference, and keep them in the driver’s seat. But Stanford has played like the best team in the nation this season, and is not slowing down any time soon.

Can California make a run?

Maybe, but their schedule only gets tougher from here, keeping them out of conversation. It will be them and Oregon fighting for the third best record in the North, and competing for a top half bowl game from the Pac-12.

We got confirmation that Oregon State is the worst team in the Pac-12, but now, it might be looking like Arizona wants to take that title from them. Colorado looks like they’ll just miss out on bowl eligibility, which is a shame considering the progress they’ve made over the last few years. We shall see in the next few weeks.

Entering the last week of October, here’s how the Pac-12 Power Rankings shake out.

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