Pac-12 Football Power Rankings, Week 14: Utah makes playoff case

So close for the Beavers. Washington State had the ball at the two-yard line, and Max Borghi was able to punch it in the give the Cougars the 54-53 win in one of the best games of the weekend, for those who watched it.

For Oregon State, it means that their only hope for a bowl game is to beat Oregon, which seems like a tall task. But for a team that had an over/under line of two wins to start the season, this was a successful season, as they had an incredible offense and a solid five win season.

Chase Garbers starts, and Cal is back to winning again, after starting the season 4-0. The game makes people think of what might’ve been for the Golden Bears, and at the very least they can take satisfaction in making a bowl game this season. Step in the right direction is all it takes.

Another dramatic win for the Cougars sees them making a bowl game again this season, as Mike Leach’s offense did just enough to hold up the defense again. If Leach stays, it remains to be seen if there will be some changes to the defensive coaching staff next season.

Anthony Gordon is turning heads now at Washington State, breaking Gardner Minshew’s record for passing yards. He leads the country in passing yards and touchdowns, and has been impressive besides some bad turnovers. I’m not as convinced on him as an NFL player, but I think he will certainly get a look now.

Three bad losses now for the Huskies, and it’s inexplicable that this team is still losing games like the one to Colorado. This team, talent wise, is right near the top of the conference. But the offensive line hasn’t performed this season, and the team is as inconsistent as Jacob Eason’s performance.

A lot of thought could go into where this team would be at if they won the winnable games, but they just don’t show up every week. This sets up two of the most inconsistent teams in the country playing in the Apple Cup this week.

I wrote last weekend about what the Sun Devils win meant for the program after the win, and you can surely see next season them being rated as one of the favorites of the conference.

While it remains to be seen if they will be that good (a lot could ride on Eno Benjamin returning or going to the NFL), this team is going to have a lot of expectations. Jayden Daniels is a star, and it we’ll see if Herm Edwards and company can make the leap to contender.