This week in the Pac-12 Power Rankings: Six of the eight ranked teams play each other this weekend. Who will win?
Oh, don’t give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
Saturday night’s alright for fighting
Get a little action in
Get about as oiled as a diesel train
Gonna set this dance alight
‘Cause Saturday night’s the night I like
Saturday night’s alright, alright, alright, ooh
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting– Elton John
Welcome to Pac-12 Power Ranking Headquarters at the corner of Traveler’s Horse Stable and the future site of the Mike Leach Memorial Trophy. Saturday night is alright for fighting, as there are three ranked on ranked games in the conference. The conference leads the Power Five with eight teams ranked in the top 25.
The irony of the Pac-12’s hot start is not lost here at headquarters. M’Baku told Okoye in Avengers: Infinity War, “This will be the end of Wakanda.” Okoye responded, “Then it will be the noblest ending in history.” USC, UCLA, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, and Stanford have decided to go out in a blaze of glory.
Though everyone’s eyes will be affixed on Autzen Stadium as #10 Oregon hosts #19 Colorado, #22 UCLA travels to Salt Lake City to take on #11 Utah, and #21 Washington State hosts #14 Oregon State.
So, to bells of victory, cups made of apples, and games about wars that aren’t always so civil, here are the Pac-12 Power Rankings heading into week four.
Can Stanford end their losing streak on the farm?
12. Stanford (1-2, 0-1): These power rankings are a lot about irony. Cardinal head coach Troy Taylor’s losing to Sacramento State, his former team, is steeped in irony. Their loss to the Hornets demonstrates where football sits on Stanford’s priority list.
That loss came from #5 USC dismantling them two weeks ago. Taylor brings an exciting offense to The Farm, but that isn’t going to matter very much if he can’t get and keep the players needed to run an effective, competitive offense.
11. Arizona State (1-2): The Kenny Dillingham era is officially underway in Tempe. The results have not been pretty so far after a 29-0 loss to Fresno State. Dillingham did not expect to deal with a rash of injuries this early in the season, either. More specifically, he’s dealing with a rash of injuries at quarterback.
Trenton Bourguet started the game against Fresno and was lost to a foot injury. Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne stepped in for Bourguet and suffered a leg injury. That left sophomore quarterback Jacob Conover to finish the game. Star quarterback Jaden Rashada was already out with an injury.
10. Arizona (2-1): If Arizona played cleaner football against Mississippi State, they’d be 3-0. However, in some games, you get good Jayden de Laura; in others, you get bad Jayden de Laura. No matter which one you get, Arizona is an entertaining team. Unfortunately, the Wildcats play all the best teams in the conference.
After their game against Stanford, they go on a six-week run that includes #5 USC, #8 Washington, and #14 Oregon State.
Will Cam Rising play against #22 UCLA?
9. California (2-1): Don’t look now, but the Bears look like they can score some points. The Auburn game aside, they put up 58 points in the season opener and 31 last week against Idaho. With Justin Wilcox, you know you will get a solid, sound defense. If California can score points, they can maybe get to a bowl.
This weekend, they’ll be tested in Seattle against the #8 Washington Huskies. The back end of their schedule is nothing nice, either. They play #11 Utah, #5 USC, and #10 Oregon in consecutive weeks.
8. #21 Washington State (3-0): Should we be worried that quarterback Cameron Ward leads the Cougars in rushing? Ward isn’t known for being a runner, so is that an indicator of an average offensive line or a team searching for a running back? The Cougars played well against Wisconsin and demolished directional Colorado.
They play three ranked teams in the next month, including physical #14 Oregon State this weekend. The Cougars might be in trouble if they can’t run the football any better than they have this year.
7. #22 UCLA (3-0): Speaking of teams with a tough stretch of games, the Bruins have three ranked teams: @ #11 Utah vs. #21 Washington State and @ #14 Oregon State. We’ll know soon if the Bruins are the genuine article. The offense is purring like a happy kitten. Their top four rushers are averaging over eight yards per carry.
The big test for the Bruins over the next few weeks is the defense. How good are they on that side of the ball? We’ll find out.
Does Shedeur Sanders’ magic travel?
6. # 19 Colorado (3-0): Do you believe? Can the Buffaloes pull off the upset of the early season on the road against #10 Oregon? It’s going to be hard; the Ducks are playing good football. Colorado plays hard for their coach and one another, but they are deeply flawed. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders has taken a lot of hits.
Not having Travis Hunter in this game does not help, either. Colorado and the Sanders crew make it interesting for three quarters, but the Ducks pull away in the fourth quarter of this one. If the Buffaloes can get through this back-to-back without another significant injury, they have two winnable games on the schedule.
5. #11 Utah (3-0, 1-0): If we don’t see quarterback Cam Rising against #22 UCLA, push the panic button because the knee is more severe than anyone thought. Rising injured the knee in the Rose Bowl last year and was supposed to be ready for the start of the season. Rising was not cleared against Florida or Baylor.
If Rising plays this weekend, it likely means the Utes kept him out against Weber State for an extra week of rest. Utah will need Rising healthy for the season; they play #5 USC, #8 Washington, and #10 Oregon this season.
4. #14 Oregon State (3-0): There were rumors that Aiden Childs was close to beating out Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei for the starting quarterback job. Uiagalelei won the job, and the Beavers have been one of the pleasant surprises of college football. Having the NCAA’s 8th-leading rusher on your team doesn’t hurt.
The Beavs have two challenging games against #21 Washington State and #11 Utah.
Can the #8 Washington Huskies compete for the Pac-12 title?
3. #10 Oregon (3-0): As the great Lee Corso would say, the Ducks are “sneaking around the chicken coop.” They smoked Portland State in their home opener. Texas Tech was a close call, but Lubbock is a tough place to play, and the Red Raiders are tough to prepare for.
Head coach Dan Lanning’s preparation for this game will be interesting. All eyes are going to be on Eugene, Oregon, Saturday afternoon. #19 Colorado is not going to be an easy out. One thing for sure about the Ducks: they control their fate in the Pac-12. They play #5 USC, #8 Washington, and #14 Oregon State.
2. #5 USC (3-0, 1-0): The entire college football multiverse knows what Caleb Williams is as a player. New York City and the Heisman Trophy could call again if he stays healthy. However, there are still some defensive concerns. They did not tackle well against San Jose State to open the season.
One could argue they won’t matter much because the offense is so good, and they don’t avoid any contenders this year. The Trojans must play better defense if they want the Pac-12 and a CFP spot.
1. #8 Washington (3-0): The Huskies could have put 80 points on the Spartans last weekend. Washington has looked as good as any team in the country in 2023. If Caleb Williams doesn’t win another Heisman, Michael Penix sits next to him in New York, effectively taking votes away from him.
The secondary hasn’t been tested yet, and it won’t be until they play Oregon. However, how do you slow down this offense?