Pac-12 Power Rankings

Even with loss to Oregon WSU moves up one spot this week

SHAWN P. O'CONNOR, Evergreen reporter

  1. No. 9 Utah (7-1, 4-1, Last: 1)

Utah continues its dominance this week, creaming Cal 35-0. Utah outgained the Golden Bears 473-83, while allowing only two third-down conversions. Zack Moss ran 17 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns while catching three balls for 89 yards. Utah heads to Seattle to play UW on Saturday.

  1. No. 7 Oregon (7-1, 5-0, Last: 2)

Oregon caught a few breaks, but ultimately stayed unbeaten in conference play with a 37-35 win over WSU. Oregon had their way with the Washington State run defense, collecting 306 yards on the ground. Oregon’s defense wasn’t great, but forced two key turnovers, including a red-zone interception and a pick-six late in the second quarter. Oregon heads to the Coliseum to play USC on Saturday.

  1. Southern California (5-3, 4-1, Last: 3)

USC continues their surprise run for the Pac-12 South thrown squeaking out a 35-31 road win against Colorado. Kedon Slovis threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Trojans scored the final 14 points in the game, stunning the Buffs’ home crowd. Michael Pittman Jr. was massive for USC, catching 7 passes for 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns. USC hosts Oregon on Saturday.

  1. Washington (5-3, 2-3, Last: 5)

Washington was idle last week. They host Utah on Saturday.

  1. Washington State (4-4, 1-4, Last: 6)

A heartbreaking loss by the Cougars, as they drop their fourth game in five contests 37-35 to Oregon. Anthony Gordon continues to lead the nation in passing, but two interceptions ended up costing the Cougars an upset win. WSU takes a bye this week.

  1. Oregon State (3-4, 2-2, Last: 7)

Oregon State was idle last week. They play Arizona in Tucson on Saturday.

  1. UCLA (3-5, 3-2, Last: 10)

What if I told you UCLA controls their destiny to win the South? That dream is still alive after a massive 42-32 upset win over then-No. 24 Arizona State. UCLA overcame a bit of a mediocre day on offense, collecting only 393 total yards and overcoming three lost fumbles to vanquish their second ranked opponent on the year. The Bruins host Colorado Saturday.

  1. Arizona State (5-3, 2-3, Last: 4)

Arizona State dropped a disastrous game to UCLA, falling in the Rose Bowl 42-32. This game was a 42-10 wipeout after three quarters before the Sun Devils scored 22 straight in the fourth to make the score a little more respectable. ASU lost control of their destiny in the South last weekend and will need a boatload of help to play for a championship. ASU takes a bye this week.

  1. Stanford (4-4, 3-3, Last: 11)

Stanford picked up a massive win for bowl eligibility knocking off Arizona 41-31. K.J. Costello played at the elite level he did last season, passing for 322 yards and three touchdowns while completing 70 percent of his passes. Stanford takes a bye this week.

  1. Arizona (4-4, 2-3, Last: 9)

The Wildcats dropped a winnable game last week falling to the Cardinal 41-31 at Stanford. Khalil Tate completed just over 50 percent of his passes for only 205 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Arizona needs to win two of their final four games to earn a bowl berth. Arizona hosts Oregon State on Saturday.

  1. California (4-4, 1-4, Last: 8)

The fall from grace continues for Cal, losing four straight with a 35-0 pummeling at the hands of Utah. California was a disaster on all sides of the ball, collecting only 83 yards from scrimmage while allowing nearly 500. Cal only reached the plus side of the field once, on their first possession of the game. They were quickly forced to punt. Cal takes a bye week.

  1. Colorado (3-5, 1-4, Last: 12)

Colorado nearly picked up an upset win, but the Trojans were too strong besting Colorado 35-31. Colorado had a great day on offense, racking up just shy of 200 rushing yards and 520 total yards, but the Buffs’ defense was a sieve. USC racked up 518 total yards, including 406 yards through the air. Colorado plays UCLA in the Rose Bowl on Saturday.