Six Pac-12 conference games took place this past weekend, including a matchup between two of the conference’s best teams. Here is a look at our power rankings after Week 5.
The party got started on Friday night, as #7 Stanford traveled north to take on #10 Washington. In a battle of the two best teams in the Pac-12, the Huskies throttled the Cardinal, staking claim as the best in the conference. There is still plenty of football left in the season, but that victory could prove huge at the end of the season.
As the calendar switches to October, each week becomes more and more important. Four Pac-12 teams are currently ranked in the top-25 in the country, but where will those teams rank in our rankings. Here are our Pac-12 Power Rankings after Week 5.
The Oregon State Beavers opened their 2016 Pac-12 slate on the road this past weekend, as they traveled to Colorado to take on the Buffaloes. The game was all Colorado, as the Buffs raced out to a 37-6 halftime lead. By the time the smoke cleared, the Beavers fell to 0-1 in conference play, and it looks like it is going to be another long year.
Colorado did a nice job bottling up the Beavers best weapon, as Victor Boldin Jr. was unable to make any plays. Boldin usually is a difference maker on special teams, where he averages a nation-leading 40.2 yards per kick return. He was held to nearly half of that on Saturday, and also fumbled one away.
Unfortunately for Oregon State, the sledding only gets tougher, as they host Cal this weekend. Freshman quarterback Conor Blount looked like a freshman against Colorado, and will need to try and put together some good practices this week. Colorado is one of the better teams in the conference, but that is no excuse for how the Beavers played in Week 5.
The 2016 season is beginning to look like a nightmare for Oregon, who have been one of the more inconsistent teams in the Pac-12. One week they look very good, with first-year starter Dakota Prukop shredding defenses, and the next week he cannot find the end zone. The team got their star running back back for the Washington State game, but even his heroics could not lead to a victory.
Royce Freeman was an absolute beast on Saturday, rushing for 138 yards and three touchdowns. He had missed the last game with a leg injury, but appeared in full strength against the Cougars. The problem for the Ducks was their defense, who might as well have not even made the trip.
Oregon allowed 651 yards of total offense, as the Cougars had three different running back rush for two touchdowns. Quarterback Luke Falk threw for 371 yards against the Ducks defense, which will need to go back to the drawing board before their next game. Their next opponent is # 5 Washington, so it could get ugly on Saturday.
Washington State had looked bad to start the 2016 season, losing their first two games of the season. However, Mike Leach and his Air Raid system has come flying back the past two weeks, bringing their record to .500. After their thrashing of Oregon on Saturday, the Cougars are flying high heading into a huge showdown with #15 Stanford this week.
Despite being marketed as Air Raid, the Cougars actually exploded on the ground against the Ducks. Jamal Morrow, James Williams, and Gerard Wicks all scored two rushing touchdowns, as the team combined for 280 yards on the ground. Not to be outdone, quarterback Luke Falk threw for 371, tossing one touchdown in the contest.
In Week 3, the Cougars rocked Idaho State, beating the Vandals 56-6. They had two weeks to prepare for Oregon, and it showed, as they were in control from the outset. They took a 28-14 lead into halftime, and for the second time in two games, scored more than 50 points. The offense can definitely play with anyone, the question will be how will the defense be able to stop Christian McCaffrey this week.