As we look towards Week 9 of the Pac-12 schedule, there are now three Pac-12 teams ranked in the AP Poll. Here are our Pac-12 Conference rankings after Week 8.
In Week 9 of the Pac-12 football schedule, the two best teams in the conference will do battle in a huge matchup. Fourth-ranked Washington will travel to Utah to take on the 17th-ranked Utes, in a game that could be a Pac-12 Championship Game preview. Washington has been one of the hottest teams in the country this season, and quarterback Jake Browning could be headed towards a Heisman Trophy.
Colorado cracked the AP Poll for the second time this season, and will head into their bye week ranked 23rd in the country. The power rankings have a lot of movement this week, as a couple of teams pulled out big wins in Week 8.
Here is our latest Pac-12 Power Rankings after Week 8.
Oregon State took to the road to take on the fifth-ranked Washington Huskies this past week, and the result was not kind to the Beavers. Washington blew the Beavers away, showing the country why they are considered a serious contender for the College Football Playoff. Oregon State was playing extremely short-handed, and will look to get back on track this week against the Washington State Cougars.
The Beavers fell behind 31-0 at the half, and just did not have the firepower to overcome the deficit. The team was playing without starting quarterback Darrel Garretson, backup quarterback Conor Blount, and starting running back Ryan Nall, leaving them without three key pieces on offense. Washington was expected to dominate, but this game was not competitive at all.
Heading into the game, the Beavers had the second-best pass defense in the Pac-12. That did not matter to Browning, who threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Despite being the only real weapon on the Beavers offense, Victor Boldin Jr. was able to showcase his talents against one of the best teams in the country. Boldin raced for a 75-yard touchdown run, while catching five balls for 58 yards in the contest.
The Arizona Wildcats had their off week in Week 8, and it could not have come at a better time. Arizona had lost their previous four games, falling to 0-4 in conference play. They have had to battle through injuries all season long, and cannot seem to keep a healthy quarterback on the field. The Wildcats will host Stanford on Saturday, as they look for their first Pac-12 win of the season.
The Cardinal will be starting a new quarterback against the Wildcats this week, as Keller Chryst will take over as the team’s signal caller. However, the Wildcats biggest headache is likely to be Christian McCaffrey, who is looking to finish his junior season on a strong note. McCaffrey set the world on fire last season, nearly winning the Heisman Trophy, but has battled injuries and inconsistency in 2016.
Brandon Dawkins will be ready to go for the Wildcats, after being in concussion protocol since October 8. The team went with highly recruited freshman Khalil Tate their last time out, as he and Matt Morin filled in for Dawkins against USC. Running back Nick Wilson is also working his way back from injury, so the Wildcats should have their full complement of offensive stars this week against Stanford.
It has been a terrible season for the Oregon Ducks in 2016, as they came into the year with high expectations. The roster was loaded with talent, including running back Royce Freeman, who is regarded as one of the best at his position in the country. Graduate transfer Dakota Prukop has not worked out under center, and the team is going with freshman Justin Herbert from here on out.
This past week, the Ducks put together their best effort of the season, as they nearly knocked off Cal on the road. It took two overtimes, but the Golden Bears were finally able to pull away from the Ducks. Herbert had an incredible game under center, throwing for six touchdowns against only one interception against Cal. He also ran for 56 yards on nine carries, and looks to have the talent to be one of the better quarterbacks in the Pac-12 as his career continues to progress.
Unfortunately, his one interception was the clincher for Cal, who had kicked a 28-yard field goal on the possession before. Incredibly, it has only been 21 months since Oregon played for a national title, but the program has gone downhill since then. Herbert is a bright spot for Oregon, and should be able to bring the program back to national prominence very soon.