As we look towards Week 10 of the Pac-12 schedule, there are now four Pac-12 teams ranked in the AP Poll. Here are our Pac-12 Conference rankings after Week 9.
Week 9 of the Pac-12 football scheduled featured a huge matchup between No. 4 Washington and 17th-ranked Utah. Washington was able to pull out the victory on the road, narrowly defeating the Utes 31-24. Colorado, the only other ranked Pac-12 team heading into Week 9, was on bye, but jumped up two spots to No. 21 despite being off.
Washington State won their sixth game in a row, defeating Oregon State on the road, 35-31. With the win, the Cougars jumped into the AP Poll, and now sit as the No. 25 team in the land. Here is a look at our Pac-12 Power Rankings after Week 9 of the college football schedule.
It has been a rough season for the Wildcats, as they have battled injuries to some key players, and some bad losses. On Saturday, Arizona was beaten by a Stanford team who has struggled to score points this season by a score of 34-10. Both of their starting quarterbacks were able to play in the game, but it really did not make much of a difference.
Brandon Dawkins got the start for Arizona, but he was highly ineffective. The sophomore threw for only 116 yards against the Stanford defense, which included a 38-yard score to Trey Griffey. Opening week starter Anu Solomon made his return to the field, but went 0-3 passing in just two series.
It does not get much easier for the Wildcats moving forward, as they face the red-hot Washington State Cougars next week. The Cougars offense is one of the more explosive units in the Pac-12, and Arizona’s weak defense may have a hard time stopping them. It could be a long day for the Wildcats on the road on Saturday.
Oregon State played spirited football against the Washington State Cougars this past weekend, but Cougars quarterback Luke Falk was just too much in the end. Falk rallied his team back from a 21-point deficit, as the Cougars defeated the Beavers, 35-31. However, it was a good sign for an Oregon State team that has not looked good for the past couple of weeks.
Beavers running back Ryan Nall made his return back into the starting lineup, and he ran hard all afternoon. Nall finished with 131 yards on 19 carries, finding the end zone twice on the ground. He also caught three balls for 71 yards, scoring once through the air. It was definitely a building block for an Oregon State team that has lost three games in a row.
The Beavers find themselves at the bottom of the Pac-12 South Division, but they may have found a new quarterback. Marcus McMaryion played extremely well against Washington State, throwing for 327 yards and two touchdowns against zero interceptions. The sophomore shook off a rough outing against No. 4 Washington the week before, and may be the answer going forward.
What began as an incredible season has turned to rubble, as the Sun Devils just cannot seem to get a win lately. After starting the season off with a 5-1 record, Arizona State has lost their last three games, and have looked pretty bad doing it. Their latest debacle was a 54-35 loss at the hands of a very beatable Oregon Ducks team this past weekend.
The biggest issue for the Sun Devils has been the injuries, as each week they lose someone important on both sides of the ball. Their center on Saturday was a walk-on who is not even on scholarship, so that tells you all you need to know about how depleted they are. Quarterback Manny Wilkins, running back Demario Richard, and cornerback Kareem Orr were also out, just to name a few.
Luckily for the Sun Devils, they will head into a bye this week. The time off should give some of their key players time o heal before they host Utah on November 10. Freshman quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole looked pretty good at times under center replacing Wilkins, throwing for over 300 yards and a score. However, he was picked off three times, which is to expected from someone who was pressed into action.