College football conference power rankings – Week 6: Big Ten stays strong

5. Pac-12

There’s still a ton of football left to play, but the Pac-12 looks like the most likely Power Five conference to be left out of the College Football Playoff following the instant classic in Pullman.

USC considered a national title favorite after winning nine straight games to close out the 2016 season, capped an ugly September with a 30-27 loss at Martin Stadium. Preseason Heisman favorite Sam Darnold has not played well behind a shaky offensive line, and the Trojans could be vulnerable to more upsets later in the year with an ever-growing injury list.

Of course, Friday’s result also puts Washington State in the early-season playoff conversation with a perfect 5-0 record and No. 11 ranking in the AP Poll. Running back Jamal Morrow and quarterback Luke Falk are a lethal tandem for Mike Leach to work with, and Washington State’s defense has been terrific so far.

In-state rival Washington overcame a slow first half to beat lowly Oregon State 42-7, with Nov. 25’s Apple Cup looming as the potential deciding game in the Pac-12 North. Idle Utah is the only other ranked team in the Pac-12 at No. 20 with a decent Oregon squad not far behind, but there’s a lot of mediocrity or worse elsewhere with the likes of UCLA, Stanford and Colorado all sitting at 3-2.

While USC isn’t eliminated from playoff contention, it has no margin for error for the rest of the season, and the loss further damages what was already the clear-cut worst Power Five conference in the country. Next week’s conference slate is headlined by Washington State’s trip to Autzen Stadium, while Utah faces its toughest test of the season at home against Stanford.