This week’s Pac-12 power rankings see Washington take a tumble after losing to Cal and USC is on the rise after a big win over Stanford.
The Pac-12 gave us some incredible football this past weekend, as USC pulled off a solid victory at home against Stanford, and Cal went on the road to beat Washington. Colorado defeated a ranked opponent in Nebraska, winning that game in overtime, as the conference tries to make a statement in the national rankings.
Here are our latest Pac-12 power rankings entering Week 3.
The Utah Utes stay in the top spot this week, after an easy victory at home against Northern Illinois. Zack Moss continues his strong season, rushing for 80 yards and two scores, while Tyler Huntley was a surgeon under center, putting up points with his arm, and his legs. Francis Bernard led the defense with 12 tackles for a Utah team that will move to 3-0 this weekend, as they welcome in Idaho State for their third cupcake in a row.
The Washington State Cougars ran their record to 2-0 this past weekend, throttling an overmatched Northern Colorado squad by the score of 59-17. Anthony Gordon connected for four touchdowns, and he has been more than solid after taking over for Pac-12 Offensive MVP Gardner Minshew. Washington State outscored Northern Colorado 35-7 after halftime, but stiffer competition awaits on Friday night, as they travel to NRG Stadium to take on Houston.
A week after a disappointing loss to Auburn on the national stage, the Oregon Ducks put it on Nevada, as Justin Herbert threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers. This one was a blowout early, and Herbert’s backup, Tyler Shough, also got in the mix, going 8-of-9 for 92 yards and two scores. This is a team that is back on track, and they will get another chance to get right this weekend, as they play host to Montana on Saturday night.
With J.T. Daniels going down last week, it would have been really easy for the USC Trojans to lay an egg against a tough Stanford team this weekend. However, freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis stepped up in a big way, throwing for 377 yards and three touchdowns, while not turning the ball over once. This was a huge win for the Trojans, who are looking to get back to being a national power, and Slovis proved this weekend that the team is in good hands with him under center.
Since taking over as head coach at Cal, Justin Wilcox has been looking for his signature win, and he certainly got it this weekend. Cal went into Washington to take on the No. 14-ranked Huskies, and accomplished something no Pac-12 team has done since 2016, beating them in their house. Evan Weaver predicted his team would win, and he backed up those words, recording 18 tackles from his linebacker position. A Greg Thomas field goal sealed the victory late.
The Washington Huskies take a tumble in our latest power rankings, as they were surprisingly beaten at home by Cal this past weekend. Jacob Eason, fresh off a dominant first start for Washington, did not fare as well in this one, as he was tormented all game long, and did not throw a touchdown. Salvon Ahmed continued his strong season, rushing for 119 yards and a touchdown, but it was not enough against a very tough Cal defense.
The Mel Tucker Era in Colorado is off to a fantastic start, and in only his second game at the helm of the Buffaloes, Tucker led the team to a victory over a ranked opponent. It may have taken overtime to get it done, but the Buffaloes defeated Nebraska 34-31, running their record to 2-0 on the season. Steven Montez threw for 375 yards, Mustafa Johnson had three sacks and Nate Landman racked up 14 tackles. It was a well-balanced, and impressive win for Colorado.
Playing without K.J. Costello on the road against a tough USC team, the Stanford Cardinal could not hang with the Trojans, losing by the score of 45-20. The Cardinal lost Costello last weekend against Northwestern, and it remains to be seen when he will be healthy enough to return. Davis Mills threw for 237 yards and a touchdown in his absence, but the offense really struggled, and in the second half, the Trojans outscored the Cardinal 21-0, easily cruising to the blowout victory in the rivalry game.
The Arizona State Sun Devils ran their record to 2-0 this past weekend, but it was not an easy task against a Sacramento State team that they should have easily handled at home. Eno Benjamin got the job done on the ground, and through the air, rushing for 69 yards, while nearly adding 100 in receiving. Freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels has been very impressive through his first two collegiate starts, throwing for over 300 yards and a score for a Sun Devils team that will have to go on the road and face Michigan State this weekend.
The Arizona Wildcats got their season back on track this weekend, easily rolling over Northern Arizona at home. Arizona led 51-13 at the half, and while their defense gave up a ton of points in the second half, this one was over very early. Khalil Tate threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns, but the real story was the Wildcats rushing attack, which accounted for over 430 yards in the game. This weekend, Arizona will be out to prove they are trending in the right direction, taking on Texas Tech at home.
It was nearly their first win of the season, the Oregon State Beavers hung tough against Hawaii on the road, losing 31-28 in Week 2. The Beavers got another strong effort from quarterback Jake Luton, who led an offense that looked very potent throughout the game. Star running back Jermar Jefferson rushed for over 180 yards and a touchdown, as the Beavers lost to the Rainbow Warriors on a late field goal. The Beavers first win is coming.
The Chip Kelly Era at UCLA continues to move at a snail’s pace, as the Bruins were beaten at home by San Diego State this past weekend. The offense looked terrible, led by quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and despite a valiant effort by the defense, the Bruins fell to 0-2 on the young season. If Kelly cannot get this thing turned around sooner than later, his run at UCLA could be a short one.
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