Pac-12 power rankings: Arizona State on the rise behind Herm Edwards

The Pac-12 as a conference went 8-4 this past weekend, with Arizona State going on the road for a big win against Michigan State.

The Pac-12 season is in full swing, and in Week 3 of the college football schedule, Arizona State went on the road and beat a Michigan State team ranked in the top-25. Oregon continued to roll behind the right arm of Justin Herbert, Washington State moved to 3-0 on the season, and Utah looks like a legitimate conference champion.

Here are our latest Pac-12 power rankings entering Week 4.

Tyler Huntley is one of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the conference, and against Idaho State, he casually threw for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Zack Moss moved to No. 2 in school history in rushing yards with another 100-yard game, as the Utes dominated this one from start to finish. This week, they hit the road to take on USC, in a game that will have major implications in the Pac-12 South.

Justin Herbert is making his play to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and this past weekend, he absolutely shredded Montana. Herbert threw for over 300 yards and five touchdowns, with two each going to Johnny Johnson III and Jacob Breeland. Travis Dye led the ground attack for a Ducks team that will head to Stanford to take on a down Cardinal team in Week 4.

Washington State got the Pac-12 party started early this week, going on the road and beating a very good Houston team thanks to the right arm of freshman quarterback Anthony Gordon. Gordon continued his strong play running Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense, throwing for 440 yards and three touchdowns. The Cougars should move their record to 4-0 this week, as they travel to the Rose Bowl to take on winless UCLA.

In a bounce-back victory for Washington, quarterback Jacob Eason throttled a very good Hawaii team that was coming off two straight victories against Pac-12 opponents. Eason threw three touchdowns, including one on the third play of the game, as the Huskies were in control throughout. Running back Richard Newton rushed for three touchdowns in the game, as the Huskies moved their record to 2-1 on the season. Next up is a BYU squad that is fresh off throttling USC.

In the biggest upset on the Pac-12 slate in Week 3, the Arizona Sun Devils went on the road and beat the No. 18 ranked Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing. The Sun Devils continue to get strong play from freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels, who utilized his arm, and legs on the winning drive. Star running back Eno Benjamin scored on a one-yard run with under a minute left to go in the team’s 10-7 victory, as Michigan State missed a field goal to tie it up. The Sun Devils are 3-0 in 2019.

The California Golden Bears may have the best overall defense in the Pac-12, and their dominance was certainly on display in Week 3. Cal was able to keep North Texas at bay for most of the game, as star quarterback Mason Fine was sacked twice and threw an interception. Potential first round linebacker Evan Weaver had double-digit tackles once again, and Cal got a stellar effort from quarterback Chase Garbers, who got the job done with his arm, and legs. Next up, a road trip to Ole Miss.

Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate looked like the player who was in the Heisman running a few years ago, going for over 100 yards in both rushing and passing in their win against Texas Tech. The win moved Arizona’s record to 2-1 on the season, as they used a combination of Tate’s arm and a power rushing game. The Wildcats have rebounded from an early-season loss, and with a bye this week, and then UCLA the week after, look for the Wildcats to move to 3-1.

After a stellar victory against Stanford last week, where freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis tore up the Cardinal defense, USC had a real stinker in Week 3. The Trojans took on a tough BYU team on the road, and the game went to overtime, but an interception sealed the deal in this one. Slovis threw three interceptions in the game, as the Trojans lost their first game of the season, and will now have to take on Utah and Washington in consecutive weeks. This season could spiral out of control in a hurry.

It has been two straight losses for the Stanford Cardinal, and in both games, they were absolutely dominated on both sides of the ball. This past week, the Cardinal took on No. 17 UCF, and despite getting quarterback K.J. Costello back, they lost 45-27 on the road. The Cardinal allowed a score on six of the Knights first seven possession, putting themselves in a hole early that they could not get out of. It gets no easier this week, as they welcome in the Oregon Ducks and Heisman Trophy candidate Justin Herbert.

The Colorado Buffaloes had gotten out to a 2-0 start in Mel Tucker’s first season with the team, but on Saturday, they took on a fired-up Air Force team in front of a rabid fan base. The Buffaloes got off to a slow start, but made a run late, erasing a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter. However, they were not able to get the job done in overtime, and the Air Force fans stormed the field after clinching the victory. Colorado will go on the road to take on undefeated Arizona State this weekend.

Oregon State got their first victory of the season on Saturday, and did so in style, throttling the visiting Cal Poly Mustangs by the score of 45-7. Quarterback Jake Luton continued his strong final season at the helm of the Beavers, throwing for 255 yards and four touchdowns, all of which came in the first half. The most impressive part of this victory was not that the Beavers finally put one in the left column, but they did so without star running back Jermar Jefferson, who is dealing with a foot injury.

Finally, we come to the last team in our rankings and a team that could be in the cellar for the remainder of the year. The UCLA Bruins ran their record to 0-3 this past weekend, losing to an overpowering Oklahoma Sooners team inside the Rose Bowl. This week, the Bruins will travel to Washington to take on a Washington State team that is still without a blemish on their record and should have no problem moving the Bruins to 0-4 in what could be the most lopsided game on the schedule in Week 4.