Pac-12 power rankings: UCLA controls their destiny

The Pac-12 2019 college football season is coming down to the wire, and there are a few teams still in play for the conference championship game.

There were plenty of surprising results in the Pac-12 this past weekend, as the 2019 season continues to wind down. As it stands, Utah and Oregon would battle it out in the Pac-12 Championship Game, but there are a few other teams controlling their own destiny, including the surprising UCLA Bruins.

Here are our latest Pac-12 power rankings entering Week 12 of the college football season.

As it stands, the Utah Utes are the best team in the Pac-12 and still have a shot at being one of the four teams to make up the College Football Playoff. They have a stellar quarterback in Tyler Huntley, and an explosive running back in Zack Moss, while also possessing one of the more punishing defenses in the Pac-12. They have a monster game coming up this weekend, as they take on UCLA, who is one game behind them in the Pac-12 South race.

The Oregon Ducks are one of the better teams in college football this season and are very much alive in the College Football Playoff race. Led by quarterback Justin Herbert, the Ducks have run off eight straight wins since losing the season opener to Auburn, and are coming off a 56-24 victory on the road against USC prior to their bye week. They have a three-game lead in the Pac-12 North and finish their season with games against Arizona State, Arizona, and Oregon State.

USC freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis had a hot hand early, throwing for nearly 300 yards to go along with four touchdowns in the first quarter alone for the Trojans on Saturday against Arizona State. After the monster first quarter, USC managed only three points the rest of the way but was able to hold on for a 31-26 victory over the Sun Devils. Slovis finished the game with 432 yards passing, as the Trojans became bowl eligible. It has been a roller-coaster season, but they seem to be back on track.

The Washington Huskies went on the road to take on an up-and-coming Oregon State team to kick off the Pac-12 slate on Friday night. While Jacob Eason did not have his best day, throwing for two interceptions and zero touchdowns, running back Salvon Ahmed shouldered the load. Ahmed rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns, as the Huskies snapped a two-game losing streak. They are bowl eligible.

At the beginning of the 2019 college football season, many felt the Oregon State Beavers would be one of the worst teams in the Pac-12. However, they have gotten strong play out of quarterback Jake Luton, and they are no longer a team that can be overlooked in the conference. On Friday night, they suffered a 19-7 loss to Washington, but the close score was an indication of how far this program has come.

The UCLA Bruins were left for dead during the first quarter of the 2019 college football season, but they have been on a pretty impressive run ever since. Coming off the bye week, the Bruins will have an opportunity to take over first place in the Pac-12 South Division, as they will head to Utah to take on the 8-1 Utes. Running back Joshua Kelley is one of the best in the conference, and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is taking care of the ball for a Chip Kelly offense that is starting to look quite explosive.

The Arizona Sun Devils were at a distinct disadvantage this weekend, as they had to start Joey Yellen in place of freshman star quarterback Jayden Daniels. Yellen played very well in the team’s loss to USC, throwing for four touchdowns, but he did have two crucial interceptions. Arizona State has fallen on hard times since their strong start, but you have to think head coach Herman Edwards will have them prepared for the final three games of the season, where they will look to become bowl eligible.

The California Golden Bears got Devon Modster back this week, and boy did he put on a performance against the Washington State Cougars. Modster accounted for four touchdowns in his return, three through the air, and one on the ground, as the Golden Bears snapped a four-game losing streak. Possible first round linebacker Evan Weaver led the defense with double-digit tackles, and with another win, Cal will be bowl eligible for the third straight season under Justin Wilcox.

The Stanford Cardinal suffered one of the bigger upsets on the Pac-12 slate in Week 11, as they fell to a Colorado Buffaloes team playing some bad football right now. Stanford had looked to turn the corner now that they have K.J. Costello back under center, but the offense as a whole struggled against the Colorado defense. Costello did throw for 245 yards and a score, but the team has now lost two of their last three, and have to win two of their last three games in order to be bowl eligible for the 11th straight season.

In the biggest stunner of the Pac-12 slate in Week 11, the Colorado Buffaloes came away with a victory over the Stanford Cardinal at home. The game was won on a 37-yard field goal by Evan Price with no time on the clock, sending the Buffaloes to their first win since September 21 against Arizona State. Star wideout Laviska Shenault Jr. picked up a monster fourth down on the team’s final drive, setting up Price, and keeping the Buffaloes bowl hopes alive for at least one more week.

The Washington State Cougars continue to fall in our rankings, as they lost their fifth game in their last six tries. Freshman Anthony Gordon continued his strong play under center, throwing for over 400 yards, and the franchise is in good hands with him as their quarterback moving forward. For the Cougars, they could get nothing going on the ground, and they will have to find a way to get this thing back in track or else they will miss out on a bowl game this season.

It has been a lost season for the Arizona Wildcats, who have lost four straight games after a 4-1 start to the campaign. One bright spot has been the play of coveted freshman Grant Gunnell, who will be the unquestioned leader of this program moving forward. They end their 2019 season with a tough three-game stretch, including matchups with both Oregon and Utah, the two best teams in the Pac-12 year.

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