Pac-12 football power rankings: The haves and have-nots
- Updated
The Star sports staff rates the conference's teams 1-12 heading into the 10th weekend of 2016.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Starting with the 2011 season, the Pac-10 became the Pac-12 and split into two divisions.
In October 2016, the Pac-12 split into different divisions: the haves and have-nots.
Somewhere along the way, the conference known for its depth became top-heavy. Four teams made the initial College Football Playoff rankings, including No. 5 Washington. Two other teams — USC and Stanford — appear to be pretty good, or at least respectable.
The rest? Mediocrity at best.
As always, the Pac-12 Power Rankings are voted on by the Star’s three-man panel of Jon Gold, Michael Lev and Zack Rosenblatt. Lev has the comments this week. Check ’em out.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Defeated Utah 31-24
This week: at Cal (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: No. 5? Behind one-loss Texas A&M? That’s the price you pay for consuming a steady diet of cupcakes before the start of league play. Washington’s BEST non-conference opponent was Rutgers, which is 2-6, 0-5 in the Big Ten, and has a minus-150 point differential. The good news, if you want to call it that, is that the Huskies almost certainly will make the College Football Playoff if they win out. If they don’t, the Pac-12 probably will be shut out of the CFP again.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Bye
This week: vs. UCLA (Thursday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Comment: I’ve been doing Pac-12 Power Rankings for years, first at The Orange County Register and now here. I can’t remember a time before this year when Colorado wasn’t in the bottom two. Now the Buffaloes are bowl-eligible. They’re a thing. With UCLA (home), Arizona (away) and Washington State (home) left on the schedule before the finale vs. Utah (home), Colorado has an excellent chance to win the South Division. For real.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Lost to Washington 31-24
This week: Bye
Comment: The loss to Washington was tough to take; who would have thought Utah — with Super Punter Mitch Wishnowsky — would lose on a punt return? Tough to take, but not devastating. Utah still holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with USC. The Utes still get to play the Buffaloes. The remaining schedule — at Arizona State, vs. Oregon — is palatable. Meanwhile, a fun stat on the unretired, unbelievable Joe Williams: He has 683 rushing yards in three games since his return. SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Defeated Oregon State 35-31
This week: vs. Arizona (Saturday, 1 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Crazy Pirate Mike Leach is 5-0 in the Pac-12. He’s 0-2 in his last two games vs. FCS opponents (0-3 if you count Rutgers – zing! – in 2014). I don’t understand anything about Crazy Pirate Mike Leach, from his wacky references to his dislike of the Cubs to his political leanings. But he did tick off Todd Graham in a major way, which was fun. And his team showed a lot of character in rallying from a 24-6 deficit to beat the Beavers.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Defeated Cal 45-24
This week: vs. Oregon (Saturday, 4 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: Personally, I’m glad the Trojans have won four in a row to quiet the talk of Clay Helton being fired. Regardless of whether he deserved the USC job, the guy is pure class. Check out his comments after granting QB Max Browne permission to transfer after this season: “Max has been so good to us, so good to this football team, is a graduate of this university, and has done everything right. He deserves the opportunity to find his perfect fit, whether it’s here or whether it’s someplace else.” A lot of coaches around the country wouldn’t have handled it that way.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Defeated Arizona 34-10
This week: vs. Oregon State (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Comment: The last of the decent teams. They won’t throw you a parade if your only Pac-12 victory in your last four chances is against Arizona. But if you have a healthy Christian McCaffrey and an above-average defense, you’ve got a shot. The most important thing for Stanford the rest of the way is the development of QB Keller Chryst. He was underwhelming against the Wildcats on Saturday night and extremely lucky that Dane Cruikshank fumbled after intercepting Chryst’s ill-advised pass in the second quarter.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Lost to USC 45-24
This week: vs. Washington (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: Different quarterback, same Golden Bears. With possible first-round NFL draft pick Davis Webb at quarterback, Cal can score with anyone. But the Bears’ defense remains atrocious — an insult to the nickname Bears. (I grew up in Chicago watching Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, et al.) Cal has allowed 43 or more points SIX times this season — and won two of those games. The Bears will lose their next two for sure (vs. Washington, at WSU) before fighting for their postseason lives against Stanford and UCLA. I don’t like their chances.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Defeated Arizona State 54-35
This week: at USC (Saturday, 4 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: In a sign of how crummy the bottom half of the Pac-12 is, Oregon moved up two spots after beating ASU at home — which ended a FIVE-game losing streak. The Ducks’ defense is still awful. But there’s hope in the form of freshman quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw for 489 yards and four touchdowns against the Sun Devils. Oregon desperately needs to develop a young QB after trying to get by with veteran transfers following the departure of Marcus Mariota. Herbert looks like the real deal.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Lost to Oregon 54-35
This week: Bye
Comment: The 2016 Sun Devils are essentially the 2015 Wildcats. Both went 3-0 in the preseason against inferior competition before reality hit during conference play. Even at 5-4, ASU has its work cut out to make a bowl game. Here’s what’s left: vs. Utah on a Thursday, at Washington and at Arizona. The latter could amount to the Wildcats’ bowl game. Fun fact about the Devils: They’re second in the Pac-12 in run defense (116.0 ypg) and last IN THE NATION in pass defense (397.6).
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Bye
This week: at Colorado (Thursday, 6 p.m., FS1)
Comment: What a depressing season in Westwood. The Bruins changed offensive coordinators and systems, and the move completely backfired. Then star quarterback Josh Rosen suffered what appears to be a season-ending shoulder injury. If this were USC, everyone would be calling for Jim Mora’s head. At UCLA … eh. Hopefully the reported nerve damage in Rosen’s shoulder heals and he’s back to his old self next season. He’s about the only thing that makes UCLA football worth watching.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Lost to Washington State 35-31
This week: at Stanford (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., FS1)
Comment: Be forewarned, UA fans: Oregon State is a tough out at home. OSU beat Cal, lost to Utah by five and lost to Washington State by four. Arizona better show up when it visits Corvallis on Nov. 19, or it could be ugly. Whoever faces OSU better focus on tailback Ryan Nall, who rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns against Cal and 131 yards and two TDs against WSU. He’s averaging 7.2 yards per carry this season.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Lost to Stanford 34-10
This week: at Washington State (Saturday, 1 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Who would have ever dreamed that a Rich Rodriguez-coached offense would be this inept? Obviously, losing multiple running backs to injury and the revolving door at quarterback haven’t helped. But maybe — and this is just a theory — RichRod’s offense is no longer the juggernaut it used to be because it no longer stands out in a sport full of copycats. The majority of college football runs some form of up-tempo spread. Don’t be surprised if RichRod uses some of his extra offseason time to re-evaluate and update the offense.
Starting with the 2011 season, the Pac-10 became the Pac-12 and split into two divisions.
In October 2016, the Pac-12 split into different divisions: the haves and have-nots.
Somewhere along the way, the conference known for its depth became top-heavy. Four teams made the initial College Football Playoff rankings, including No. 5 Washington. Two other teams — USC and Stanford — appear to be pretty good, or at least respectable.
The rest? Mediocrity at best.
As always, the Pac-12 Power Rankings are voted on by the Star’s three-man panel of Jon Gold, Michael Lev and Zack Rosenblatt. Lev has the comments this week. Check ’em out.
Last week: Defeated Utah 31-24
This week: at Cal (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: No. 5? Behind one-loss Texas A&M? That’s the price you pay for consuming a steady diet of cupcakes before the start of league play. Washington’s BEST non-conference opponent was Rutgers, which is 2-6, 0-5 in the Big Ten, and has a minus-150 point differential. The good news, if you want to call it that, is that the Huskies almost certainly will make the College Football Playoff if they win out. If they don’t, the Pac-12 probably will be shut out of the CFP again.
Last week: Bye
This week: vs. UCLA (Thursday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Comment: I’ve been doing Pac-12 Power Rankings for years, first at The Orange County Register and now here. I can’t remember a time before this year when Colorado wasn’t in the bottom two. Now the Buffaloes are bowl-eligible. They’re a thing. With UCLA (home), Arizona (away) and Washington State (home) left on the schedule before the finale vs. Utah (home), Colorado has an excellent chance to win the South Division. For real.
Last week: Lost to Washington 31-24
This week: Bye
Comment: The loss to Washington was tough to take; who would have thought Utah — with Super Punter Mitch Wishnowsky — would lose on a punt return? Tough to take, but not devastating. Utah still holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with USC. The Utes still get to play the Buffaloes. The remaining schedule — at Arizona State, vs. Oregon — is palatable. Meanwhile, a fun stat on the unretired, unbelievable Joe Williams: He has 683 rushing yards in three games since his return. SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE.
Last week: Defeated Oregon State 35-31
This week: vs. Arizona (Saturday, 1 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Crazy Pirate Mike Leach is 5-0 in the Pac-12. He’s 0-2 in his last two games vs. FCS opponents (0-3 if you count Rutgers – zing! – in 2014). I don’t understand anything about Crazy Pirate Mike Leach, from his wacky references to his dislike of the Cubs to his political leanings. But he did tick off Todd Graham in a major way, which was fun. And his team showed a lot of character in rallying from a 24-6 deficit to beat the Beavers.
Last week: Defeated Cal 45-24
This week: vs. Oregon (Saturday, 4 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: Personally, I’m glad the Trojans have won four in a row to quiet the talk of Clay Helton being fired. Regardless of whether he deserved the USC job, the guy is pure class. Check out his comments after granting QB Max Browne permission to transfer after this season: “Max has been so good to us, so good to this football team, is a graduate of this university, and has done everything right. He deserves the opportunity to find his perfect fit, whether it’s here or whether it’s someplace else.” A lot of coaches around the country wouldn’t have handled it that way.
Last week: Defeated Arizona 34-10
This week: vs. Oregon State (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Comment: The last of the decent teams. They won’t throw you a parade if your only Pac-12 victory in your last four chances is against Arizona. But if you have a healthy Christian McCaffrey and an above-average defense, you’ve got a shot. The most important thing for Stanford the rest of the way is the development of QB Keller Chryst. He was underwhelming against the Wildcats on Saturday night and extremely lucky that Dane Cruikshank fumbled after intercepting Chryst’s ill-advised pass in the second quarter.
Last week: Lost to USC 45-24
This week: vs. Washington (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: Different quarterback, same Golden Bears. With possible first-round NFL draft pick Davis Webb at quarterback, Cal can score with anyone. But the Bears’ defense remains atrocious — an insult to the nickname Bears. (I grew up in Chicago watching Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, et al.) Cal has allowed 43 or more points SIX times this season — and won two of those games. The Bears will lose their next two for sure (vs. Washington, at WSU) before fighting for their postseason lives against Stanford and UCLA. I don’t like their chances.
Last week: Defeated Arizona State 54-35
This week: at USC (Saturday, 4 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: In a sign of how crummy the bottom half of the Pac-12 is, Oregon moved up two spots after beating ASU at home — which ended a FIVE-game losing streak. The Ducks’ defense is still awful. But there’s hope in the form of freshman quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw for 489 yards and four touchdowns against the Sun Devils. Oregon desperately needs to develop a young QB after trying to get by with veteran transfers following the departure of Marcus Mariota. Herbert looks like the real deal.
Last week: Lost to Oregon 54-35
This week: Bye
Comment: The 2016 Sun Devils are essentially the 2015 Wildcats. Both went 3-0 in the preseason against inferior competition before reality hit during conference play. Even at 5-4, ASU has its work cut out to make a bowl game. Here’s what’s left: vs. Utah on a Thursday, at Washington and at Arizona. The latter could amount to the Wildcats’ bowl game. Fun fact about the Devils: They’re second in the Pac-12 in run defense (116.0 ypg) and last IN THE NATION in pass defense (397.6).
Last week: Bye
This week: at Colorado (Thursday, 6 p.m., FS1)
Comment: What a depressing season in Westwood. The Bruins changed offensive coordinators and systems, and the move completely backfired. Then star quarterback Josh Rosen suffered what appears to be a season-ending shoulder injury. If this were USC, everyone would be calling for Jim Mora’s head. At UCLA … eh. Hopefully the reported nerve damage in Rosen’s shoulder heals and he’s back to his old self next season. He’s about the only thing that makes UCLA football worth watching.
Last week: Lost to Washington State 35-31
This week: at Stanford (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., FS1)
Comment: Be forewarned, UA fans: Oregon State is a tough out at home. OSU beat Cal, lost to Utah by five and lost to Washington State by four. Arizona better show up when it visits Corvallis on Nov. 19, or it could be ugly. Whoever faces OSU better focus on tailback Ryan Nall, who rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns against Cal and 131 yards and two TDs against WSU. He’s averaging 7.2 yards per carry this season.
Last week: Lost to Stanford 34-10
This week: at Washington State (Saturday, 1 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Who would have ever dreamed that a Rich Rodriguez-coached offense would be this inept? Obviously, losing multiple running backs to injury and the revolving door at quarterback haven’t helped. But maybe — and this is just a theory — RichRod’s offense is no longer the juggernaut it used to be because it no longer stands out in a sport full of copycats. The majority of college football runs some form of up-tempo spread. Don’t be surprised if RichRod uses some of his extra offseason time to re-evaluate and update the offense.
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