Pac-12 Power Rankings, Week 14: Title game is here, but some programs are just getting started
The Star staff breaks down the Pac-12, first through last, as the conference title game nears.
'Silly season,' championship week intersect
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New UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly speaks during a news conference on the UCLA campus at Pauley Pavilion, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. (Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News via AP)
This is our final set of Pac-12 Power Rankings of 2017. It’s the second time our panelists have been in complete lockstep. Which must mean that the conference is in stable condition – move along, nothing to see here – right?
Far from it. Heading into the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday night, the league is in a state of flux. Three schools have hired or are in the process of hiring new coaches – and two of them are headline-grabbers: Chip Kelly (UCLA) and Herm Edwards (Arizona State).
Say what you will about Edwards – a polarizing choice to say the least – but this is undeniable: The Pac-12 South just got a lot more interesting.
Per usual, the voting panel consists of Star staffers Michael Lev, Zack Rosenblatt and Justin Spears. The former has the comments for the ’17 finale.
Will the division finally win the title game? Fun fact: The South is 0-6. Fun fact II: Only one game (2012) has been decided by fewer than 18 points.
Can our consensus No. 1, USC, buck that trend? We’ll find out soon enough.
1. USC (10-2, 8-1 PAC-12; PREVIOUS RANK: 1)
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Southern California running back Ronald Jones II, left, runs the ball as UCLA linebacker Krys Barnes defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, in Los Angeles. USC won 28-23. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
1. USC (10-2, 8-1 PAC-12; PREVIOUS RANK: 1)
Last week: Bye
This week: vs. Stanford in Pac-12 Championship Game (Santa Clara, Calif.), 6 p.m. ESPN
Comment: The Trojans are set to make their second appearance in the title game. They lost to the Cardinal 41-22 in 2015 – Clay Helton’s first game as the official head coach. That dropped his career record to 6-4. Since then, he’s 20-5 with a Rose Bowl victory and a No. 3 finish in the AP Top 25. No other Pac-12 fan base would complain about that record.
2. STANFORD (9-3, 7-2; PREVIOUS RANK: 3)
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FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2016, file photo, Southern California head coach Clay Helton, left, shakes hands with Stanford head coach David Shaw after an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif. While the Pac-12 North was being decided in Seattle last Saturday, Pac-12 South champion Southern California was enjoying an overdue day off. USC will be the first team from a Power 5 conference to play in a conference championship game after a bye week since Oklahoma and Auburn in 2004, and the second team in the last 11 seasons to do so. “If anybody in the country deserved it, it’s them. I mean, going 12 straight weeks without a bye, especially in this conference playing nine conference games and Notre Dame, it’s brutal,” Shaw said.(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
2. STANFORD (9-3, 7-2; PREVIOUS RANK: 3)
Last week: Defeated Notre Dame 38-20
This week: vs. USC in Pac-12 Championship Game (Santa Clara, Calif.), 6 p.m., ESPN
Comment: If the Cardinal avenges its earlier loss to the Trojans – and Baker Mayfield stumbles in the Big 12 title game – could Bryce Love steal the Heisman Trophy? He enters this weekend second in the nation in rushing (1,848) and scrimmage yards (1,881), fourth in average per rush (8.6) and tied for 10th in rushing touchdowns (16). Or, will Love simply join the distinguished list of Stanford runners-up?
3. WASHINGTON (10-2, 7-2; PREVIOUS RANK: 4)
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Washington defensive lineman Ezekiel Turner, left, and defensive lineman Greg Gaines (99) hold the Apple Cup trophy after Washington beat Washington State 41-14 in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
3. WASHINGTON (10-2, 7-2; PREVIOUS RANK: 4)
Last week: Defeated Washington State 41-14
This week: Off
Comment: The Huskies didn’t have quite the season many were projecting, although there’s no shame in a pair of one-score road losses in league play. The question now is whether Washington can sneak into one of the New Year’s Six bowls – giving the Pac-12 two representatives and moving everyone else up a notch in the pecking order. At No. 13 in the latest College Football Playoff ranking, the Huskies have a shot.
4. WASHINGTON STATE (9-3, 6-3; PREVIOUS RANK: 2)
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Washington State head coach Mike Leach eats a banana as he stands on the field during warmups before an NCAA college football game against Washington, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
4. WASHINGTON STATE (9-3, 6-3; PREVIOUS RANK: 2)
Last week: Lost at Washington 41-14
This week: Off
Comment: Mike Leach is a good college football coach. He’s the guy you turn to for pirate anecdotes and wedding advice. He just can’t beat his top rival. Wazzu defeated Washington 31-28 in 2012, Leach’s first season. Since then, the Cougars have dropped five straight by an average score of 38-14. Argh! That’s a tough one for WSU fans to swallow. Eight-plus wins three years in a row makes it go down a little easier.
5. ARIZONA STATE (7-5, 6-3; PREVIOUS RANK: 5)
Updated5. ARIZONA STATE (7-5, 6-3; PREVIOUS RANK: 5)
Last week: Defeated Arizona 42-30
This week: Off
Comment: The case for Edwards, 63, who’s been out of coaching for nearly a decade and out of college coaching for almost three … He will win the living room. He’s extremely passionate and a terrific orator. Parents would feel comfortable putting their sons’ futures in his hands. And kids will know him from ESPN. Is it an unconventional hire? Yes. Could it work? Absolutely.
6. OREGON (7-5, 4-5; PREVIOUS RANK: 7)
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Oregon linebacker Justin Hollins (11), celebrates his interception for a touchdown in the second half against Oregon State in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017 in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Thomas Boyd)
6. OREGON (7-5, 4-5; PREVIOUS RANK: 7)
Last week: Defeated Oregon State 69-10
This week: Off
Comment: One of our panelists projected the Ducks as his Pac-12 sleeper team this year. Even ranked them in his preseason AP Top 25. (Hint: He’s the only panelist with an AP vote – and who’s over 30.) Oregon went 6-1 with Justin Herbert as its starting quarterback and averaged 52.1 points in those games. Does that mean our panelist was … right?
6. OREGON (7-5, 4-5; PREVIOUS RANK: 7)
Last week: Defeated Oregon State 69-10
This week: Off
Comment: One of our panelists projected the Ducks as his Pac-12 sleeper team this year. Even ranked them in his preseason AP Top 25. (Hint: He’s the only panelist with an AP vote – and who’s over 30.) Oregon went 6-1 with Justin Herbert as its starting quarterback and averaged 52.1 points in those games. Does that mean our panelist was … right?
7. ARIZONA (7-5, 5-4; PREVIOUS RANK: 6)
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Arizona’s Khalil Tate is one of 11 finalists for the Manning Award, given to the nation’s top QB, but didn’t appear on an All-Pac-12 team.
7. ARIZONA (7-5, 5-4; PREVIOUS RANK: 6)
Last week: Lost at Arizona State 42-30
This week: Off
Comment: Vegas Bowl? Sun Bowl? Other? It matters … yet it doesn’t. What’s most important for the Wildcats is getting Khalil Tate healthy and keeping him that way. Although he has only eight starts on his résumé, it’s clear that Tate is one of the true difference makers in college football. The fact that he injured both shoulders this season is a tad worrisome.
8. UCLA (6-6, 4-5; PREVIOUS RANK: 10)
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New UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly, right, and Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero pose for a photo during a news conference on the UCLA campus at Pauley Pavilion, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. (Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News via AP)
8. UCLA (6-6, 4-5; PREVIOUS RANK: 10)
Last week: Defeated Cal 30-27
This week: Off
Comment: Chip. Freaking. Kelly. Wow. If it’s difficult to convince anyone that Edwards is a home-run hire, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t think Kelly is a grand slam. UCLA already was getting blue-chip prospects – at worst, the best of USC’s leftovers. For whatever reason, it didn’t completely work under Jim Mora. It’d be stunning if it doesn’t under Kelly, who went 46-7 in four seasons at Oregon.
9. UTAH (6-6, 3-6; PREVIOUS RANK: 9)
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Utah coach Kyle Whittingham
9. UTAH (6-6, 3-6; PREVIOUS RANK: 9)
Last week: Defeated Colorado 34-13
This week: Off
Comment: The Utes qualified for a bowl game for the fourth straight year and the 11th time in 13 seasons under Kyle Whittingham. But Utah’s final record will be its third worst during his tenure. Where did it go wrong? Two stats stand out: The Utes rank last in the Pac-12 in third-down percentage (35.7) and have given the ball away 24 times, third most in the league
10. CAL (5-7, 2-7; PREVIOUS RANK: 8)
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UCLA running back Brandon Stephens, right, dives in for a touchdown as California safety Luke Rubenzer defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 30-27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
10. CAL (5-7, 2-7; PREVIOUS RANK: 8)
Last week: Lost at UCLA 30-27
This week: Off
Comment: If the Golden Bears had won their finale to gain bowl eligibility, Justin Wilcox would have garnered some Coach of the Year votes. They ended up with the same record in Year 1 under Wilcox as they had in Year 4 under Sonny Dykes. But it felt different. After losing three straight to start league play, Cal pummeled Washington State. Three of Cal’s last four losses came by a total of seven points.
11. COLORADO (5-7, 2-7; PREVIOUS RANK: 11)
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Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre reacts on the sideline during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against Utah on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
11. COLORADO (5-7, 2-7; PREVIOUS RANK: 11)
Last week: Lost at Utah 34-13
This week: Off
Comment: What the heck happened here? Not only did the Buffaloes’ win total fall from 10 to five, but they weren’t competitive in losses at Washington State (28-0) and Utah (34-13) down the stretch. On the heels of a scandalous offseason, this next season looms as a critical one for Mike McIntyre. Can he survive a fifth sub.-500 campaign in six years?
12. OREGON STATE (1-11, 0-9; PREVIOUS RANK: 12)
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In this Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 file photo, Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith looks on during warmups before an NCAA college football game against Utah in Seattle. A person with direct knowledge of the decision says Oregon State has hired Washington co-offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith to be its new head coach. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 on condition of anonymity because an official announcement was being finalized. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
12. OREGON STATE (1-11, 0-9; PREVIOUS RANK: 12)
Last week: Lost at Oregon 69-10
This week: Off
Comment: Jonathan Smith isn’t a sexy hire, but he just might be a good one. He played for the Beavers. He’s a disciple of Mike Riley and Chris Petersen. And Smith, 38, is the youngest coach in the Pac-12. Oregon State needs someone who understands what it takes to win there and who’s committed to a long-term rebuild. Smith checks those boxes, among others.
