Pac-12 football power rankings: Washington moves to top in Week 3
- Updated
The Star sports staff rates the conference's teams 1-12 heading into the third weekend of 2016.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Welcome to a new weekly football feature here at Tucson.com: Pac-12 power rankings.
Each week throughout the college football seson, three Star sports staffers — Zack Rosenblatt, Michael Lev and yours truly — will rate the conference’s teams 1-12. We’ll compile and tabulate these votes to form each week’s power rankings.
After two weeks of play, we have a little better idea of how these teams look. Here’s how we ranked the Pac-12 heading into week three.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 59-14 win over Idaho
This week: vs. Portland State (Saturday, 5 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Almost a consensus No. 1, but I'm not sold on the Huskies' talent. Chris Petersen is a good coach and all, and maybe I'm still jilted by the Steve Sarkisian era, but lets wait to crown them until that Week 5 tilt with the Cardinal, no?
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Bye
This week: vs. USC (Saturday, 5 p.m., ABC)
Comment: The Cardinal once more have a strange early-season storyline, only luckily for Stanford, this time around doesn't include a weird loss to Northwestern. The Cardinal had a Week 2 bye, giving them plenty of rest for the three-game gauntlet of USC at home and road tests at UCLA and Washington.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 44-26 win over Virginia
This week: at Nebraska (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., ABC)
Comment: Look, the pass defense is suspect and it now feels like we're about three decades removed from the Marcus Mariota era, but the Ducks are still among the most dangerous teams in the country. Lev has UCLA ahead of Oregon, but give me Mark Helfrich over Jim Mora any day, unless we're talking staring contest. Then Mora. Mora all the way.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 42-21 win over UNLV
This week: at BYU (Saturday, 7:15 p.m., ESPN2)
Comment: Perhaps it's little surprise that the former UCLA and USC beat writers are less bullish on their former assignments, but maybe Lev (who covered USC for the Orange County Register) and I (who covered UCLA for the LA Daily News) simply see the warts. In the Bruins' case, color me unimpressed with the offensive line and skeptical about the receiving corps. Lev and Rosenblatt are high on UCLA, ranking the Bruins third and fourth in the league, respectively, but I've got them at fifth.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 56-7 win over Idaho State
This week: at Michigan (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., BTN)
Comment: We're supposed to write at least 50 words on each of these teams, so I'll just repeat this to my colleagues nine times: Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs?
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 45-7 win over Utah State
This week: at Stanford (Saturday, 5 p.m., ABC)
Comment: Lev and Rosenblatt each have Colorado at fifth, higher than USC. That's absurd. Absolutely absurd. Give me Juju and Adoree' and Zach Banner and half the Trojans roster over anyone on the Buffaloes roster. I'd take Banner 1-on-1 over Ralphie the Buffalo. USC will likely fall even further in my cohorts' eyes with road tests at Stanford and Utah the next two weeks, but then watch them reel off five straight and see who's laughing.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 20-19 win over BYU
This week: at San Jose State (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN)
Comment: The boys and I disagree on some things, but nothing more than the Utes. Lev has Utah all the way down at No. 8, I've got them at No. 4, and Rosenblatt splits the difference. I give Kyle Whittingham all benefits of the doubt. The Utes may not have the natural advantages of some of their Pac-12 brethren, but give me that coaching staff any day. You don't pile up 19 wins in the last two years without some bona fides.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 68-55 win over Texas Tech
This week: at UTSA (Friday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Comment: An Ode To Eight: Kalen Ballage, you are the man. Scoring touchdowns like no one can. Eight in one game, that is just fine. But now people are gonna want nine. Then 10 and eleven and then a full dozen. That's what happens when you set the world buzzin. But don't look now, Arizona's got one question: Do have a recruitable cousin?
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 45-40 loss to San Diego State
This week: vs. Texas (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: The Bears faltered in just about every facet against the Aztecs. In the fourth year of the Sonny Dykes era, you'd expect them to at least get something down pat. But Jared Goff's absence has hurt the offense, and that defense is still porous, and SDSU scored a special teams touchdown. So, really, how much further along is Cal than when Dykes got there?
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 31-21 win over Grambling State
This week: vs. Hawaii (Saturday, 7:45 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: A week after looking serviceable against a good BYU offense, the Wildcats were cut up by Grambling State? Huh? Talk about a wake-up call. Arizona's perimeter defense needs to improve three-fold if it wants to compete in the Pac-12, though luckily, there aren't too many versatile quarterbacks in the league.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: 45-42 loss at Boise State
This week: vs. Idaho (Saturday, 11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Mike Leach, buddy, time get your head out of the history books and get the Cougars on the right track. A long game of Risk isn't going to help you solve two 3-point losses to start the year, no matter how much you prioritize Kamchatka. Washington State sure appeared to turn the corner last year, but it appears they forgot the corners themselves.
- Jon Gold Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Last week: Bye
This week: vs. Idaho State (Saturday, 2 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: What is there to really say about the Beavers? Mike Riley may have nice sweaters and probably makes wonderful hot chocolate, but forget bare — he left the cupboard completely naked. Name two Oregon State football players. Two. Try to name two, and we'll spot you Victor Bolden.
Welcome to a new weekly football feature here at Tucson.com: Pac-12 power rankings.
Each week throughout the college football seson, three Star sports staffers — Zack Rosenblatt, Michael Lev and yours truly — will rate the conference’s teams 1-12. We’ll compile and tabulate these votes to form each week’s power rankings.
After two weeks of play, we have a little better idea of how these teams look. Here’s how we ranked the Pac-12 heading into week three.
Last week: 59-14 win over Idaho
This week: vs. Portland State (Saturday, 5 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Almost a consensus No. 1, but I'm not sold on the Huskies' talent. Chris Petersen is a good coach and all, and maybe I'm still jilted by the Steve Sarkisian era, but lets wait to crown them until that Week 5 tilt with the Cardinal, no?
Last week: Bye
This week: vs. USC (Saturday, 5 p.m., ABC)
Comment: The Cardinal once more have a strange early-season storyline, only luckily for Stanford, this time around doesn't include a weird loss to Northwestern. The Cardinal had a Week 2 bye, giving them plenty of rest for the three-game gauntlet of USC at home and road tests at UCLA and Washington.
Last week: 44-26 win over Virginia
This week: at Nebraska (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., ABC)
Comment: Look, the pass defense is suspect and it now feels like we're about three decades removed from the Marcus Mariota era, but the Ducks are still among the most dangerous teams in the country. Lev has UCLA ahead of Oregon, but give me Mark Helfrich over Jim Mora any day, unless we're talking staring contest. Then Mora. Mora all the way.
Last week: 42-21 win over UNLV
This week: at BYU (Saturday, 7:15 p.m., ESPN2)
Comment: Perhaps it's little surprise that the former UCLA and USC beat writers are less bullish on their former assignments, but maybe Lev (who covered USC for the Orange County Register) and I (who covered UCLA for the LA Daily News) simply see the warts. In the Bruins' case, color me unimpressed with the offensive line and skeptical about the receiving corps. Lev and Rosenblatt are high on UCLA, ranking the Bruins third and fourth in the league, respectively, but I've got them at fifth.
Last week: 56-7 win over Idaho State
This week: at Michigan (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., BTN)
Comment: We're supposed to write at least 50 words on each of these teams, so I'll just repeat this to my colleagues nine times: Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs? Really, the Buffs?
Last week: 45-7 win over Utah State
This week: at Stanford (Saturday, 5 p.m., ABC)
Comment: Lev and Rosenblatt each have Colorado at fifth, higher than USC. That's absurd. Absolutely absurd. Give me Juju and Adoree' and Zach Banner and half the Trojans roster over anyone on the Buffaloes roster. I'd take Banner 1-on-1 over Ralphie the Buffalo. USC will likely fall even further in my cohorts' eyes with road tests at Stanford and Utah the next two weeks, but then watch them reel off five straight and see who's laughing.
Last week: 20-19 win over BYU
This week: at San Jose State (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN)
Comment: The boys and I disagree on some things, but nothing more than the Utes. Lev has Utah all the way down at No. 8, I've got them at No. 4, and Rosenblatt splits the difference. I give Kyle Whittingham all benefits of the doubt. The Utes may not have the natural advantages of some of their Pac-12 brethren, but give me that coaching staff any day. You don't pile up 19 wins in the last two years without some bona fides.
Last week: 68-55 win over Texas Tech
This week: at UTSA (Friday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Comment: An Ode To Eight: Kalen Ballage, you are the man. Scoring touchdowns like no one can. Eight in one game, that is just fine. But now people are gonna want nine. Then 10 and eleven and then a full dozen. That's what happens when you set the world buzzin. But don't look now, Arizona's got one question: Do have a recruitable cousin?
Last week: 45-40 loss to San Diego State
This week: vs. Texas (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: The Bears faltered in just about every facet against the Aztecs. In the fourth year of the Sonny Dykes era, you'd expect them to at least get something down pat. But Jared Goff's absence has hurt the offense, and that defense is still porous, and SDSU scored a special teams touchdown. So, really, how much further along is Cal than when Dykes got there?
Last week: 31-21 win over Grambling State
This week: vs. Hawaii (Saturday, 7:45 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: A week after looking serviceable against a good BYU offense, the Wildcats were cut up by Grambling State? Huh? Talk about a wake-up call. Arizona's perimeter defense needs to improve three-fold if it wants to compete in the Pac-12, though luckily, there aren't too many versatile quarterbacks in the league.
Last week: 45-42 loss at Boise State
This week: vs. Idaho (Saturday, 11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Mike Leach, buddy, time get your head out of the history books and get the Cougars on the right track. A long game of Risk isn't going to help you solve two 3-point losses to start the year, no matter how much you prioritize Kamchatka. Washington State sure appeared to turn the corner last year, but it appears they forgot the corners themselves.
Last week: Bye
This week: vs. Idaho State (Saturday, 2 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: What is there to really say about the Beavers? Mike Riley may have nice sweaters and probably makes wonderful hot chocolate, but forget bare — he left the cupboard completely naked. Name two Oregon State football players. Two. Try to name two, and we'll spot you Victor Bolden.
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