Pac-12 football power rankings: Week 1
- Updated
The Star sports staff rates the conference's teams 1-12 heading into the opening weekend of 2016.
- Michael Lev 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 season, three Star sports staffers — Jon Gold, Zack Rosenblatt and yours truly — will rate the conference’s teams 1-12. We’ll compile and tabulate those votes to form each week’s power rankings.
Week 1 is always the trickiest, because no one has seen these squads play — well, except for Cal, whose opening game against Hawaii in Australia was so enthralling that ESPN didn’t bother to send an announcing crew.
The Golden Bears get this week off to rest and recuperate. Everyone else is in action, with games spanning from Thursday to Saturday.
Here’s how we project the Pac-12 heading into that opening slate of games:
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 1 Stanford
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Kansas State (Friday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Comment: I was the only one who didn’t vote the Cardinal first. I have some concerns about the quarterback situation. It doesn’t seem like a good sign that highly touted Keller Chryst couldn’t beat out veteran Ryan Burns. (Both will play in the opener, per David Shaw.) Then again, when you have Christian McCaffrey, a machine-like ground attack and a defense that’s bound to be among the league’s most physical units despite heavy losses, maybe the quarterback doesn’t matter so much?
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 2 Washington
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Rutgers (Saturday, 11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Could the Huskies be the conference’s best bet to reach the College Football Playoff? They’re certainly scheduled for success. UW opens with three straight home games against indisputable lightweights: Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State (one of which is a Power Five team, if you want to get technical about it). Washington gets Stanford and USC at home. The Huskies’ toughest road games are Oregon, Utah and Washington State in the season-ending Apple Cup — which at the very least could decide the North Division.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: Tied No. 3 UCLA
Last week: DNP
This week: at Texas A&M (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., CBS)
Comment: My pick to win the Pac-12 — although, I have to admit, I’m a little worried. Ace pass rusher Deon Hollins is in the concussion protocol and doubtful for the opener. Linebacker Mique Juarez, the Bruins’ top recruit, won’t play as he continues to sit out because of what Jim Mora described as “personal issues.” But there’s still a lot to like, including Josh Rosen, who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and a very manageable Pac-12 schedule (no Oregon or Washington; Stanford, Utah and USC at home). Worth noting: Former UCLA beat writer Jon Gold picked the Bruins fifth. Maybe he knows something?
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: Tied No. 3 USC
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Alabama (Saturday, 5 p.m., ABC)
Comment: Based on talent alone, the Trojans are worthy of how high my co-workers ranked them (Gold: second; Rosenblatt: third). And maybe that’s the best way to go about this. But man, that schedule … After Alabama, USC hosts Utah State. Then the Trojans visit Stanford and Utah (on a short week). November is a potential nightmare as well: vs. Oregon, at Washington, at UCLA, vs. Notre Dame. It’s hard to envision anything better than 8-4, despite USC possibly having three 2017 first-rounders (JuJu Smith-Schuster, Adoree’ Jackson, Zach Banner).
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 5 Oregon
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. UC Davis (Saturday, 2 p.m., Pac-12)
Comment: A colleague believes the college football punditry is collectively underrating the Ducks. They were practically unbeatable, he reminded me, when Vernon Adams was healthy and available last season. My response: Adams won’t be available at all this season; He’s gone. In steps another FCS grad transfer, Dakota Prukop, who has at least one advantage over Adams: Prukop didn’t have to pass an 11th-hour math test to participate in training camp. Perhaps he’ll be as good as Adams. Maybe he’ll be even better. I’m reserving judgment on him and a team that lost a ton of starters and whose defense was just as porous as Arizona’s.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 6 Washington State
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Eastern Washington (Saturday, 5 p.m., Pac-12)
Comment: I seem to be standing alone on the Island of Pullman, chanting to myself, “Go Cougs.” I ranked the Cougars third; Rosenblatt had them sixth, Gold seventh. Perhaps WSU is this year’s Arizona — the team that played over its head and is bound to take a step back. I’ll take my chances with Luke Falk, the best upper-class quarterback in the Pac-12; an improving, underrated defense; and a really good coaching staff headed by Mike Leach. We’ll probably find out who’s right in Week 2, when Washington State visits Boise State.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 7 Utah
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Southern Utah (Thursday, 5 p.m., Pac-12)
Comment: This is precisely where I ranked the Utes, and I don’t feel good about it. Yes, new QB Troy Williams, via UW and Santa Monica College, is relatively unproven. But Williams’ teammates voted him a captain. And those teammates include a veteran offensive line; perhaps the best defensive line in the conference, led by Lowell Lotulelei; and one of its top secondaries. Utah isn’t sexy, but the Utes might be sneaky good. I have a feeling they’ll rank higher on this list by season’s end.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 8 Arizona
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. BYU (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., FS1)
Comment: Two teams earned the exact same ranking from all three voters — Arizona at No. 8 and Oregon State at No. 12. I have no idea what, if anything, that means for the 2016 Wildcats. I don’t find this to be a predictable team; the new-look defense is a huge variable that could swing the UA’s record by several games. Everything from 4-8 to 8-4 is in play. The offense should be among the league’s best, regardless of who plays quarterback. Speaking of which, can we name a starter already, please? I’m just as tired of writing about it as I am asking about it.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 9 Cal
Last week: Defeated Hawaii 51-31
This week: Bye
Comment: First takeaway from the Bears’ opener Down Under: New QB Davis Webb (38 of 54, 441 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs) might be really, really good. Second takeaway: The Rainbow Warriors’ defense might be really, really bad. Hawaii, which visits Arizona in Week 3, surrendered 630 total yards; Cal averaged 7.08 yards per play. Redshirt-junior receiver Chad Hansen gained more than a fourth of those yards. Hansen caught 14 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Entering the game, he had 19 career catches for 249 yards and one score.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 10 Arizona State
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Northern Arizona (Satur0day, 8 p.m., Pac-12)
Comment: Are we underestimating the Sun Devils? Todd Graham never has had two consecutive .500-ish seasons. Then again, he has questions at quarterback, where a starter has yet to be named and the options aren’t nearly as good as Arizona’s; and along the offensive line, where starting experience is minimal. According to colleague Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic, the projected starting five have 15 career starts, which would be the lowest total in the country. So maybe we aren’t underestimating the Sun Devils after all.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 11 Colorado
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Colorado State (Friday, 5 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: The Buffaloes are kinda due, aren’t they? Even if the bottom line doesn’t show it, they’ve been getting better. More than anything, they need to find a way to win close games to earn the program’s first bowl bid since the 2007 season. Colorado went 2-5 in games decided by eight or fewer points last season. Remarkably, the once-proud CU program hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2005, Gary Barnett’s final season as head coach. Last season’s four victories matched the Buffs’ highest total since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Team: No. 12 Oregon State
Last week: DNP
This week: at Minnesota (Thursday, 6 p.m., Big Ten Network)
Comment: Speaking of once-proud programs, the Beavers went to a bowl game 11 times in a 15-year stretch from 1999-2013. Now they’re the consensus worst team in the conference. New quarterback Darell Garretson, a transfer from Utah State, at least gives OSU a glimmer of hope after a dismal 2015. He has plenty of receiving options, including former QB Seth Collins. But the Beavers don’t have much else. It’s going to be a long, slow, uphill climb for Gary Andersen, who went 19-7 in two seasons at Wisconsin before abruptly leaving Madison for Corvallis.
Welcome to a new weekly football feature here at Tucson.com: Pac-12 power rankings.
Each week throughout the college football season, three Star sports staffers — Jon Gold, Zack Rosenblatt and yours truly — will rate the conference’s teams 1-12. We’ll compile and tabulate those votes to form each week’s power rankings.
Week 1 is always the trickiest, because no one has seen these squads play — well, except for Cal, whose opening game against Hawaii in Australia was so enthralling that ESPN didn’t bother to send an announcing crew.
The Golden Bears get this week off to rest and recuperate. Everyone else is in action, with games spanning from Thursday to Saturday.
Here’s how we project the Pac-12 heading into that opening slate of games:
Team: No. 1 Stanford
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Kansas State (Friday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Comment: I was the only one who didn’t vote the Cardinal first. I have some concerns about the quarterback situation. It doesn’t seem like a good sign that highly touted Keller Chryst couldn’t beat out veteran Ryan Burns. (Both will play in the opener, per David Shaw.) Then again, when you have Christian McCaffrey, a machine-like ground attack and a defense that’s bound to be among the league’s most physical units despite heavy losses, maybe the quarterback doesn’t matter so much?
Team: No. 2 Washington
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Rutgers (Saturday, 11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks)
Comment: Could the Huskies be the conference’s best bet to reach the College Football Playoff? They’re certainly scheduled for success. UW opens with three straight home games against indisputable lightweights: Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State (one of which is a Power Five team, if you want to get technical about it). Washington gets Stanford and USC at home. The Huskies’ toughest road games are Oregon, Utah and Washington State in the season-ending Apple Cup — which at the very least could decide the North Division.
Team: Tied No. 3 UCLA
Last week: DNP
This week: at Texas A&M (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., CBS)
Comment: My pick to win the Pac-12 — although, I have to admit, I’m a little worried. Ace pass rusher Deon Hollins is in the concussion protocol and doubtful for the opener. Linebacker Mique Juarez, the Bruins’ top recruit, won’t play as he continues to sit out because of what Jim Mora described as “personal issues.” But there’s still a lot to like, including Josh Rosen, who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and a very manageable Pac-12 schedule (no Oregon or Washington; Stanford, Utah and USC at home). Worth noting: Former UCLA beat writer Jon Gold picked the Bruins fifth. Maybe he knows something?
Team: Tied No. 3 USC
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Alabama (Saturday, 5 p.m., ABC)
Comment: Based on talent alone, the Trojans are worthy of how high my co-workers ranked them (Gold: second; Rosenblatt: third). And maybe that’s the best way to go about this. But man, that schedule … After Alabama, USC hosts Utah State. Then the Trojans visit Stanford and Utah (on a short week). November is a potential nightmare as well: vs. Oregon, at Washington, at UCLA, vs. Notre Dame. It’s hard to envision anything better than 8-4, despite USC possibly having three 2017 first-rounders (JuJu Smith-Schuster, Adoree’ Jackson, Zach Banner).
Team: No. 5 Oregon
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. UC Davis (Saturday, 2 p.m., Pac-12)
Comment: A colleague believes the college football punditry is collectively underrating the Ducks. They were practically unbeatable, he reminded me, when Vernon Adams was healthy and available last season. My response: Adams won’t be available at all this season; He’s gone. In steps another FCS grad transfer, Dakota Prukop, who has at least one advantage over Adams: Prukop didn’t have to pass an 11th-hour math test to participate in training camp. Perhaps he’ll be as good as Adams. Maybe he’ll be even better. I’m reserving judgment on him and a team that lost a ton of starters and whose defense was just as porous as Arizona’s.
Team: No. 6 Washington State
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Eastern Washington (Saturday, 5 p.m., Pac-12)
Comment: I seem to be standing alone on the Island of Pullman, chanting to myself, “Go Cougs.” I ranked the Cougars third; Rosenblatt had them sixth, Gold seventh. Perhaps WSU is this year’s Arizona — the team that played over its head and is bound to take a step back. I’ll take my chances with Luke Falk, the best upper-class quarterback in the Pac-12; an improving, underrated defense; and a really good coaching staff headed by Mike Leach. We’ll probably find out who’s right in Week 2, when Washington State visits Boise State.
Team: No. 7 Utah
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Southern Utah (Thursday, 5 p.m., Pac-12)
Comment: This is precisely where I ranked the Utes, and I don’t feel good about it. Yes, new QB Troy Williams, via UW and Santa Monica College, is relatively unproven. But Williams’ teammates voted him a captain. And those teammates include a veteran offensive line; perhaps the best defensive line in the conference, led by Lowell Lotulelei; and one of its top secondaries. Utah isn’t sexy, but the Utes might be sneaky good. I have a feeling they’ll rank higher on this list by season’s end.
Team: No. 8 Arizona
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. BYU (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., FS1)
Comment: Two teams earned the exact same ranking from all three voters — Arizona at No. 8 and Oregon State at No. 12. I have no idea what, if anything, that means for the 2016 Wildcats. I don’t find this to be a predictable team; the new-look defense is a huge variable that could swing the UA’s record by several games. Everything from 4-8 to 8-4 is in play. The offense should be among the league’s best, regardless of who plays quarterback. Speaking of which, can we name a starter already, please? I’m just as tired of writing about it as I am asking about it.
Team: No. 9 Cal
Last week: Defeated Hawaii 51-31
This week: Bye
Comment: First takeaway from the Bears’ opener Down Under: New QB Davis Webb (38 of 54, 441 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs) might be really, really good. Second takeaway: The Rainbow Warriors’ defense might be really, really bad. Hawaii, which visits Arizona in Week 3, surrendered 630 total yards; Cal averaged 7.08 yards per play. Redshirt-junior receiver Chad Hansen gained more than a fourth of those yards. Hansen caught 14 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Entering the game, he had 19 career catches for 249 yards and one score.
Team: No. 10 Arizona State
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Northern Arizona (Satur0day, 8 p.m., Pac-12)
Comment: Are we underestimating the Sun Devils? Todd Graham never has had two consecutive .500-ish seasons. Then again, he has questions at quarterback, where a starter has yet to be named and the options aren’t nearly as good as Arizona’s; and along the offensive line, where starting experience is minimal. According to colleague Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic, the projected starting five have 15 career starts, which would be the lowest total in the country. So maybe we aren’t underestimating the Sun Devils after all.
Team: No. 11 Colorado
Last week: DNP
This week: vs. Colorado State (Friday, 5 p.m., ESPN)
Comment: The Buffaloes are kinda due, aren’t they? Even if the bottom line doesn’t show it, they’ve been getting better. More than anything, they need to find a way to win close games to earn the program’s first bowl bid since the 2007 season. Colorado went 2-5 in games decided by eight or fewer points last season. Remarkably, the once-proud CU program hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2005, Gary Barnett’s final season as head coach. Last season’s four victories matched the Buffs’ highest total since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
Team: No. 12 Oregon State
Last week: DNP
This week: at Minnesota (Thursday, 6 p.m., Big Ten Network)
Comment: Speaking of once-proud programs, the Beavers went to a bowl game 11 times in a 15-year stretch from 1999-2013. Now they’re the consensus worst team in the conference. New quarterback Darell Garretson, a transfer from Utah State, at least gives OSU a glimmer of hope after a dismal 2015. He has plenty of receiving options, including former QB Seth Collins. But the Beavers don’t have much else. It’s going to be a long, slow, uphill climb for Gary Andersen, who went 19-7 in two seasons at Wisconsin before abruptly leaving Madison for Corvallis.
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