Pac-12 Power Rankings: Finally atop conference, Washington State looks to prove itself
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Dominic Baciocco
Sports producer
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The Star’s panel of Michael Lev, Ryan Finley, Justin Spears and Dominic Baciocco takes its swing at the latest batch of power rankings. Baciocco compiles the votes and hashes out the weekly results below.
1. Washington State Cougars (6-1, 3-1; previous rank: 3)
UpdatedLast week: Beat No. 12 Oregon, 34-20
This week: at No. 24 Stanford, 4 p.m. Saturday
The Cougars and quarterback Gardner Minshew disposed of another top Pac-12 defense when they took down Oregon last week. Against two of the better defenses in Utah and Oregon, Minshew completed 65 percent of his passes for 875 yards and threw seven touchdowns to three interceptions. The conference’s leading passer should have no problem against a Stanford team that’s been more susceptible to the big play than in years past. The Cardinal allowed an average of 36.3 points per game over a three-week stretch against Oregon, Notre Dame and Utah. Expect Minshew and company to do their thing.
2. Washington Huskies (6-2, 4-1 Pac-12; previous rank: 2)
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Washington quarterback Jake Browning passes against Colorado during the first half in Seattle on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Last week: Beat Colorado, 24-13
This week: at California, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Jake Browning has regressed in passing yardage each of his last three games while the Huskies have relied more heavily on the ground game. Senior rusher Myles Gaskin (shoulder) missed the first game of his career last weekend but could return against Cal. If the Huskies opt for a more cautious route and rest their star running back, it’ll be up to Browning to decipher a stingy Cal defense that ranks ninth in the country in passing yards allowed.
3. Oregon Ducks (5-2, 2-2; previous rank: 1)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to No. 25 Washington State, 34-20
This week: at Arizona, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
The Ducks couldn’t score in the first half against Washington State and found little rhythm on offense the entire game. Take away quarterback Justin Herbert’s 270 yards though the air, and the Ducks finished with just 58 yards of offense. If Arizona’s defense is up to the challenge, this week’s meeting in Tucson could be a lower scoring game than anticipated. The more likely scenario is that Herbert picks apart the Wildcats and hangs on for dear life in a stiff Pac-12 North title race.
4. Stanford Cardinal (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12; previous rank: 4)
UpdatedLast week: Beat Arizona State, 20-13
This week: vs. No. 14 Washington State, 4 p.m. Saturday
Stanford averaged just 15 points per game without star rusher Bryce Love — and 25.7 points with him. Love (ankle) had just 21 yards on 11 carries against ASU, but having him on the field was a promising sign moving forward. Washington State has been one of the less forgiving rush defenses in the conference, so we’ll find out this week just how healthy Love is. Stanford still controls its fate in the Pac-12 heading into a daunting two weeks with Wazzu and Washington.
5. Utah Utes (5-2, 3-2 Pac-12; previous rank: 5)
UpdatedLast week: Beat USC, 41-28
This week: at UCLA, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Tyler Huntley has been on a roll since the Utes stunned Stanford on the road three weeks ago. In games against the Cardinal, Arizona and USC, Huntley completed 76 percent of his passes, threw for seven touchdowns and rushed for two of them. Huntley’s ability to sustain drives has been a key factor in Utah’s offense this year; the junior has thrown just three interceptions. He’ll put his recent hot streak to the test against an upward-trending UCLA team tied for the Pac-12 lead in takeaways.
6. USC Trojans (4-3, 3-2 Pac-12; previous rank: 7)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to Utah, 41-28
This week: vs. Arizona State, 12:30 p.m. Saturday
The Pac-12 South race is anything but clear. Even after a week when Utah outgained USC 541 yards to 205, the Trojans may somehow still be the favorite. Despite a murky-at-best quarterback situation — redshirt freshman third-stringer Jack Sears is scheduled to start over JT Daniels (concussion) and Matt Fink (ribs) this week — and the few signs of life on defense, USC benefits from one of the more favorable schedules in the conference. The most difficult test, especially without Daniels under center, could come against ASU this weekend. The Trojans get Oregon State, Cal and UCLA to close the Pac-12 slate before a Week 13 meeting with No. 3 Notre Dame.
7. Colorado Buffaloes (5-2, 2-2; previous rank: 6)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to No. 15 Washington, 27-13
This week: vs. Oregon State, noon Saturday
Colorado’s fall from the top of the Pac-12 has been swift. But with how bad the South Division has been, the Buffs still have an outside shot at playing for a title in Santa Clara. The next two weeks against Oregon State and Arizona will be critical for Colorado to gain some ground in the hodgepodge that is the Pac-12 South. The top priority for now is to get leading receiver Laviska Shenault (toe) back on the field.
8. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-4, 1-3; previous rank: 8)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to Stanford, 20-13
This week: at USC, 12:30 p.m. Saturday
The Herm Edwards Experiment got off to an encouraging start after ASU upended a ranked Michigan State team in Tempe on Sept. 8. The five weeks since have been just the opposite, with the lone win coming over Oregon State. Each of the four ASU losses has been by seven points. That’s a tough pill to swallow for quarterback Manny Wilkins and rusher Eno Benjamin, who has averaged 119 yards on the ground since the Michigan State game. The Sun Devils must win three of their next five contests to earn bowl eligibility, with games against Utah and Oregon looming.
9. UCLA Bruins (1-5, 1-2; previous rank: T10)
UpdatedLast week: Beat Arizona, 31-30
This week: vs. No. 23 Utah, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Week 1 starter Wilton Speight left with a back injury in the season debut, setting off UCLA’s quick spiral toward irrelevancy under freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The freshman started the next six games under center but was lost early in last week’s win over Arizona with an injury. Thompson-Robinson has been limited in practice and Kelly likely won’t name his starter until Friday. While the Bruins have looked better as of late regardless of who’s been taking snaps, a difficult upcoming schedule should snap them back to reality.
10. Arizona Wildcats (3-5, 2-3; previous rank: 9)
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Arizona receiver Shawn Poindexter, right, had six catches for 106 yards and two TDs vs. UCLA on Saturday as the Wildcats dropped their third game in four weeks.
Last week: Lost to UCLA, 31-30
This week: vs. No. 19 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
If there’s such a thing as rock bottom in a transition year under a new head coach, the Wildcats and Kevin Sumlin found it when they lost to UCLA. Regardless of who’s under center this week, Arizona faces an uphill climb against Oregon. The UA defense ranks 10th in third-down conversion percentage, and the 30 points the offense scored against UCLA were its most since beating Oregon State in September. The question moving forward will continue to be at starting quarterback. At this point, who really gives Arizona its best chance to win? It’s tough to envision Sumlin starting Rhett Rodriguez over a healthy Khalil Tate, but changes for a 3-5 team desperate for wins could be imminent.
11. Cal Golden Bears (4-3, 1-3; previous rank: T10)
UpdatedLast week: Beat Oregon State, 49-7
This week: vs. No 15 Washington, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
A win over Oregon State is trivial in a division like the Pac-12 North. Still, the Golden Bears got on the board in conference play before a difficult closing month. A rare bright spot for Cal this season has been Patrick Laird, who scored on a 30-yard run last weekend and had 241 all-purpose yards.
12. Oregon State Beavers (1-6, 0-4; previous rank: 12)
Updated
Oregon State mascot Benny the Beaver warms up the crowd in Corvallis, Oregon.
Last week: Lost to California, 49-7
This week: at Colorado, noon Saturday
Oregon State is staring another winless Pac-12 season dead in the face. Cal was the best (and last?) chance the Beavers had at getting into the win column, with what is probably the most difficult remaining schedule in the conference. Oregon State has played 13 consecutive Pac-12 games without a win, and hasn’t showed it could end that streak anytime soon.
Dominic Baciocco
Sports producer
