Pac-12 Power Rankings: Washington State, Utah emerge as favorites amid conference chaos
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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 (7-1, 4-1; previous rank: 1)
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Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew II, throws in the first half against Stanford during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in Stanford, Calif.
Last week: Beat No. 24 Stanford, 41-38
This week: vs. Cal, 7:45 p.m. Saturday
In throwing for 438 yards and three touchdowns to top Stanford on the road, Minshew has emerged as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. The graduate transfer from East Carolina completed 40 of 50 passes to 10 different players, ran for a first down on third-and-5 while trailing late in the fourth quarter, and then led a seven-play, 50-yard drive that set up the game-winning field goal. If you still don’t believe Minshew should be in the conversation, how’s this for a comparison: Quarterback ‘A’ has 2,066 yards, 25 touchdowns and no interceptions with a 70.4 completion percentage. Quarterback ‘B’ has 3,183 yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 71.0 completion percentage. Quarterback ‘A’ is Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa; quarterback ‘B’ is Minshew. Minshew, believe it or not, committed to Alabama in February and was set to be Tagovailoa’s backup before Mike Leach gave him a call.
2. Utah Utes (6-2, 4-2 Pac-12; previous rank: 5)
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Utah running back Zack Moss, top, dives for a touchdown over UCLA linebacker Krys Barnes, bottom, during the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Pasadena, Calif.
Last week: Beat UCLA, 41-10
This week: at Arizona State, 1 p.m. Saturday
Tyler Huntley has nine total touchdowns and just two interceptions during a four-game winning streak that has Utah in prime position for a Pac-12 championship berth. Utah owns a one-game edge over USC in the Pac-12 South Division and holds the tiebreaker over the Trojans since it won the head-to-head matchup two weeks ago. That means Huntley and company can afford one slip-up down the stretch. The Utes finish with conference games against ASU, Oregon and Colorado. We like the Utes’ chances.
3. Stanford Cardinal (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12; previous rank: 4)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to No. 14 Washington State, 41-38
This week: at Washington, 6 p.m. Saturday
We told you at the start of the season that Bryce Love was the Pac-12’s best threat to win the Heisman Trophy. The fact he is not anymore is a large reason for the Cardinal’s underwhelming year. Stanford beat USC — a win that’s looking less and less impressive — and topped Oregon in Eugene, but outside of that it’s been a very stale year for this Pac-12 juggernaut. Love has fought an ankle injury for much of the season, and his yards per carry have dipped from 8.1 to 4.5. He averaged 162.9 yards per game a season ago, and just 69.8 yards in 2018. Stanford still can gather some momentum for the home stretch with a win in Seattle this weekend.
4. Washington Huskies (6-2, 4-1 Pac-12; previous rank: 2)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to Cal, 12-10
This week: vs. Stanford, 6 p.m. Saturday
The loss in Berkeley likely was just a hiccup for one of the Pac-12’s top teams, but one that could doom Washington in a crowded North Division. Quarterback Jake Browning has regressed in each of the last four games — in which the Huskies have gone 2-2 — and hasn’t thrown multiple touchdowns in a game since Sept. 22. Washington is ninth in the conference in red zone offense, but its second-ranked defense has kept it in the mix. With the Apple Cup still looming, anything is possible.
5 (tie). Oregon Ducks (5-3, 2-3; previous rank: 3)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to Arizona, 44-15
This week: vs. UCLA, 4:30 p.m. Saturday
After upending Washington in overtime three weeks ago, Oregon has lost two straight by a combined 43 points. Taking the dismal 2016 and ’17 out of the equation, the Ducks hadn’t lost consecutive games in the Pac-12 since 2007. Under junior quarterback Justin Herbert, they couldn’t endure one of the more grueling stretches in the conference against four straight ranked teams (and then Arizona). Coach Mario Cristobal said the team has to start better if it hopes to compete down the stretch. “If you don’t start fast," he said, "you get hit square in the mouth.” That just about sums up the Ducks’ baffling blowout in Tucson. This week’s meeting with UCLA is a trap game before Oregon visits No. 15 Utah next week.
5 (tie). USC Trojans (4-4, 3-3 Pac-12; previous rank: 6)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to Arizona State, 38-35
This week: at Oregon State, 7 p.m. Saturday
The Trojans lost to Arizona State last week in redshirt freshman quarterback Jack Sears’ first collegiate start. Sears played well, passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort. He was noticeably shaky at the start, though; a first-half fumble allowed ASU to jump out to a 24-7 lead. Sears’ resolve was impressive: He led a swift comeback and threw a 48-yard touchdown to get his team within a field goal in the closing minute. It just wasn’t enough to avoid USC’s first home loss in the Clay Helton era. Expect Daniels — who cleared concussion protocol on Monday — to be back under center in Corvallis.
7. Arizona State Sun Devils (4-4, 2-3; previous rank: 8)
UpdatedLast week: Beat USC, 38-35
This week: vs. No. 15 Utah, 1 p.m. Saturday
Eno Benjamin’s 185 rushing yards against USC last week put him over the century mark for the fifth time this season, and the human highlight reel that is N’Keal Harry continued to prove himself worthy of a first-round draft pick. Arizona State is as dangerous as any team in the Pac-12 South when those two turn it on. Benjamin ranks fourth in the conference in rushing and Harry continues to put up numbers as defenses try to home in on the top threat. Six of coach Herm Edwards’ first eight games with the Sun Devils have been decided by a touchdown or less. He would do well to keep that trend going in Tempe with the No. 15 Utes in town this weekend.
8 (tie). Colorado Buffaloes (5-3, 2-3; previous rank: 7)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to Oregon State, 41-34 in OT
This week: at Arizona, 7:30 p.m. Friday
The Buffs took a 31-3 lead over Oregon State on the first play of the second half, then were outscored 38-3 the rest of the way. After a 75-yard score to start the third quarter, Colorado’s drive chart looked like this: punt, missed FG, turnover on downs, punt, field goal, missed field goal. That all added up to a heap of missed opportunity and the worst of losses. The Buffs will try to recover against an Arizona team with a head full of confidence and a quarterback in Khalil Tate who ran for an FBS quarterback record 327 yards in Boulder a season ago. Good luck with that.
8 (tie). Arizona Wildcats (4-5, 3-3; previous rank: 10)
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Arizona tailback J.J. Taylor ranked second in the nation in all-purpose yards per game last season.
Last week: Beat No. 19 Oregon, 44-15
This week: vs. Colorado, 7:30 p.m. Friday
The Wildcats showed their potential under first-year head coach Kevin Sumlin in a stunning defeat over a ranked Oregon squad last week. The concern is how Arizona has put it all together on both sides of the ball just once in nine weeks. Still, Noel Mazzone’s offense was clicking on all cylinders and the defense looked as good as it has since 2014.
10. Cal Golden Bears (5-3, 2-3; previous rank: 11)
UpdatedLast week: Beat No. 15 Washington, 12-10
This week: at No. 8 Washington State, 7:45 p.m. Saturday
Cal is even with Oregon in the Pac-12 North with four games left on the conference docket. Who would have thought? The win over Washington last week could be of the program-defining variety for a team trying to establish itself under second-year head coach Justin Wilcox. The upset win could set up a winner-take-all matchup with Colorado in the last week of the regular season. Winner gets a bowl game; loser gets to watch from the couch? Sounds like a date to us.
11. UCLA Bruins (2-6, 2-3; previous rank: 9)
UpdatedLast week: Lost to No. 23 Utah, 41-10
This week: at Oregon, 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Hey there, UCLA, welcome back down to Earth. Utah gave Chip Kelly and company a reality check in Los Angeles on Friday night, and the Bruins seem destined to lose the next four games. They'll play at Oregon and ASU, and then at home against USC and Stanford. Anything can happen in that Victory Bell rivalry matchup, but it’s a pretty safe bet that UCLA finishes up at 2-10, which would be its worst mark since finishing 1-8 in 1943.
12. Oregon State Beavers (2-6, 1-4; previous rank: 12)
UpdatedLast week: Beat Colorado, 41-34 in OT
This week: vs. USC, 7 p.m. Saturday
It took 701 days, but Oregon State finally got back into the Pac-12 win column. The Beavers overcame a 28-point deficit and still nearly blew their opportunity, missing an extra point that could have won the game in regulation. The conference’s most agonizing streak has come to a close, and we’ll leave it at that. Hats off to you, Oregon State.
Dominic Baciocco
Sports producer
