Pac-12 Power Rankings: Who Will Win the Pac-12 North?
There's no argument over who truly leads the Pac-12 now.
After Utah thoroughly handled Oregon, the Utes top our Pac-12 rankings heading into a pivotal last week of the regular season.
Utah has wrapped up the Pac-12 South, while the other spot in the Pac-12 title game still remains up for grabs.
If Oregon defeats Oregon State, the Ducks will get a rematch for round two against the Utes in Las Vegas on Dec. 3. However, if Oregon State emerges victorious and Washington State loses to Washington, the Beavers will make their way to Allegiant Stadium.
And yes, there's still a chance for Washington State to get in. The Cougars will need Oregon to lose while also defeating Washington in the Apple Cup to punch their ticket.
It's sure to be a wild weekend in Pac-12 country. Here's Sports Illustrated's Pac-12 power rankings for this week:
SI PAC-12 FOOTBALL POWER RANKINGS
1. Utah Utes (6) 8-3 7-1 . . . 72 points
2. Oregon Ducks 9-2, 6-2 . . . 61
3. UCLA Bruins 7-4, 5-3 . . . 60
4. Oregon State Beavers 7-4, 5-3 . . . 58
5. Washington State Cougars 6-5, 5-3 . . . 46
6. Arizona State Sun Devils 7-4, 5-3 . . . 45
7. Cal Golden Bears 4-6, 3-4 . . . 32
8. Colorado Buffaloes 4-7, 3-5 . . . 30
9. USC Trojans 4-6, 3-5 . . . 25
10. Washington Huskies 4-7, 3-5 . . . 19
11. Stanford Cardinal 3-8, 2-7 . . . 12
12. Arizona Wildcats 1-10, 1-7 . . .7
How Publishers Voted
DONNIE DRUIN, ALL SUN DEVILS
1. Utah; 2. Oregon State; 3. UCLA; 4. Washington State; 5. Oregon; 6. Arizona State; 7. Colorado; 8. Cal; 9. USC; 10. Washington; 11. Stanford; 12. Arizona
Comment: Decided to shake up my rankings a bit after another wild weekend in the Pac-12. Utah is playing the best football out of anybody, while Oregon, Oregon State and Washington all have a chance to capture the Pac-12 North next weekend. Since there's essentially no College Football Playoff berth up for grabs now with Oregon's loss, the race for the Rose Bowl has officially begun.
JAKE CURTIS, CAL SPORTS REPORT
1. Utah; 2. Oregon; 3. UCLA; 4. Oregon State; 5. Washington State; 6. Arizona State; 7. Cal; 8. USC; 9. Washington; 10. Colorado; 11. Arizona; 12. Stanford
Comment: It's not a good look for the conference when its top team, Oregon, loses 38-7. But Oregon State is a mediocre team on the road, so Oregon should beat the Beavers and earn another shot at Utah, which may not be what the public wants to see.
MAX TORRES, DUCKS DIGEST
1. Utah; 2. Oregon; 3. Oregon State; 4. UCLA; 5. Washington State; 6. Arizona State; 7. Cal; 8. Colorado; 9. USC; 10. Washington; 11. Stanford; 12. Arizona
Comment: Oregon's one-dimensional offense finally ran out of steam and with it so did the conference's hope of sending a team to the playoff. Utah has the South wrapped up and is easily the Pac-12's best team after dismantling the Ducks. Nos. 7 through 10 on this list are almost interchangeable because so many teams have similarly poor records. Washington is further down because of the instability amid major coaching turnover and less overall talent on the roster than USC.
SAM CONNON, ALL BRUINS
1. Utah; 2. Oregon; 3. UCLA; 4. Oregon State; 5. Arizona State; 6. Washington State; 7. Colorado; 8. Cal; 9. Washington; 10. USC; 11. Stanford; 12. Arizona
Comments: With only one week to go, we have enough of a sample size to say that the entire bottom half of the Pac-12 is straight up bad. We kind of knew that for a while, though, so what really stands out as new this week is the shift of power at the top. Oregon and Utah are more than likely going to meet again on a neutral field for the conference title game, and how those two teams perform this week will play very heavily into who ends up being favored in the rematch.
CLAUDETTE PATTISON-MONTANA, ALL TROJANS
1. Utah; 2. Oregon; 3. UCLA; 4. Oregon State; 5. Arizona State; 6. Washington State; 7. Cal; 8. Colorado; 9. USC; 10. Washington; 11. Stanford; 12. Arizona
Comment: After allowing the UCLA Bruins to score 62 points on its home turf, USC continues to drop in my rankings. The Trojans have given up 225 points to Pac-12 opponents this year, and continue to struggle when playing at home.
DAN RALEY, HUSKY MAVEN
1. Utah; 2. UCLA; 3. Oregon State; 4. Oregon; 5. Arizona State; 6. Washington State; 7. USC; 8. Colorado; 9. Cal; 10. Stanford; 11. Washington; 12. Arizona
Comment: Welcome to Fight Club, Pac-12 style. Oregon never saw the punch coming. USC goes out on a stretcher. Stanford had to be helped out of the ring. Washington doesn't remember who it was. When are the new coaches showing up?