UCLA's upset of Washington clears path for USC in Pac-12 football race
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UCLA looked like the real deal on Friday night.
The Bruins dismantled No. 15 Washington 40-32 on national television, and it wasn't that close. The Huskies crawled back into the game with two late touchdowns, but this was a one-sided affair.
UCLA racked up more than 500 yards of offense, including 315 yards passing and 53 yards rushing from quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. His two-yard touchdown run that gave UCLA a 33-10 lead in the third quarter almost broke the internet.
So what does this result mean for the Pac-12 title race? For starters, it helps USC.
Washington (4-1, 1-1) has arguably the easiest remaining schedule of contending teams, with only one ranked team (Oregon) left on their slate. It's not unrealistic that the Huskies could go 6-1 the rest of the way. The loss to UCLA guarantees they won't run the table and gives USC some wiggle room.
UCLA (5-0, 2-0) , on the flip side, has arguably the toughest remaining schedule in the Pac-12. The Bruins face No. 12 Utah and No. 13 Oregon in back-to-back weeks, then play No. 6 USC on Nov. 19 at the Rose Bowl.
It's hard to imagine UCLA winning out.
In the most realistic scenario, both Washington and UCLA should finish 7-2 in conference - at best. Even if USC stumbles at Utah on Oct. 15, it's probable they'll be at least 7-1 in Pac-12 play heading into their showdown with UCLA.
Bottom line: Washington's loss helps solidify the concept that an 8-1 record should be enough to get USC into the Pac-12 championship game, especially if that one loss is to Utah.
There's a lot of football left to play - and Lincoln Riley and the Trojans obviously have national championship aspirations - but Pac-12 title scenarios are shaping up nicely for USC.
Here's our prediction for the top four in the final standings:
Utah 8-1
USC 8-1
Oregon 7-2
UCLA 7-2
