1. Oregon (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12)
The Ducks haven’t just been beating their opponents, they’ve been destroying them. But three of the Ducks’ last four games are on the road, and all of their remaining opponents except Cal are ranked and very much in the thick of the Pac-12 race. So the road isn’t easy for the Ducks to return to a January bowl game, but with three games against the Top 25 left the Ducks could easily return to the national title game if they win out.
2. USC (6-2, 4-2 Pac-12)
A loss in any of the Trojans’ three remaining conference games figures to knock them out of the Pac-12 title race, but the Trojans don’t have to travel far from home — none of their remaining games are outside of Los Angeles County, and that’s good news for a USC team that hasn’t lost away from home this year.
3. Stanford (6-2, 4-1 Pac-12)
With games against both the Ducks and Beavers, the Cardinal remain in complete control of their fate. The Cardinal have a date with the Pac-12’s favorite punching bag this weekend as they travel to Boulder looking for their third-straight win since losing to Notre Dame in overtime on what many in Palo Alto, Calif., argued was a missed call on the game’s final play.
4. Oregon State (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12)
The Beavers’ national title dreams came crashing down last week but it’s probably not time to hit the panic button just yet for Beaver fans. If Oregon State gets through Stanford and California without another hiccup, even a loss to Oregon could still put them in a position to go to the Rose Bowl, should the Ducks play in the national title game.
5. Arizona (5-3, 2-3 Pac-12)
It looked like the ‘Cats hit rock bottom when they lost three straight games to start Pac-12 play, but wins in the last two weeks have Arizona back inside the Top 25 and somehow not completely out of the running in the Pac-12 race. There’s not much room for error for Arizona, but with games remaining against both of the two-loss teams in the Pac-12 South, Rich Rodriguez’s team could still find itself playing for a conference title come early December.
6. Washington (4-4, 2-3 Pac-12)
Washington took a step in the right direction by upsetting Oregon State last week. Three of the Huskies’ last four games are on the road, but they have arguably the easiest remaining schedule in the conference with games against California, Utah, Colorado and Washington State. Washington needs wins in two of those games — which doesn’t seem to be too much to ask — to become bowl-eligible.
7. Arizona State (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12)
The Sun Devils may have dropped two conference games but they’re by no means out of the race in the Pac-12 South. The Sun Devils no longer control their own destiny thanks to a loss to UCLA last week, but with a logjam at the top three two-loss teams at the top of the Pac-12 south, one loss for UCLA or USC would put the Sun Devils right back on top of their division.
8. UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12)
The Bruins outlasted Arizona State last week in a 45-43 win. In a wide-open southern division, the Bruins could still wind up on top of the pile at the end of the season. But like just about everybody else in the conference, the Bruins have a back-loaded schedule with three of their last four games against Top-25 teams.
9. Utah (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12)
Utah snapped a four-game losing streak last week in emphatic fashion, and with only one ranked team left on their schedule, the Utes could still finish the season eligible for a bowl game. Utah closes the season on the road against Colorado, in a game that can only be described as one of those games where somebody has to win.
10. California (3-6, 2-4 Pac-12)
One loss to Oregon, Oregon State or Washington would be the Bears’ seventh of the year, rendering them ineligible for postseason play. The Bears take the field against Washington this week looking to avoid their second three-game losing streak of the year after giving up 49 points last week to a Utah team that was looking for its first Pac-12 win of the year.
11. Washington State (2-6, 0-5 Pac-12)
It’s been a nightmarish season for Washington State. The Cougars started the season by blowing a fourth quarter lead and losing to Colorado, and have lost each of their last four games by at least a touchdown. Washington State travels to Salt Lake City this weekend looking for Pac-12 win No. 1 in the Mike Leach era.
12. Colorado (1-7, 1-4 Pac-12)

The good news for Colorado starts and ends with the fact that they won’t go winless. The Buffs are entering the third game of a three-game stretch against USC, Oregon and Stanford that seems almost like cruel and unusual punishment. In their last two games, Colorado has been outscored 120-20 and they have two more games in a row against ranked teams.