For the first time since week five, a full slate of Pac-12 teams competed over the weekend. Each team in the Conference of Champions had another chance to prove their merit and push towards the Pac-12 championship in early December. Oregon, of course, slaughtered Colorado, but how did the rest of the conference fare?

Washington (7-2, 4-2 Pac-12) uses fourth quarter to push past No. 23 Oregon State (6-3, 3-3 Pac-12) 24-21

In the most competitive game the Pac-12 had to offer on the weekend, it was the Huskies that took down the ranked Beavers in Seattle. Washington led for all of eight seconds in Friday night’s contest, but a last minute field goal secured the Huskies’ third straight win. The Washington offense that’s been so hot in 2022 sputtered, but the defense, which has had some struggles, came to play. It was a weirdly reversed game for Washington, but it was enough to secure its 10th win in its last 11 games with the Beavers.  The win bumped them into the AP Top-25 at No. 24. The Huskies play No. 6 Oregon (8-1, 6-0 Pac-12) in Eugene next Saturday.

Last week, Oregon State fans had thought they had found something in quarterback Ben Gulbranson. After Friday, it seems the Beavers still lack talent at their most crucial position. Gulbranson had just 87 passing yards against Washington, and his offense was only responsible for 262 total yards in the loss. Oregon State fought all year to be ranked. Once it finally happened, it really made a case to not touch the rankings for the rest of 2022. This is not a top 25 team. Oregon State hosts Cal (3-6, 1-5 Pac-12) next Saturday night.

No. 9 USC (8-1, 6-1 Pac-12) wins surprising shootout over Cal (3-6, 1-5 Pac-12)

The USC defense once again struggled on Saturday against an inferior opponent. If it weren’t for wide receiver Michael Jackson III’s 115 yards and two touchdowns, the Trojans may have shocked the country – and not in a good way. When USC clung to a single score lead in the fourth quarter, its playoff hopes almost slipped away. Almost. Quarterback Caleb Williams had other plans for the night. Williams threw for 360 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for a score; the Trojans’ offense found victory despite its lack of defense. They still moved up in the rankings, and No. 8 USC will host Colorado (1-8, 1-5 Pac-12) in wWeek 11.

Quarterback Jack Plummer did nearly everything he could to take down the Trojans. His 406 passing yards just weren’t enough to overpower USC. The Golden Bears hung around with the Trojans much more than they did last week against No. 6 Oregon, but that’s just been Cal’s pattern in 2022. The Golden Bears keep games close, but they just can’t win. Cal has now lost five straight games. Perhaps a meeting against Oregon State (6-3, 3-3 Pac-12) can provide Cal with a much needed victory.

No. 12 UCLA  (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) uses powerful run game to beat Arizona State (3-6, 2-4 Pac-12) 50-36

No Zach Charbonnet? No problem. UCLA was without its top running back on Saturday, yet it still recorded its season high in points. Four Bruin rushers combined for 402 yards and five scores as they trampled the Sun Devils’ defense. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw an interception on the Bruins’ first play of the game, but he settled in, letting his running backs take over and sprint toward UCLA’s eighth win of the season. The Bruins host Arizona (3-6, 1-5 Pac-12) at the Rose Bowl for its week 11 matchup.

The Arizona State offense has come miles since firing Herm Edwards earlier in 2022. It hung with a highly ranked UCLA team on Saturday. It collected 468 total yards and was 2-2 on risky fourth down attempts. Unfortunately, it was the second best offense on the field. The Sun Devils’ defense refused to stop the Bruins’ offense and was responsible for yet another conference loss. Arizona State travels to Pullman, Washington, to play Washington State (5-4, 2-4 Pac-12) next week.

No. 14 Utah (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12) dominates Arizona (3-6, 1-5 Pac-12) 45-20

The Utes had quarterback Cameron Rising back on Saturday, and once again the Utah offense had a good day. He only threw for 151 yards, but he didn’t need to do much in Utah’s seventh win of the season. The Utes dominated the ground game, rushing for 306 yards. They’re still in the running to defend their Pac-12 championship from last season, but they likely need to win out to do so. Utah plays Stanford (3-6, 1-6 Pac-12) next weekend as it hopes to gain momentum for its week 12 matchup against No. 6 Oregon, one that will make or break its chance at defending the Pac-12 title.

Arizona couldn’t get out of its own way against the Utes. The Wildcats fumbled four times and couldn’t stop the Utah rush. It was a terrible recipe for success. Arizona has now lost six straight to the Utes. There is however, still an outside shot at a bowl game. All Arizona has to do is beat No. 9 UCLA (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) next week, and then beat Washington State and Arizona State to close out the year. Highly unlikely. 

Washington State (5-4, 2-4 Pac-12) trounces Stanford (3-6, 1-6 Pac-12) 52-14

It wasn’t No. 12 UCLA, No. 9 USC, No. 8 Oregon or No. 14 Utah that had the highest point total on Saturday. It was 4-4 Washington State, just like everyone predicted. But the star of Saturday’s contest was actually the Cougar defense. It forced four Stanford fumbles, one of which turned into a 17 yard scoop-and-score. Washington State scored 21 points off Cardinal turnovers – more than the Stanford offense could accumulate all game. The Cougars needed a win on Saturday, and on the back of their defense they got it. Washington State now sits one win away from becoming bowl-eligible. Arizona State (3-6, 2-4 Pac-12) is next on the schedule for the Cougars.

Stanford simply cannot find success in the Pac-12 in 2022. The Cardinal had 71 rushing yards against a team that came into the game with an abysmal 1-4 conference record. Truly a horrific performance by a bottom tier Pac-12 team. The Cardinal plays No. 13 Utah (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12) next week in a game that nobody is giving them any chance in.