Halfway through the Pac-12 season, the conference is littered with teams on the outside looking in. As it stands heading into week eight of the college football season, Stanford and Utah are the the clear frontrunners of their respective divisions.
Here are the conference power rankings at halftime:
1) No. 3 Utah (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12): Devontae Booker is one of the premiere running backs in the nation, averaging 130.5 yards rushing per game. Travis Wilson is a dual-threat quarterback, and freshman Britain Covey has emerged as the top wideout. Utah’s defense is stout too, limiting opponents to 19.5 points per game and has the top rushing defense in the country.
2) No. 10 Stanford (5-1, 4-0 Pac-12): Running back Christian McCaffrey emerged as a Heisman contender when he rewrote the Stanford record book with 243 yards rushing and four touchdowns against then-No. 18 UCLA on Oct. 15. The Cardinal rely on a powerful running game that controls the clock as well as an opposing defense that plays fast and physical, ranking in the top five of every conference defensive category.
3) No. 20 Cal (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12): The conference’s surprise team is in a position to win the conference outright for the first time since 1958. Jared Goff is arguably the best quarterback in the nation. Cal’s only loss came on its last possession against Utah in Salt Lake City, a game in which Goff threw five interceptions yet still had his team in position to win.
4) Arizona (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12): Running back Nick Wilson is averaging 113.8 rushing yards per game and has scored eight touchdowns on the year. Quarterback Anu Solomon has a passing efficiency of 151.0. The Wildcats lead the conference in scoring at 41.7 points per game and has games against USC, Utah and Arizona State to end the year.
5) Oregon (4-3, 2-2 Pac-12): The Ducks are two plays away from being 6-1. The defense has multiple areas with a need for improvement, but progress has been made. With the return of a healthy Vernon Adams Jr. and wide receiver Darren Carrington, Oregon looked rejuvenated last Saturday.
6) Arizona State (4-3, 2-2 Pac-12): The talent is there but the execution was lacking in Arizona State’s three losses. DJ Foster is one of the most versatile players in the conference, but Arizona State has issues getting him the ball. The Sun Devils led Utah by four entering the fourth quarter last week but were unable to finish, the theme of Arizona State’s season.
7) UCLA (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12): Losing Eddie Vanderdoes, Myles Jack and Fabian Moreau all to injuries, the Bruins are giving up 41.3 points per game over their last three. The offense needs to find more consistency from its freshman quarterback Josh Rosen.
8) Washington State (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12): Quarterback Luke Falk is playing at an extremely high level this year, amassing 2,391 yards passing and 21 touchdowns through six games. While the quarterback and receivers remain strong, the cougars’ running game and lackluster defense lets them down.
9) USC (3-3, 1-2 Pac-12): The most disappointing team in the conference has lost three of its last four games and just fired its head coach. Far and away the most talented team in the conference, the Trojans’ schedule only gets more difficult, with games against Utah and Cal in back-to-back weeks.
10) Washington (3-3, 1-2 Pac-12): The Huskies have a superior defense, ranking first in the Pac-12 in scoring defense. But offense is where the team struggles. Running back Myles Gaskin is the only legitimate threat on that side of the ball.
11) Colorado (3-4, 0-3 Pac-12): The Buffaloes are improving in the Pac-12, giving Oregon and Arizona competitive contests. Wide receivers Shay Fields and Nelson Spruce give Colorado a dynamic duo out wide and that combination could lead to a victory against Oregon State this weekend.
12) Oregon State (2-4, 0-3 Pac-12): The Beavers are amidst a massive overhaul. So while the present may seem like a lost cause, the future is bright going forward with quarterback Seth Collins. Collins, a freshman, averages 135.5 yards passing and 81.0 yards rushing per game.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka