Another week of Pac-12 play has come and gone. Rising teams fell and falling teams rose. Up north, Oregon State was unable to overcome a late deficit in the Palouse, but still technically retained the top spot in the division. With four teams (Oregon, Washington, Cal and Colorado) on bye weeks, the Pac-12 South produced some division-altering results.
Arizona State won its second consecutive game by double digits, beating Stanford 28-10 Friday night. UCLA took care of business against winless Arizona while Utah snagged a historically elusive win in the Coliseum.
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Oregon | 4-1 (1-1) | Week 6: BYE | Week 7: vs Cal
Oregon had its first slip against Stanford, but back-to-back Pac-12 titles and a win in Columbus still makes them the class of the conference until proven otherwise. The Ducks also control their own destiny after Stanford’s loss to Arizona State.
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Arizona State | 5-1 (3-0) | Week 6: 28-10 W vs Stanford | Week 7: @ Utah
The best team in Pac-12 play thus far has been Arizona State. Wins over UCLA, Colorado and Stanford have the Sun Devils in pole position for the Pac-12 South title heading into a massive game against Utah.
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Utah | 3-2 (2-0) | Week 6: 42-26 W @ USC | Week 7: vs Arizona State
Last week, Utah did something it hadn’t since 1916: beat USC in Los Angeles. The Utes are undefeated in conference play and motivated by tragedy, but a massive home test against ASU could end up being the de facto Pac-12 South title.
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UCLA | 4-2 (2-1) | Week 6: 34-16 W @ Arizona | Week 7: @ Washington
After a hot start and gradual cooldown to begin the 2021 season, UCLA has an opportunity to prove the race for the South has more than two horses. Chip Kelly leads the Bruins into a pair of tough cross-divisional games in the next two weeks: on the road at Washington and hosting Oregon.
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Stanford | 3-3 (2-2) | Week 6: 28-10 L @ Arizona State | Week 7: @ Washington State
As maybe the most confusing Pac-12 team, Stanford followed up a monumental overtime win over Oregon with a pitiful three-score loss to Arizona State. The Cardinal may not compete for a Pac-12 championship this season, but their dangerous passing game makes them capable of beating any conference foe on any given Saturday.
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Oregon State | 4-2 (2-1) | Week 6: 31-24 L @ Washington State | Week 7: BYE
With all the positive vibes flowing toward the Beavers last week, the Pac-12 did what it does best: cannibalize. It was a slow death for Oregon State in Pullman, but they are still right in the mix for a shot at the Pac-12 North title with the conference’s best rushing attack.
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USC | 3-3 (2-3) | Week 6: 42-26 L vs Utah | Week 7: BYE
Despite leading the conference in yards per game (318.3), the Trojans have effectively eliminated themselves from Pac-12 title contention after six games. USC has a much-needed week off before travelling to South Bend for a tough matchup against Notre Dame on Oct. 23.
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Washington State | 3-3 (2-2) | Week 6: 31-24 W vs Oregon State | Week 7: vs Stanford
Wazzu redeemed its first two conference losses with wins against Cal and Oregon State, but they will need more than just a decent passing attack to be a threat in the North this year.
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Washington | 2-3 (1-1) | Week 6: BYE | Week 7: vs UCLA
Washington can climb up these power rankings with a win over UCLA this weekend, but it’s unlikely the Huskies will sniff the national top 25 this season.
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Cal | 1-4 (0-2) | Week 6: BYE | Week 7: @ Oregon
The end of the road may be approaching quicker than anticipated for Justin Wilcox at Cal, which might be lower in these rankings if not for having week six off. They also have the toughest test of any team in week seven as they travel to Autzen Stadium Friday night.
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Arizona | 0-5 (0-2) | Week 6: 34-16 L vs UCLA | Week 7: @ Colorado
Arizona fought hard against Oregon and UCLA and lost both games handily. As underdogs, the Wildcats will need to win a game this season –– something they haven’t done since Oct. 5, 2019 (ironically, on the road against Colorado).
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Colorado | 1-4 (0-2) | Week 6: BYE | Week 7: vs Arizona
Colorado has the second-worst total offense in FBS college football, averaging just 100 passing yards per game. Still, can any team really be worse than Arizona? We’ll find out this Saturday in a battle of Pac-12 repulsiveness.
