Pac-12 Power Rankings: League playoff chances take body blow after key upsets

A wild weekend in the Pac-12 saw the league’s chances to land a team in the College Football Playoff take an absolute beating on Saturday. And with that, there are obviously some major changes in our latest Pac-12 Power Rankings.

Washington upended Oregon, while Arizona upset UCLA. Not only did that throw a wrench into the league’s playoff picture, it also makes the race to reach the conference title game riveting down the stretch.

Let’s get into all the ramifications.

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Today we update the Pac-12 Power Rankings following Week 11 games.

2022 Pac-12 Power Rankings – Week 11

1. Utah (+2)

The Utes are back on top of the rankings following a 42-7 win over Stanford. Though Utah has two losses versus just one for USC, the Utes have that head-to-head win in their pocket. But Utah shouldn’t get too comfortable. A road trip to Oregon is up next and there are major games that could alter the top of the Pac-12 Power Rankings again this weekend.

2. USC (+2)

The Trojans represent the only optimal chance for the Pac-12 to produce a playoff team at this point and there remain some significant hurdles for USC. First, it will have to take care of cross-town rival UCLA this week. Then it will have to beat Notre Dame and win the Pac-12 title to firmly state its case. Doable. Not easy.

3. Washington (+2)

If not for that bizarre loss at Arizona State, Washington might actually be in playoff contention. The Huskies dropped the Ducks 37-34 on Saturday night, rallying in the fourth quarter to win in the final minute. The defense did just enough, aided by a costly penalty on the final Oregon drive, to hold on.

4. Oregon (-3)

Bo Nix was good but was shaken up late in the loss to Washington and a last-minute drive to try to get into game-tying field goal range stalled out. Nix finished with 280 yards and two touchdowns passing and also added 59 yards rushing and a score. Oregon will have to try to bounce back this week as it hosts Utah.

5. UCLA (-3)

UCLA had its chances down the stretch but couldn’t connect, falling short in a 34-28 upset by Arizona. The Bruins couldn’t get a handle on opposing quarterback Jayden de Laura, who threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns, enough to outduel Zach Charbonnet‘s 181-yard, 3-touchdown day for UCLA. UCLA will try to salvage things when it hosts USC this weekend.

6. Oregon State

Oregon State’s defense just choked the life out of the game in a 38-10 win over California. The Beavers gave up just nine yards rushing and held the Bears to 156 total yards in the contest. At 7-3, Oregon State will close out the regular season with a road trip to Arizona State before the season finale at home against rival Oregon.

7. Washington State

Washington State built a 28-0 halftime lead and held on despite Arizona State scoring 18 unanswered in the second half. The Cougars hounded starting quarterback Trenton Bourguet, who was chased from the game in favor of Florida transfer Emory Jones. Washington State has a road trip to Arizona next, followed by a home date against Washington in the finale.

8. Arizona

Arizona has clearly established itself as the best of the bottom-tier group in the Pac-12 Power Rankings, and Saturday’s win over UCLA was impressive. Jedd Fisch is clearly having a positive impact for the Wildcats, there just isn’t a whole lot of room to move up in the rankings with a two-win gap between Arizona and Washington State. Arizona can change that this week when it hosts Washington State.

9. Stanford

The Cardinal lost its third straight, stomped by the Utes 42-7. Stanford was outgained 514 yards to 177 in the contest, limited to just 3-of-14 on third down. Stanford managed to run for only 22 yards on 26 carries in the loss and now sits at 3-7, bowl eligibility off the table.

10. California

The Bears weren’t able to get anything going offensively, missing a chance to make a statement in the Pac-12 Power Rankings with an upset on the road. California is also a 3-7 team, having now lost six straight games despite a couple competitive contests in that stretch.

11. Arizona State

The Sun Devils punted on their first four drives and then Bourguet threw an interception. By the time Jones replaced him at quarterback the damage was done, as Washington State got out to a 28-0 lead by the half. The Sun Devils probably haven’t been as bad as their record might indicate, which is mildly impressive given all the turmoil surrounding the program off the field.

12. Colorado

The Buffaloes are just playing out the string after firing head coach Karl Dorrell. Friday night’s 55-17 loss to USC was the fourth straight loss for the program, which now must travel to Washington before hosting Utah to close the regular season.

Want to see how this week’s power rankings compare to our previous edition? Check out the 2022 Week 10 Pac-12 Power Rankings here!