Pac-12 Power Rankings: Oregon, Washington secure major non-conference wins for league

The Pac-12 remains a league with multiple playoff contenders as a Washington upset of No. 11 Michigan State on the road and an Oregon win over No. 12 BYU significantly bolstered the conference’s profile this weekend. With those wins in mind, there are some significant shakeups in the Week 3 Pac-12 Power Rankings.

Frankly, any of the teams currently ranked from No. 2 to No. 7 in this week’s edition could be ordered differently.

Oregon moves up a spot as UCLA gave ground following a real scare against South Alabama. Meanwhile, Washington makes a healthy move up. Let’s take a look at how those changes impacted the rest of the teams after this weekend’s results.

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Today we update the Pac-12 Power Rankings following Week 3 games.

2012 Pac-12 Power Rankings – Week 3

1. USC

The Trojans continue to truck right along under first-year coach Lincoln Riley, this time topping Fresno State 45-17. Quarterback Caleb Williams scored two touchdowns on the ground and went 25-of-37 passing for 284 yards with two passing touchdowns and no interceptions. The Trojans were balanced offensively with 284 yards passing and 233 rushing, but the defense allowed 421 to the Bulldogs. A trip to Oregon State in Week 4 should be another good conference test.

2. Utah

The Utes started slowly for the second straight week but roared to life by scoring 35 points in the second and third quarters in a 35-7 win over San Diego State. Quarterback Cameron Rising threw four touchdown passes. Utah will play two of its next three on the road before a showdown at home with USC on Oct. 15.

3. Oregon (+1)

Oregon sure has bounced back nicely from that opening-week demolition by Georgia. The Ducks got an excellent outing from quarterback Bo Nix, who helped lead scoring drives on either side of halftime to break the game open against No. 12 BYU. Oregon cruised 41-20 after leading 38-7 entering the fourth quarter. A road trip to Washington State next weekend will let us know if the Ducks are here to stay in the Pac-12 title race.

4. Washington (+3)

The offense new coach Kalen DeBoer brought to Washington is working like a charm, and it claimed its first major victim on Saturday with a 39-28 win over No. 11 Michigan State that was a bigger blowout than the score indicated. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. went 24-of-40 passing with four touchdown passes and no interceptions as the Huskies stunned the Spartans. The schedule looks ripe for a potential playoff run, with a road trip to Oregon the only remaining game against a ranked opponent.

5. Washington State

The Cougars have been plenty impressive in their own right, boasting a road win at Wisconsin and padding the resume on Saturday with a 38-7 win over Colorado State. Washington’s road non-conference win over Michigan State was a bit more impressive than Washington State’s over Wisconsin, the main reason Washington State gets leaped this week. A home game against Oregon in Week 4 gives Washington State a chance to make a statement.

6. UCLA (-3)

It’s tough to penalize a team after a win, but the Bruins narrowly escaped South Alabama at home in a 32-31 nail-biter. And they needed a game-winning field goal as time expired to do so. On the one hand, Chip Kelly‘s Bruins have now won eight of their last 10, with the two losses to a top-10 Oregon team and eventual Pac-12 champ Utah last season. On the other hand… Saturday.

7. Oregon State (-1)

As noted above, you could make a case for reorganizing team’s 2-7 in this week’s Pac 12 Power Rankings in any number of ways, and perhaps it’s unfair that Oregon State gets left at the bottom coming off a 68-28 win over Montana State. The Beavers have wins over Boise State and at Fresno State, which are both solid wins. In any case, Oregon State can make a real case for movement this weekend when it hosts top-ranked USC.

8. California

The Bears had a chance to take down a struggling Fighting Irish team but couldn’t make enough plays when it counted in a 24-17 loss on the road. Notre Dame won the fourth quarter 10-0 to claim its first win of the season. Cal didn’t turn the ball over or make a ton of obvious mistakes but went just 4-of-15 on third down.

9. Stanford

The Cardinal was off this week following last week’s competitive loss to USC. Stanford better be ready to play coming off the bye week, too. The next two games are on the road at No. 18 Washington and No. 15 Oregon, a stretch that could provide some optimism or put a significant damper on the season.

10. Arizona (+1)

The Wildcats entered as an underdog to perennial FCS power North Dakota State but managed to come out on top 31-28 in a back-and-forth affair. The Bison rushed for 229 yards but were stopped when it mattered late in the fourth quarter after the Wildcats took the lead. Quarterback Jayden de Laura threw for one touchdown and ran for another. Now Arizona gets a chance to move out of the basement in Week 4 with a road trip to Cal.

11. Arizona State (-1)

The Sun Devils trailed from start to finish in a 30-21 loss to Eastern Michigan out of the MAC. Led by running back Samson Evans, the Eagles piled up 305 yards rushing in the contest. Evans had 257 yards and a touchdown himself. The next three games for Arizona State? Home against No. 13 Utah, at No. 7 USC and then home against No. 18 Washington. Good luck.

12. Colorado

The Buffaloes continue to look like the most lifeless team in the Power 5. And that’s saying something given how bad Nebraska has been. Three quarterbacks threw passes for Colorado in a 49-7 loss to Minnesota, and former Tennessee transfer JT Shrout managed to scratch out the lone touchdown pass among them. But the Buffaloes were outgained 500-226 and finished just 1-of-12 on third down.

Want to see how this week’s power rankings compare to our previous edition? Check out the 2022 Week 2 Pac-12 Power Rankings here!