Now that we’re five weeks into the college football season and we’ve had a chance to see all the teams in the Pac-12 play a few games, it’s time to see where they stack up.
At this point, we have a pretty good idea about most of the teams, so with that, here’s how I’d rank the teams at this point:
1. Washington (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12): Huskies are the clear favorite at this point and they’re the only team in the conference with three road wins.
2. Washington State (5-0, 2-0): We knew the Cougars were good, but they look better than projected. Cougs still haven’t left Pullman yet, though.
3. USC (4-1, 2-1): Trojans haven’t been the dominant team I expected them to be, but I still think they’re the class of the South.
4. Utah (4-0, 1-0): Utes have benefitted from a soft early schedule, but they’ve also battled through some injuries to remain unbeaten.
5. Stanford (3-2, 1-1): The Cardinal have looked really good at times, and not so good at times. But, RB Bryce Love is on a roll.
6. Oregon (4-1, 1-1): Ducks stumbled at Arizona State in the Pac-12 opener, but have looked very good every other game.
7. UCLA (3-2, 1-1): It took a miraculous comeback in Week 1 to avoid a 1-3 start, but the Bruins got a good win against Colorado at home last week.
8. Colorado (3-2, 0-2): The defending South champs got through non-conference play unscathed, but their shortcomings have been exposed in the first two games of Pac-12 play, against Washington and UCLA.
9. California (3-2, 0-2): The Bears have lost their last two, but it came against USC and Oregon. Wins against North Carolina and Ole Miss were impressive in non-conference.
10. Arizona State (2-3, 1-1): Against Oregon, the Sun Devils played their best game. Aside from that not so good.
11. Arizona (2-2, 0-1): Wildcats are improving, but still need to prove they can beat quality teams. The wins have come against Northern Arizona and UTEP.
12. Oregon State (1-4, 0-2): It’s been a disaster so far this year. It took a late rally to beat FCS Portland State – at home. Every other game has been a loss by at least 29 points.
Week 6 predictions
Arizona at Colorado: I’m expecting the Buffs to bounce back at home. Pick: Colorado
Oregon State at No. 14 USC: Hard to imagine this one still being a game in the second half. USC hasn’t lost to the Beavers at home since 1960. Pick: USC
No. 11 Washington State at Oregon: Wazzu has had an impressive start, but this is a tough first road test. Improved Ducks will be motivated. Pick: Oregon
Stanford at No. 20 Utah: Not really sure what to make of either team right now, but the matchup of the nation’s leading rusher (Stanford’s Bryce Love) vs. the Pac-12’s leading rush defense should be a good one. I give the nod to the visitors. Pick: Stanford
California at No. 6 Washington: Bears had a fast start to the season, but they aren’t in Washington’s class. Pick: Washington
Contact staff writer Brian Howell at howellb@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/BrianHowell33.
