One week to play in the Pac-12’s regular season, and the conference is set up to get nine bowl teams this season.
Seven teams are already bowl eligible, but two more (the winners of Colorado at Utah and Cal at UCLA) will get there this week.
Meanwhile, USC has clinched the South and gets to watch all the fun this weekend from home, resting up for the Pac-12 title game. Their opponent for that game – either Stanford or Washington – has to go through a Saturday night game against a top-15 team and then play on a short week next Friday.
So, heading into the final week of the regular season: here’s a look at here’s a look at my updated Pac-12 rankings going into Week 13:
1. USC (10-2, 8-1; last week: 1): The South champs knocked off rival UCLA in their finale and now get two weeks to rest before the Pac-12 title game.
2. Stanford (8-3, 7-2; last week: 2): The Cardinal are done with conference play and will take the North title if Washington beats Washington State.
3. Washington (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12; last week: 3): Huskies escaped with a 33-30 win against Utah at home.
4. Washington State (9-2, 6-2; last week: 4): After a bye week, the Cougars go into the Apple Cup with a conference title still at stake.
5. Arizona State (6-5, 5-3; last week: 7): Sun Devils have been up and down most of the year, but have a shot to finish second in the South.
6. Oregon (6-5, 3-5; last week: 8): The Ducks are pretty darn good with Justin Herbert at QB and got a big win against Arizona.
7. Arizona (7-4, 5-3; last week: 5): Teams are starting to figure out Khalil Tate, as the Wildcats have dropped two of their last three.
8. Utah (5-6, 2-6; last week: 9): Utes have had a tough season, but nearly pulled off the upset at Washington last week.
9. UCLA (5-6, 3-5; last week: 6): Bruins have had a tough season and fired coach Jim Mora this week. Still have a shot at a bowl, however.
10. Colorado (5-6, 2-6; last week: 10): Buffs had a bye week before heading to Utah to play for bowl eligibility.
11. California (5-6, 2-6; last week: 11): Bears came close, but fell to Stanford in their rivalry game.
12. Oregon State (1-10, 0-8; last week: 12): Beavers were overwhelmed early by ASU in a 40-24 loss.
Week 13 predictions
Colorado at Utah: I’ve got a feeling Colorado plays one of its best games of the year this week and steals a win. Prediction: Colorado
Cal at UCLA: Many Bruins players were not happy that Mora was fired – and that may not be a good thing for Cal, which is 0-4 in Pac-12 road games. Prediction: UCLA.
Notre Dame at Stanford: The Cardinal have been playing good football and could win the North title, but this is a tough non-conference matchup. Prediction: Notre Dame.
Arizona at Arizona State: A few weeks ago, I would have picked Arizona to win this going away, but ASU has played pretty good defense at times. Prediction: ASU.
Oregon State at Oregon: Herbert’s back and that should help the Ducks roll in this one. Prediction: Oregon.
Washington State at Washington: I’m tempted to go with Washington State in this game, but I expect Washington to play well against its rival. Prediction: Washington.
Bye: USC
Bowl projections:
New Year’s Six (Cotton, Fiesta or Peach): USC
Alamo: Washington
Holiday: Stanford
Foster Farms: Washington State
Sun: Arizona State
Las Vegas: Arizona
Cactus: Oregon
At-large: UCLA
At-large: Colorado
Contact staff writer Brian Howell at howellb@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/BrianHowell33.
