Pac-12 Power Rankings: Week 3
By Brian Spaen
Oregon takes the top spot in the newest power rankings for the Pac-12 this week, getting the edge just slightly to Stanford by a few more votes. USC drops down to third place, and doesn’t have a lot of separation between UCLA and Arizona ranked consecutively after that.
The falloff is after that, with Utah, Arizona State, and Washington in a near-tie for 6th. Oregon State, Washington State, and California are in that next tier with votes just in the teens. Colorado brings up the rear with nothing – just like they will all season long.
1. Oregon (3-0): 52 points (2 first-place votes)
Brian (Voted 1st): De’Anthony Thomas was impressive as ever, and it was nice to see that defense shut down a team all game long. Despite it being against a poor school, that was the most complete team we’ve seen since the first 23 minutes against Arkansas State.
September 15, 2012; Stanford, CA, USA; A Stanford Cardinal fan holds up a sign mentioning former quarterback Andrew Luck (not pictured) during the fourth quarter against the Southern California Trojans at Stanford Stadium. The Cardinal defeated the Trojans 21-14. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE
2. Stanford (1-0, 3-0): 50 points (2 first-place votes)
Mike (1st): I like how the Cardinal continue to improve each weekend and play physical defense plus run the ball
3. USC (0-1, 2-1): 45 points (1 first-place vote)
Ricky (1st): Yes, they lost this week, but at least they played a real team.
4. UCLA (3-0): 40 points
Brian (4th): Houston is as awful as some FCS schools this season, but the Bruins made them look even worse forcing five picks off quarterback David Piland. No letdown after Nebraska.
5. Arizona (3-0): 37 points
Mike (4th): The Wildcats, like the team above them, made it to conference play with a perfect record. Their biggest test comes Saturday at Oregon.
6. Utah (2-1): 24 points
Brian (8th): Credit the Utes with a huge comeback win after losing to Utah State. Now they just need to figure out when a game is over.
7. Arizona State (2-1): 23 points
Mike (7th): Let’s face it, they failed in the first test of 2012 traveling to Missouri on Saturday night.
8. Washington (2-1): 22 points
Brian (6th): This team is better than it’s ranked. But they won’t be able to show anyone until this murder schedule is over with.
9. Oregon State (2-0): 15 points
Mike (5th): Probably over-ranked by me, but shutting down the Wisconsin Badgers still merits credit in my book. The margin of error is slim.
10. Washington State (2-1):12 points
September 15, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; California Golden Bears running back C.J. Anderson (9) is tackled by Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Ryan Shazier (10) and cornerback Travis Howard (7) at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-US PRESSWIRE
Brian (11th): UNLV is awful, and things are looking great under Hauck. They’ve won four games the last two years, and are still looking for their first win of this season. I give credit for the win, but if the Cougars want to compete it needed to be more convincing.
11. California (1-2): 10 points
Mike (11th): I liked the resolve Cal showed in Columbus against the Bucks. Compared to the others in the Pac-12, they are still behind others this week.
12. Colorado (0-3): 0 points
Brian (12th): Robbie Rouse is special, but Colorado made him look like a Heisman winner with four touchdowns in the first quarter. 35 points were given up total in that quarter. That doesn’t even register as competition. Players should feel free to tailgate with fans and get to the stadium just minutes before the game – the Buffaloes are a complete joke.
The Autzen Zoo staff includes lead editor Brian Spaen along with staff writers Joe Soriano, Mike Vamosi, Raymond Mencke, Jr., and Ricky Widmer.