Pac-12 Power Rankings: Oregon blows chance at Pac-12 title with loss to Beavers
Well, that was certainly an interesting way for the regular season to end in the Pac-12.
Not only did the No. 9 Oregon Ducks suffer a brutal defeat to the No. 22 Oregon State Beavers in a game where they had a 17-point fourth-quarter lead. The nightcap was potentially the most thrilling game of the day, with a 51-33 shootout between Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars in the Apple Cup that held major ramifications for the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Washington’s win created a three-way tie for 2nd place in the conference, which is won by the Utah Utes, who will now go on to face the USC Trojans in the conference title game.
So now that the regular season has come to a close, what do the final power rankings look like? Here’s our estimation.
Colorado Buffaloes (1-11) (Last Week: 12)
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
At this point you kind of just hope the box score doesn’t make you wince as a Colorado fan. That, unfortunately, was not the case after they got smacked by the Utes on Saturday. They are now 1-11 on the year.
Stanford Cardinal (3-9) (Last Week: 11)
Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Stanford didn’t put up much of a fight against future Big 12 opponent BYU on Saturday. They move to 3-9 on the year.
California Golden Bears (4-8) (Last Week: 10)
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
A nice game from quarterback Jack Plummer kept the Golden Bears in it for four quarters against UCLA, but they ultimately fell to just 2-7 in conference play.
Arizona State Sun Devils (3-9) (Last Week: 9)
Syndication: Arizona Republic
The Sun Devils weren’t able to defeat heated rival Arizona this year, but attention will quickly turn to the rumors that Oregon OC Kenny Dillingham could be their next head coach.
Arizona Wildcats (5-7) (Last Week: 8)
Syndication: Arizona Republic
Arizona scored 28 points in the second half to stun the Sun Devils and secure their fifth win of the season – and another year of bragging rights.
Washington State Cougars (7-5) Last Week: 7
Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
The Cougars looked like they might be able to save the day for Oregon, but ended up running out of gas vs. Washington in the Apple Cup and getting blown out in the fourth quarter.
UCLA Bruins (9-3) (Last Week: 5)
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The UCLA Bruins secured their ninth victory of the season over Cal on Friday, but it wasn’t exactly a performance that inspires much confidence in Chip Kelly’s squad going into bowl season.
Oregon Ducks (9-3) (Last Week: 2)
Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
An absolute disaster scenario emerged for the Oregon Ducks at Reser Stadium, where a 31-10 lead turned into a loss to rival Oregon State and the end of their quest for a Pac-12 Championship.
Oregon State Beavers 9-3 (Last Week: 6)
Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
The Oregon State Beavers pulled a stunner on Saturday, coming back from 21 points down and burying rival Oregon at Reser Stadium. They pick up their ninth win of the year and continue their resurgence under coach Jonathan Smith.
Washington Huskies (10-2) (Last Week: 4)
Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
The Huskies looked great vs. Washington State, and Michael Penix had potentially the best game of his career. Washington was also able to twist the knife for Oregon, knocking them out of the Pac-12 title game just weeks after they ended the Ducks’ College Football Playoff hopes.
Utah Utes (9-3) (Last Week: 3)
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Utah did what everyone does against Colorado, cruising to an easy victory – moving them to 8-2 on the year.
USC Trojans (11-1) (Last Week: 1)
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
USC jumped out to a 10-0 first quarter lead and held onto it to secure a win over No. 15 Notre Dame. They are 11-1 and have a very, very real chance of participating in the CFP this year.
