Let\u2019s start the weekly power ratings with a brief look at the national rankings.<\/p>\n
The Pac-12 placed eight teams in the latest AP top-25 poll, three more than the SEC and four more than the Big Ten.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the highest total in conference history, besting the previous record of six (set several times). Only the SEC has ever placed at least eight teams in the AP poll.<\/p>\n
Through two weeks, the Pac-12 is 20-3 against non-conference opponents and 6-3 against Power Five foes.<\/p>\n
And the conference should be in this same spot next week, too.<\/p>\n
Of the eight ranked teams, one is idle on Saturday (USC), six are heavy favorites and the eighth, Washington, has a challenging game but is unlikely to drop out of the poll with a loss.<\/p>\n
All of which means the Pac-12 will enter conference play (Sept. 23) with two-thirds of its teams ranked, setting up a barrage of premier matchups through the heart of the season and College Football Playoff selection process.<\/p>\n
And then: kaboom!<\/p>\n
To the power ratings \u2026<\/p>\n
Last week:<\/strong> 1 Last week:<\/strong> 2 Last week:<\/strong> 3 Last week:<\/strong> 4 Last week:<\/strong> 5 Last week:<\/strong> 6 Last week:<\/strong> 7 Last week:<\/strong> 9 College Sports | <\/p>\n College Sports | <\/p>\n College Sports | <\/p>\n College Sports | <\/p>\n College Sports | <\/p>\n Last week:<\/strong> 10 Last week:<\/strong> 8 Last week:<\/strong> 11
\nResult:<\/strong> beat Tulsa 43-10
\nNext up:<\/strong> at Michigan State
\nComment:<\/strong> The toughest game of the week for the Pac-12 seemingly got a bit easier as the Spartans suspended coach Mel Tucker on Sunday following revelations of sexual harassment. Defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett will serve in the interim role — he has never been a head coach \u2014 and must navigate the massive disruption.<\/p>\n2. USC (2-0\/1-0)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> beat Stanford 56-10
\nNext up:<\/strong> idle (Sept. 23: at Arizona State)
\nComment:<\/strong> The first of USC\u2019s two bye weeks heralds a grueling stretch of nine games in a row, while the second bye is the weekend before the Pac-12 championship game. So the Trojans must deal with the repercussions of the first in order to reap the benefits of the second.<\/p>\n3. Utah (2-0)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> won at Baylor 20-13
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. Weber State
\nComment:<\/strong> We cannot claim to know the status of Cam Rising\u2019s injured knee. But if he\u2019s available, the Utes have an interesting choice: Play him this week so Rising is ready for the conference opener (Sept. 23 against UCLA), or sit him this week, when he\u2019s not needed, to ensure that he\u2019s completely fresh next week. Our guess: If he\u2019s cleared to play, he\u2019ll play.<\/p>\n4. Oregon (2-0)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> won at Texas Tech 38-30
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. Hawaii
\nComment:<\/strong> Nice to have what amounts to a bye week before Colorado comes to town for a Sept. 23 conference opener that has become a much bigger deal than initially thought.<\/p>\n5. Oregon State (2-0)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> beat UC Davis 55-7
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. San Diego State
\nComment:<\/strong> Good teams demolish overmatched opponents. The Beavers have done it twice, outscoring San Jose State and UC Davis by a combined score of 97-24. Every available clue suggests OSU is as good as advertised.<\/p>\n6. Colorado (2-0)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> beat Nebraska 36-14
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. Colorado State
\nComment:<\/strong> Admittedly, the Hotline spends too much time pondering alternate-universe scenarios, but let\u2019s pose the following: As frustrated as Colorado fans were following Mel Tucker\u2019s departure in early 2020 and during the floundering Karl Dorrell regime, given what that stretch led to (Deion Sanders) \u2014 and considering Tucker\u2019s behavior at MSU and the lack of character it reveals \u2014 it sure seems like Tucker\u2019s abrupt exit eventually worked out for the best.<\/p>\n7. Washington State (2-0)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> beat Wisconsin 31-22
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. Northern Colorado
\nComment:<\/strong> The Cougars should feast on a well-placed cupcake between the Wisconsin matchup and the \u2018Pac-2\u2019 showdown Sept. 23 against Oregon State.<\/p>\n8. UCLA (2-0)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> won at San Diego State 35-10
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. UNC Central
\nComment:<\/strong> It\u2019s not their fault, because Michigan canceled the home-and-home series in 2022-23, but the Bruins will end up going 1,113 days between non-conference games against Power Five foes: from the Sept. 4, 2021 home date with LSU to the Sept. 21, 2024 trip to Baton Rouge.<\/p>\nRelated Articles<\/h2>\n
\n
\nPac-12 rewind: T shirts, extreme heat and big wins highlight Week 3<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nPac-12 review: Oregon, Utah lead list of biggest winners as QBs shine<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nPac-12 chaos: Washington State, Oregon State take legal action against the conference over control of assets, voting rights<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nPac-12 picks ATS: Oregon, Utah cover as road favorites; Colorado rolls<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nStanford, Cal to ACC: What’s next for Pac-12 survivors WSU, OSU<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n9. Arizona (1-1)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> lost at Mississippi State 31-24 (OT)
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. UTEP
\nComment:<\/strong> Mammoth game this week to keep Arizona\u2019s bowl math from turning into trigonometry, and we would not consider the possibility of a loss — UTEP was run off the field by Northwestern, after all \u2014 except for the fact that Jayden de Laura has thrown five interceptions in two games.<\/p>\n10. Cal (1-1)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> lost to Auburn 14-10
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. Idaho
\nComment:<\/strong> When 5-7 teams are sitting at home for the holidays and stewing over the result that kept them out of the bowl season, they usually focus on an unexpected loss to a Group of Five or FCS opponent \u2014 not to a member of the SEC.<\/p>\n11. Stanford (1-1\/0-1)<\/h4>\n
\nResult:<\/strong> lost at USC 56-10
\nNext up:<\/strong> vs. Sacramento State
\nComment:<\/strong> Which outcome reflected Stanford\u2019s reality: The Week 1 celebration at Hawaii or the Week 2 humiliation at USC? Our sense: There\u2019s a third door leading to a season in which the Cardinal is frequently competitive but rarely victorious.<\/p>\n12. Arizona State (1-1)<\/h4>\n